December 24th, 1914, Belgium: GERMANY v ENGLAND

This week on the 28th of June will mark the anniversary of the outbreak of World War One or 'The Great War' God knows why any war could be considered 'great', especially this one.

Now anyone who thinks they have it tough because they raised the drinking age or banned teenagers from using cell phones while driving might want to consider the plight of the teenager in May of 1914. Back then the Army was as, it always had been, and is today, a volunteer force. Men between the ages 19 and 41 were the target . But not long after the conflict began things changed drastically, suddenly you had no choice, you were 'conscripted' to fight for your Country with only a 50/50 chance you would return.

Men were being killed faster than they could be replaced. Not to undermine the tragedy of any soldier that has lost his life serving 'his' Country, but they estimate around 100,000 military personnel have died in 5 years of conflict for the 'allies' in Iraq since 2003, which is an astonishing number, until you compare it to the 4 years of conflict in World War One, you might want to sit down for this one.....9 MILLION and that doesn't include civilians.

The First World War took place on the barren flatlands of Northern France and Belgium, which was called the 'Western Front' and would be the home for soldiers on both sides for 4 years, it was as if the two sides were stuck in a perpetual deadlock and neither side were prepared to budge. Living in trenches that were filled with mud and blood, their lives were not dissimilar from the rats they shared the trenches with, a series of tunnels and storage areas that weaved their way across the scenery, if anyone was foolish enough to peak over the top, they were likely to get shot in the head. Every now and again there were attempts to charge the opponents, bayonets fixed, screaming like banshees, and always ending in the same outcome, massive casualties. It must have seemed like Hell.

Only six months into the beginning of hostilities there was already a concern by the Military 'Brass' that morale was low, and decided to supply, booze, cigarettes, cocoa to lift the men's spirits . And it seemed to work, more than anyone could ever imagine. Both sides opted for a truce on Christmas day, a single day of 'Goodwill to all men..' This was to culminate in one of the most bizarre football matches in history and began a hundred years of passionate and at times bitter rivalry between the teams from the British Isles and the Germans. Below is a letter from one of the soldiers with an account of the days proceedings:

[T]he Germans set trees on trench parapets and lit the candles. Then, they began singing carols, and though their language was unfamiliar to their enemies, the tunes were not. After a few trees were shot at, the British became more curious than belligerent and crawled forward to watch and listen. And after a while, they began to sing.

By Christmas morning, the “no man’s land” between the trenches was filled with fraternizing soldiers, sharing rations and gifts, singing and (more solemnly) burying their dead between the lines. Soon they were even playing soccer, mostly with improvised balls.

According to the official war diary of the 133rd Saxon Regiment, “Tommy and Fritz” kicked about a real football supplied by a Scot. “This developed into a regulation football match with caps casually laid out as goals. The frozen ground was no great matter […] The game ended 3-2 for Fritz.”

 

A letter documenting the famous Christmas Day truce of 1914, when guns fell silent along the Western Front, and feuding German and British soldiers engaged in a friendly soccer match in the icy mud of No Man’s Land in France, has been found 92 years after it was first written.

The letter, written in the British trenches by a British private, details the truce when the Kaiser’s soldiers and British Tommies exchanged pleasantries and celebrated Christmas together, and engaged in what was to become famous as the world’s only friendly football match between enemy soldiers during a war.

Written in pencil on five pages of paper torn from an Army-issue notebook, the private he tells his “dear Mater” how on a frosty, moonlit Christmas Eve the Germans began placing “lights all along the edge of their trenches and coming over to us - wishing us Happy Christmas etc”.

He says it is “the most memorable Christmas” he has ever spent or is likely to spend: “since about teatime yesterday, not a shot has been fired on either side up to now”.

“They also gave us a few songs so we had quite a social party…Some of our chaps went over to their lines. I think they’ve all come back bar one from E Co. They no doubt kept him as a souvenir,” the letter goes on to say.

“After breakfast we had a game of football at the back of our trenches! We’ve had a few Germans over to see us this morning. They also sent a party over to bury a sniper we shot in the week. He was about 100 yds from our trench. A few of our fellows went out and helped to bury him.

“About 10.30 we had a short church parade, held in the trench. How we did sing. O come all ye faithful”.

The private identified only as a boy, further says that at night German and British soldiers had a joint Christmas dinner comprising “fried bacon and dip-bread followed by hot Xmas pudding, then muscatels and almonds, oranges, bananas, chocolate, cocoa and smokes”.

“You can guess we thought of the dinners at home. Just before dinner I had the pleasure of shaking hands with several Germans: a party of them came halfway over to us. So several of us went out to them. O exchanged one of my balaclavas for a hat. I’ve also got a button off one of their tunics. We also exchanged smokes etc and had a decent chat. They say they won’t fire tomorrow if we don’t, so I suppose we shall get a bit of a holiday – perhaps,” the letter says.

“After exchanging autographs and them wishing us a Happy New Year we departed and came back and had our dinner. We can hardly believe we’ve been firing at them for the last week or two - it all seems so strange. At present it is freezing hard and everything is covered in ice…

“There must be something in the spirit of Christmas as today we are all on top of our trenches running about. Whereas other days we have to keep out heads well down…I had a parcel from B G’s Lace Dept containing a sweater, smokes, under clothes etc. We also had a card from the Queen, which I am sending back to you to look after please,” he further says.

Near the end of the well-thumbed letter, he tells his mother: “As I can’t explain to everyone how I spent my 25th, you might hand this round please…I never expected to shake hands with Germans between the firing lines on Christmas Day and I don’t suppose you thought of us doing so”.

“So after a fashion we’ve enjoyed? our Christmas. Hoping you spend a happy time with George Boy as well. How we thought of England during the day. Kind regards to all the neighbors. With much love from Boy,” the letter concludes.

Historian Felix Pryor, manuscripts consultant to auctioneers Bonhams, who is offering the letter for sale on November 7, has termed it as “a desperately poignant - almost surreal – document”.

“I have never in my career seen anything like it. To find a letter written home on the actual day of one of the most famous incidents in military history is amazing,” The Times quoted him as saying.

“The envelope is missing and the intensely moving letter has long since been separated from the sender’s family. It is therefore, quite literally, the work of an Unknown Soldier,” Pryor added.

In the historic and unique truce, firing stopped along the entire 500 miles of the Western front. The Germans sang “Stille nacht, heilige nach” (Silent night, holy night), while the British responded with as rendition of ‘O Come all ye Faithful’.

In one sector, the Germans produced a Christmas tree and staged the famous football match. In some areas, the truce lasted only one day; in others in continued until close to the New Year.

The letter was discovered in a box of otherwise undistinguished manuscripts, and is expected to fetch around 500 - 1000 pounds at auction.

Below are the lyrics to the Farms Euro 2004 song 'All Together Now'

Remember boy that your forefather's died
Lost in millions for a country's pride
But they never mention the trenches of Belgium
When they stopped fighting and they were one

A spirit stronger than war was working that night
December 1914 cold, clear and bright
Countries' borders were right out of sight
When they joined together and decided not to fight

All together now
All together now
All together now, in no man's land

All together now
All together now
All together now, in no man's land

The same old story again
All those tears shed in vain
Nothing learnt and nothing gained
Only hope remains

All together now
All together now
All together now
In no man's land
All together now
All together now
All together now
In no man's land .....

The boys had their say they said no
Stop the slaughter let's go home,
let's go, let's go