Our thanks to Marian Robson for her excellent work in transcribing letters from the North-East.

The Newcastle Daily Journal

Monday February 15th 1915: FIVE MONTHS WITHOUT CLOTHES OFF. Private Frank Brown, former motorman employed on the Newcastle tramways and who is now serving at the Front with the 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry writes to a friend: "We were lucky enough to be out of the trenches a few days at Christmas and instead of being in the usual barn or mill we generally get to, we were billeted in house, four in each house, and the civilians in our house were very good to us. You ought to see the boys trying to make themselves understood to the French. I think we'll all be Frenchmen by the time we come back. It was good to get into a soft bed and get your clothes off - the first time since leaving Newcastle on August 4th, think of it! The boys in the trenches had a decent day on Christmas Day as well. There was no firing that day. At parts of the line some of them were even meeting the Germans halfway and having a crack with them. It is great to hear the tales they are taught to believe on the other side. They told our men all sorts of news and everything was going against us of course. We went into the trenches again on Boxing Day and I thought we were going to speak to the Germans as on Christmas Day. Some of our lads started shouting over to them and very soon they were doing the same. Then one or two chanced their heads up and before long everyone was up. In some cases one or two of our fellows were on top of the trench and we were all whistling and shouting over to each other but that was as far as it got. We weren't quite so friendly on New Year's Day as their snipers were all out for what they could get, but we were not to be caught on the first day of the new year so they had not luck.

Tuesday February 2nd 1915: Far From Downhearted. Private T Ridley of the Northumberland Fusiliers writing to his brother, Mr William Ridley, 14 May Street, Winlaton, states that he has just come out of the trenches for a few days' rest. He would never forget New Year's Day in the trenches. They did not hear any bells ringing in the new year but plenty of guns. The weather is very bad and makes it hard for them but they are far from downhearted. They have no fear as to the result of the war and are only waiting for the weather to change, then things will hum a bit for somebody.

Saturday February 6th 1915: Glad To Be Captured. Private Donald Neill, 1st Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers has arrived in Stranraer, after having been in the Royal Free Hospital, London, suffering from frostbite. Private Neill, who took part in the fighting at Ypres, says the British lost a good number of men but the German casualties were very much greater. Letter describes fighting but in middle paragraph says: "On New Year's Day the British fraternised with the Germans in the opposing trenches and the Germans were supplied with meat which they had not received for days. The British Artillery had now obtained the upper hand."

Saturday January 30th 1915: Extremes Under Arms. Some of the invalided soldiers who have arrived at Dundee were interviewed for The Scotsman. One of them, Private Robert Jones, of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, said he saw the fraternising between the British and Germans on Christmas Day. In course of the day the Germans rolled over two barrels of beer to the part of the lines he was in. He also said that a boy of 15 dressed as a German soldier came up to the British trenches and asked to be taken in, but in view of the armistice this could not be done. When in the German trenches they saw an old man with a long beard, and, getting a German who could speaking English to ask his age, he said he was between 62 and 63.

Saturday 16th 1915: A Strange Concert. An Englishman, who joined the French Foreign Legion at the beginning of the war, writes home describing his experience in the firing line. He says: "Slowly dawn rose, and I was with rifle between two loopholes, the ground white with frost and so great the contrast - I was feeding a tame robin at my feet with bread crumbs, the only Christmassy thing on this Christmas morn. On my left what remained of a once beautiful old church. I could see a lovely old oak carved screen and pulpit all shattered, every house ruined, a little flock of chaffinches, two bullfinches and some sparrows joined my robin just at dawn; suddenly I heard deep singing on my extreme right louder and louder as it passed along the line towards me; it was the stirring strain of the Marseillaise; we joined in with our loudest, our little lot in the orchard, and the French regiment took it up on our left; how beautiful it sounded in the semi-darkness, then it died out, and from the German trenches came the answering Watch On The Rhine and that died down to the sterner music of volley answering volley, and I emptied my magazine of eight cartridges in that strange concert; but that Christmas was, as if by consent, comparatively free from firing.

Wednesday, January 13th 1915: A Friendly Shave. Lance Corporal Jas Weatherhead, Gordon Highlanders, writing to his wife in Hawick, says: On Christmas morning I looked over the trench and the Germans were 80 yards away. One of them suddenly stood up and as I was getting my rifle ready he shouted "A Merry Christmas To You". Half an hour later some of them came out with a white flag and before long Germans and British were on the top of the trenches. There was a lot of German and British dead, so they buried theirs and we buried ours. Our chaplain conducted the service and it was the most solemn sight I ever saw. We had then a talk together and we exchanged tobacco and other articles. There are some fine-looking fellows among them but very young and they wish the war was finished. One of them was a barber and he gave one of the Gordons a shave.

