Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-12-24
Christmas at the Front

HE following remarkable description by an officer
at the front OF how the British and German
ceased hostilities at his part OF the line on
Christmas day 1914, appeared in the London
Daily Mail.
Christmas will remain engrsven on the memory
Of many British soldiers who were in our trenches
here OF the most extraordinary days OF their
lives. For that day British and Germans ceased
fighting with each other for interval, came out
into the between their respective firing lines
buried their dead, and held short service in their
memory.
our chaplain had come with the eoqonel TO Off
ciate at the funeral In our trench of Of our
Scottish soldiers. During the OF the solemn
rites II was noticed that two fellows were
standing outside No attention was paid TO this till
the service ended, when the colonel shouted Come
Inside men" The reply was that some Germans were
standing outside theirs Gradually and more Of
the enemy-some OF them officers by their uniform
appeared. none of them armed.
At last commanding officer resolved to get out
and for himself. The chaplain jumped up into the
open at his heels and crossing ditch which
down the middle of the field between the lines cried
Does any speak Bnglish?" As reply private
stepped forward and then to amazement saw
our chaplain the ditch. salute the German
nander and his staff. and begin TO talk with them
Almost at the Same time a hare burst into view and
ran along between the trenches
All at Germans came scurryng from their
trenches and British from theirs. and marvellous
thing happened II was ell like football match. the
hare being the football the gray tunlcked Germans
game was won by the Germans who captured the
prize. But secured than hare-a sudden
friendship had been struck up the Of God had
been called and for the rest OF Christmas day not a
shot was fired along section.
Dotted the sixty YARDS separating the trenches
were scores and OF dead soldiers. and soon
spades were flung up by the comrades on guard in
both trenches and by instinct each set to dig
graves for their dead Our padre had seized his
and found the German commander very ready agree
that after the dead had been buried short religious
service should take place.
He told that the German commander and his
Officers were as anxious the British could be to
Keep Christmas as day of peace. That was quite
In keeping with the behavior of the Germans. who
had kept up only occasional firing on Christmas
eve and were very busy singing carols and gees
We did not know all that was being said but after
wards we asked the padre two questions. The one
was, why did you and the German commander
take off your hats TO another?' What happened
as We learned, The German took his cigar case
out and offered the padre cigar which was accepted
The padre said; May be allowed to smoke but
to keep this a souvenir of Christmas here and Of
meeting you on Christmas dayp" The answer with
laugh, was: "Oh. yes, but can't you give me
souvenir Then the hats off For the souvenir
padre gave was the copy Of THE Soldiers Prayer
which he had carried in the lining cap since the
war, began. and the German officer in accepting Il
took off his cap and put the slip in It's lining saying
as ne did IT, II value this because what IL save
and when the war is over shall take n ont ana
give II as keepsake to my youngest child"
The second question was What was in the note
book the German commander showed you?r The an
swer was that he had been shown the name and adj
dress In England OF certain brave English officer
He had been killed. and he was dying the comman-
der happened TO and him struggling 10 get
something. out OF pocket. He went UP and helped
the dying officer and the thing saw In the packet
was photograph OF his wife. The commander said
II held II before him. and he lay looking at II tu no
died few minutes after" Our padre took down the
name and address and has been able to pass ON the
Information 20 the bereaved home
The whole German staff showed a fine spirit Of
respect during the service for the dead On one side
OF the ditch half way between the two lines stood
German officers with their soldiers about them. on
the other the officers OF the British regiments IN the
section with their SOLDIERS about them and between
was our chaplain. an interpreter, and a German al.
vinity student serving with their army. our chap
lain read the twenty-third Psalm in English tbs
German student reading II after him in German Then
short prayer. which the chaplain had written on a
postcard and the interpreter turned into German
was read sentence by sentence by the student after
the English form had been reoited
II was a memorable sight to see officers ana man
who had been fighting. and. write are fighting
against one another fiercely as ever bareheaded
reverent and keeping sacred truce as they aid
homage to the memory of the dead on Christmas
day, 1914