kerry Posted 4 September , 2005 Share Posted 4 September , 2005 Dear Pals, a couple of days ago I found a one-line reference in the paperback 'Silent Night', to 2nd Bn Yorkshire Regt (Green Howards) as being in the PLugstreet sector and being involved in the 1914 Christmas Truce- but no further details. It would be worth taking my ACF cadets to the wooden cross that marks the truce area, if indeed there were North or West Yorkshire regiments involved. Grateful if anyone knows more detail on what North or West Yorkshire units were involved in the Christmas Truce as this is news to me. Many thanks. Kerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 4 September , 2005 Share Posted 4 September , 2005 a couple of days ago I found a one-line reference in the paperback 'Silent Night', to 2nd Bn Yorkshire Regt (Green Howards) as being in the PLugstreet sector and being involved in the 1914 Christmas Truce- but no further details.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> The 2/Yorkshires actually spent Xmas Day 1914 in billets near Fleurbaix. Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Coulson Posted 4 September , 2005 Share Posted 4 September , 2005 Kerry, 2nd Yorkshires were relieved from the trenches on Christmas Eve afternoon by the 2nd Bedfords and went back to billets in Sailly. Christmas and Boxing Days were "enjoyed as a holiday" according to the war diary. 27th December - "We relieved the 2nd Bedfords and found everything swimming in water. Luckily no need to take cover as the Germans were not firing" 28th December - "Very hard job to cope with the water which is flooding everything. Luckily we had not to think of taking cover as again there was no firing." War diary goes on like this until December 30th when the battalion is relieved by 2nd Bedfords and gets back to billets in Sailly at 3-30pm. Wording does seem to suggest an unofficial live and let live agreement between the opposing sides and it is known that an unofficial truce was observed not just at Ploegsteert but up and down the line in places. Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 4 September , 2005 Share Posted 4 September , 2005 The Long, Long Trail has - as far as I know - the ONLY online reference to the units that took part in the truce. It's on this page: http://www.1914-1918.net/truce.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry Posted 5 September , 2005 Author Share Posted 5 September , 2005 Thanks all who replied. I did look on our list as Chris signposted, and it looks as though 2nd Yorks were NOT in the Plugstreet Sector but further south at Fromelles. Bob, any indication as to what trenches and what sector the War Diary refers to? Thanks Kerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Coulson Posted 5 September , 2005 Share Posted 5 September , 2005 Kerry, Close to Fleurbaix is the only reference I can see. Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Coulson Posted 5 September , 2005 Share Posted 5 September , 2005 Kerry, Just had a look through Green Howards in the Great War and mention is made of the Germans putting up Christmas trees opposite the 2nd battalion and also of men meeting in no man's land and exchanging cigarettes etc. So the 2nd battalion were involved in a truce of sorts. Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 5 September , 2005 Share Posted 5 September , 2005 Just had a look through Green Howards in the Great War and mention is made of the Germans putting up Christmas trees opposite the 2nd battalion and also of men meeting in no man's land and exchanging cigarettes etc. So the 2nd battalion were involved in a truce of sorts. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Bob. If you read it again, you'll see that it actually mentions the "strange happenings" in the front-line trenches, but It doesn't say that the 2nd battalion were actually in them at the time.(it mentions the "we spent Christmas day in billets"). It appears to me to be just a narrative describing what happened nearby. Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Coulson Posted 6 September , 2005 Share Posted 6 September , 2005 Dave, Yes see what you mean, close by but not actually in the front line. Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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