Christmas at war

Trench warfare was a hardened and torturous affair.
Notorious for slow advancement, terrible conditions and an overwhelming sense of futility for those men who served in them.
With the enemy so close you could smell their breakfast, hear the cries and officers barking orders. Many came to feel as though they knew their enemy and between forces on both sides a mutual respect was learnt. Conditions being so poor for both sides it became impossible not to feel something even for your enemy when you know they suffer everyday just as you and your comrades. Even conversations and jokes were shouted out between opposing sides.

Yet all the while there was the constant stench of death from the bodies left on barbed wire fences in no mans land. as the stark reminder of the snipers and machine gunners all too willing to take your life.

And it was these events that led up to what has to be my favourite of all war stories. A moment of alarming clarity and humanity in the face of tremendous adversity and madness.


Numerous attacks had gone nowhere. And the ministry at home knew this.
With December setting in and the men in the trenches faced with total futility and no end in sight general sir Horace Smith-Dorrien of the II Corps was all to aware that the men may become reluctant to keep up the pressure and push forward with Christmas fast approaching. Fast approaching at home anyway. In the trenches it must have seemed an eternity away.


As such he issued orders that commanders in the field must enforce an offensive attitude at all times. ( 5th December 1914)

In the early weeks of december Spearheaded by King George V back home a huge effort was made to encourage the troops. Whilst the king sent every soldier and nurse a hand written Christmas card the nations people sent an unprecedented amount of gifts and food to every serving soldier.

14th December 1914
An attack of 8th Brigade at Wytschaete fails abysmally with horrendous casualties.

18th December the 22nd brigade and later the 20th brigade again fail to take well farm suffering huge casualties again.
This to be made worse by the losses endured by the 2nd scots guards and 2nd border.

19th December the 11th brigade are decimated against the ploegsteert wood German line. Tragically mainly by friendly artillery falling short.

At this point the madness of war has reached an ultimate futility, constant fighting with no advancement made by either side. Something had to change.

And on the 20th December something did.
Between the Germans and the 22nd brigade a local truce was agreed to help retrieve wounded soldiers from no mans land. Both sides helping each other to recover injured personal.

Unfortunately the same wasn't true all along the lines. Lt Henry Bower and one unnamed soldier were killed further down the line by sniper fire whilst attempting to retrieve wounded soldiers

23rd December.
German soldier Karl Aldag wrote that "both sides could be heard singing hymns in the trenches". And that German reinforcements joining their lines brought Christmas trees with them. Some of the trees were placed in machine gun turret positions and they brokered a truce with the British soldiers of the 23rd brigade.

24th December Christmas Eve.

Bitter cold sweeps across the front. The ground rock hard with ice and frost. Surprisingly this actually makes life in the trenches more bearable. The sludge beneath them that the soldiers are so used to wading through replaced with a hard surface makes life slightly more acceptable. However 98 reported deaths occur, most victims of sniper fire.

The first ever air raid on British soil occurs on Dover. Committed by a solitary German bomber. Certainly an enormous moment in the history of warfare.

As the day draws on however attitudes in the trenches are changing and Christmas trees come alight with candles and Germans place the trees above their parapets and light paper lanterns. The air filled with the chorus of soldiers singing hymns and carols. Even pop songs of the day.
With this change in attitude there is the inevitable communication between the opposing forces. Slowly and tentatively at first.
Sporadic fighting still occurs as some officers try to enforce general Horace smith-Dorrien's orders.
Many officers though are reluctant and though they are cautious and maintain battle readiness there is a sense of calm throughout the cold night air.

25 December 1914, Christmas Day
For some this is a day of true Christmas spirit. For the 20th brigade they and their counterparts start the day with a truce that allows them to collect bodies from the battlefield and bury them with dignity and services.
This later turns into a day of festivities with many exchanging gifts sharing food, stories and friendships are born. With many on both sides speaking English and German in this region there is relative peace and festivity between people with a mutual respect for each other.
Alas all could not be said for the whole front with some areas seeing heavy casualties and reports of snipers activity.
But for those hours. For this Christmas for most on the frontline a war of total futility stopped making way for festivity and even games of football.



26 December 1914, Boxing Day
The soldiers wake to a light dusting of snow a cold chill in the air and still.
The truce remarkably continues throughout the day both sides enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and the day starts well. Neither side at the front wishes to resume fighting. The men at the front line having achieved what the governments could not. Peace.



Both sides use this peace to perform all normally dangerous duties out of convenience and most probably a sense of the futility and inevitability of what they know must come.

By the late afternoon the war command on both sides has heard of the ceasefire. Names of officers on both sides that have not given orders to attack have been given to the appropriate generals and the stupidity is destined to resume.
Only 62 soldiers died this day. Only?? When numbers normally ran in the hundreds this day had the lowest reported casualties of the war effort.

27> 31 December 1914


As orders slowly trickle through the weather worsens. The snow turns to rain and the sludge returns to the trenches. With reinforcing officers coming on both sides units have to tighten up. German soldiers who had given their spiked helmets are forced to ask for them back or risk being shot as a traitor.
There are still a couple of days of relative peace left as neither side wants to resume the war at the font line. However overwhelming stupidity from reinforcing officers slowly restart the war. Both British and German officers are executed for treason, threatened at gunpoint to give orders to advance and troops forced to fire against people that many now considered to be friends
Some of these friendships lasted until the soldiers died of old age.
Others were not so lucky.

But in the midst of all the horror, in the face of the enemy. Compassion and understanding gave way to peace. Because of Christmas, because of mankind's ultimate desire for peace and goodwill to all men. Even their enemies.



I have lost track of how many years this story has brought a smile to my face. In the harshest of times humanity nearly won out, it took longer for peace to be brokered. But if Christmas can almost stop a world war if even only for a couple of days there is truly magic and a special desire that fills our hearts at this time of year.

Wishing you all a merry Christmas. And I hope this inspires you to share any stories you may know of the magic of Christmas.

 

And please do t ask how long this took to write.
But my hand went numb lol. Hope you enjoy it.

 

Oops blame google images for that one. Should of picked up on it but added pictures at 1am. But it does portray the feeling of the story well enough.

 

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Bump after typo edit. Hopefully no more 