World War One Christmas Party!

Comment

Comment by Scott McCrae on January 16, 2011 at 4:45pm

My wife and I saw the movie December 26th. The book about it was much better than the movie. They had a sex scene and if I had known that I would not of seen the movie.

 

Yes it was cool how the 2 sides celebrated Christmas then.

Comment by Rod on May 15, 2009 at 10:18pm

I was talking to someone today and based on personal conversations soldiers in the American cival war would get together at night around camp fires and drink coffee and joke then go and battle the next day. Somehow they felt drawn to other soldiers battling death or fear, the common enemy?

Comment by Rod on May 13, 2009 at 8:05pm

Thanks Ron. It adds to my knowledge of the event. All I can conclude is they were just a more decent sort back then. I can't think of any subsequent war where such decency was exhibited. It makes me think of something Jesus says in Mathew 24, the love of many will wax cold; that people would become less and less loving less and less decent as we approach the end times.This was my favorite account of the event: A German officer appeared and walked out into the middle of No-Man's Land, so I moved out to meet him, amidst the cheers of both sides. We met and formally saluted. He introduced himself as Count Something-or-other and seemed a very decent fellow. He could not talk a word of English. He then called out to his subalterns and formally introduced them, with much clicking of heels and saluting. They were all very well turned out, while I was in a goatskin coat. One of the subalterns could talk a few words of English, but not enough to carry on a conversation.

I said to the German captain, "My orders are to keep my men in the trench and allow no armistice. Don't you think it's dangerous, all your men running about in the open like this? Someone may open fire." He called out an order and all his men went back to their parapet ,leaving me and the five German officers and the barrel of beer in the middle of No-Man's Land. He then said, "My orders are the same as yours, but could we not have a truce from shooting today? We don't want to shoot, do you?" I said, "No, we certainly don't want to shoot, but I have my orders to obey." So then we agreed not to shoot until the following morning, when I was to signal that we were going to begin.

He said, "You had better take the beer. We have lots." So I called up two men to take the barrel to our side. As we had lots of plum-puddings I sent for one and formally presented it to him in exchange for the beer.

He then called out,"Waiter," and a German Private whipped out six glasses and two bottles of beer, and with much bowing and saluting we solemnly drank it amid cheers from both sides. We then all formally saluted and returned to our lines. Our men had sing-songs, ditto the enemy.

December 26th
He played the game. Not a shot all night and never tried to touch his wire or anything. There was a hard frost. At 8.30 I fired three shots in the air and put up a flag with "Merry Christmas" on it and I climbed on the parapet. He put up a sheet with "ThankYou" on it, and the German captain appeared on the parapet. We both bowed and saluted and got down into our respective trenches, and he fired two shots into the air, and the War was on again."