Christmas Truces

[Broznitsky]

Us Pals know about the 1914 Truce and there have been some books written about it, but what about later years? Was there other instances (on any front) of a brief respite between opposing forces around Christmas time where social exchange took place?

(I don't mean a truce to collect dead and wounded; I'm sure there were many such occurrences at all times of the year, in every year.)

Peter in a festive mood in Vancouver, waiting for his Rupert Annual

[Paul Reed]

The only other one I know of is when Hawke Bn RND had a truce on Welsh Ridge at Cambrai in 1917. There is an account of it in the unit history and The Great War - I was There, if I remember correctly.

[Andrew P]

In the 2nd Battalion AIF history, around christmas 1916, there was the comment that orders came down from high command that there was to be no fraternising with the enemy.

The battalion history made the comment that due to the state of the glutinous, muddy, shell hole strewn ground between the two lines in the Flers area, none of the troops felt disposed to slogging over to wish the Gemans a happy christmas anyway.

[Mark Hone]

I remeber reading somewhere that there were attempts to repeat the 1914 experience in 1915 but they were swiftly quashed by higher command. I don't know any firm details though.

[David Seymour]

This interesting item from the War Diary of the 1st Wiltshire (see The Wardrobe website):

1st Wiltshire Saturday 25th December 1915 Belgium, Ploegsteert Wood

"Weather very mild. Enemy was quiet all day: A white flag which was shown above their parapet was fired on and withdrawn: and opposite the left company a German shouted out a question as to the attitude we intended to adopt, but no reply was given."

Regards,

David

[Ste]

Brown and Seaton's Christmas Truce includes a whole chapter on Christmas 1915. In short, the war had become a lot more 'serious' by then. It seems that orders were given at GHQ level to strictly prohibit fraternisation; this was reiterated by many divisional commanders. The German GHQ took the same line in an order of 12th December, to the effect that men leaving the trenches withour orders were to be fired upon, as were any French who did so without making it clear he was deserting.

Most attempts to fraternise at Christmas 1915 were discouraged by opening fire. However, a number of examples of revival of the 1914 spirit exist, including men of both sides singing of carols whilst sitting on the parapet, at Langemarck.

S

[michaeldr]

Peter,

If we can stretch the term 'Christmas Truce' a little, then there is a lovely story in Brad King's book 'RNAS 1912-18.' Actually it's the caption to an IWM photograph of the kick-off of a soccer match at the end of the Dardanelles campaign.

"Christmas Day 1915 and 3 Wing are about to begin the Officers v Men football match. Samson gets ready for the kick-off. Five minutes into the game a Turkish plane came over. Arthur Beeton, playing in goal for the men's side recalls: 'I watched this damned Turk plane and it went round and round over the pitch. I thought "Is he going to drop his bombs?" No, he went across to the sand dunes and dropped them out of the way, a proper gentleman he was.'"

Regards

Michael D.R.