The 1914 Christmas Day Truce on the Western Front
Channel: Terry West
Date: 2019-12-27

Some of you may have heard of the story of the Christmas Day Truce. 
It all started late Christmas eve in 1914.
 The British Expeditionary Force or BEF were dug in and as they looked across No-Mans-Land, They could see the German lines had placed small fur tree's along their trenches and the Germans singing Carols and other happy and patriotic songs. Even though the British could not understand the Germans, They recognised some of the songs, Stille Nacht  or Silent Night was one of them. 

Not long after, messages of goodwill were shouted across No-Mans-land as well as the occasional boot thrown from one side to the other with gifts of sausage, cigarettes and chocolate. the next morning,  the soldiers came out of their trenches and after more gifts were exchanged friendly games of Football or Soccer broke out and not long after, a truce was called to bury the dead and repair trenches. There were also Some prisoner exchanges between enemies.   
The truce continued through the afternoon and evening and a few Soldiers wandered out on Boxing Day as well but sadly, It was back to finding new and exciting ways to maim, injure and kill a few hours later.. 

This truce didn't happen everywhere in 1914.
 In some area's the killing continued throughout Christmas.
A story that came to light in 2014 describes how two British soldiers, Private Percy Huggins and Sergeant Tom Gregory were shot on Christmas morning by a German Sniper. Earlier that morning the Germans put up some lanterns and called across offering a truce but the D company Worcestershire regiment, a company of Professional soldiers shot the lanterns out and declined the truce.
Private Huggins was ordered into No-Mans-Land on sentry duty at a forward listening post just 20 yards from the enemy. He was sighted by a German Sniper and was killed with a single bullet to the head.
Sergeant Tom Gregory asked and was given permission to head out to avenge Private Huggans. 
He spotted the Sniper and in turn, killed the Sniper with one shot to the head as well. He was spotted by another Sniper and was killed himself. 
This happened not far from the Rue De Bois near the French village of Festubert. 
If only they had accepted the Truce. These men would not have died needlessly on Xmas day.
These two soldiers were part of the 149 Commonwealth servicemen who lost their lives on December 25, 1914. 

Quote from German Lieutenant Kurt Zehmisch “How marvelously wonderful, yet how strange it was. The English officers felt the same way about it. Thus Christmas, the celebration of Love, managed to bring mortal enemies together as friends for a time.”  

By 1916 none of these practices were taking place anymore. To much heartache, to much pain, to much stress, to much of everything beyond what a man can endure had eaten them away to a point where the enemy was the enemy and nothing else really existed. 

The Xmas truce of 1914 \ was not the only spontaneous truce. In quieter area's of the front, the opposing soldiers developed a system of “Live and Let Live”. truces would be called to remove the dead and wounded and sometimes a warning system was in place. For example, If the Germans were ordered to fire at the British, They would ring a bell a minute or so before firing. The British did the same. 

We must always be vigilant, ready to stand against governments who want to drag us into these horrors. We must always remember, Lest we Forget.

Silent Nacht

The rifles fell silent,
On this Christmas eve.
As one soldier sings,
Another soldier grieves.

For the loss of his mates,
And his home that he had.
He was just 17,
When he left as a lad.

Silent night rang out,
Across misted fields.
The enemy, fellow man,
Listened in the breeze.

And as the mist cleared away,
A sound did arise.
An angelic sound,
It bought tears to his eyes.

It was the enemy, you see,
The ones he tried to kill.
That were singing so true,
Their voices so trill.

So the rifles fell silent,
On this Christmas eve.
As one soldier sang,
Another soldier grieved.

Copyright © TERRY WEST 2019