Tuesday January 12th 1915: More About The Armistice. In a vivid recital of his baptism of fire at the Front, Sergeant C Dobson of Sunderland, says: "I had 50 men in my platoon when we started but at the finish I had only 29. The others were mostly wounded. Three times we went forward from our trench under a perfect hail of lead. We had three days' rest in billets, and then went back into the trenches for another four days. We went in on December 25th so whilst you were enjoying Christmas, I was in the trenches. There was a vast difference during those four days for instead of keeping sniping at one another, we had a very peaceful Christmas-time. Somehow or other there was an armistice arranged and we were talking to the Germans who met us midway between the trenches. This gave each side an opportunity to bury the dead, who had lain there since the time we made the attack. It seemed peculiar to be talking to the Germans, for some of them could talk English. We listened to them singing on Christmas night, and some very good singers they have. On Boxing Day it was still the same; they were out of the trenches again, and some of them even gave our men choclate and cigarettes. Our four days' duty finished, we got out without a shot being fired. We are now billeted in a farm, having four days' rest, at the end of which we will be in the trenches again trying to shoot one another."

Friday January 8th 1915: Football in the Firing Line. Mr Andrew Davidson of West Coates, Berwick, and previously of West Heath Farm, on the Chillingham estate, has received a letter from a former groom of his, who is serving at the Front with the Seaforth Highlanders, describing his experiences on Chrsitmas Day. He states: "We had a rather curious Christmas. You will be surprised to hear we left our trenches, went half-way, the Germans doing the same, and had a good Christmas greeting, getting cigars and cigarettes and all sorts of presents. They think the British a very brave lot and fairly gave us a good clapping on the back. They said they were going to keep up the truce for three days, and they were as good to their word; there was not a single shot exchanged on either side. We could knock about just the same as if peace was declared; in fact some of our fellows were playing football along the firing line, rather a curious affair after such revengeful attacks on each other. They sang songs and shouted at the pitch of their voices for two nights.There are a great many of them who have been in England and speak good English.

Tuesday January 5th 1915: Where Mouth Organs Are Made. Strolling down to the trenches on Christmas morning (writes a Sussex officer of the RFA), I was staggered to find the Germans and English all crowded up together between the two opposing wire entanglements. I felt in my pocket to make sure my revolver was there and went there too. It absolutely beat cock-fighting. Tommy Atkins was swopping Woodbines for rank cigars and talking a desperate lingo fo Cockney French and pidgin English. A subaltern said: "Oh my dear fellow, you've come too late. I've been talking to a chap who was head waiter at the Trocadero two years ago but he is gone now." Several had Iron Crosses and if you didn't ask to see them they asked you to look at them. I found one fellow, small, grubby and ill-shaven who had a few words of English. I asked him if he had ever been to England. He said: 'No, but am clerk. Do business with England?' 'What is your business' I asked and I shrieked with joy as he gravely said: 'Exporter of mouth organs'. The one phrase of English they all seem to know is 'Made in Germany'. At regular intervals one would point to something and say 'Made in Germany' and they would all laugh fit to burst.

Monday January 4th 1915: A German Challenge To Football. What an extraordinary affect Christmas has on the world! Peace and goodwill among men during peacetime one can understd but (writes Rifleman in The Daily Mail) peace and goodwill among men who have been murdering one another for the past five months is incredible. If I had not seen for myself the affect of Christmas on these two lines of trenches I should never have believed them. All day yesterday, the German snipers were busy. That is by the way. The point is that when darkness fell all firing ceased. The Germans sang and cheered, and we sang and cheered. We shouted across 'Merry Christmas' to one another. The German lines were lit up with huge fires, and we could see each other plainly. A few hours before we were jolly careful to keep our heads below the parapet and now we were sitting and standing on it, throwing cigarettes and tobacco to our enemies who wandered out into the middle of the lines. In some places we were only about 100 yards from them, and we kept up converstaions all night. They even offered to play us at football. I shall be able to tell you heaps more about the wonderful change that has come over with the dawn of Christmas Day when I get back. Today not a shot has been fired and the frost is still thick on the ground. Quite a welcome change after the wet.

Friday January 1st 1915: A Guid New Year
Corporal T B Watson, now at the front with the 8th Royal Scots (Territorials) in a postcard to his cousin, Mr R Smith, of the Shipley Street Baths, Newcastle says: I had a merry Christmas in spite of those boys over 300 yards over the way. We came in here to relieve the Englishmen for Christams. They in turn will let us have New Year out. It is decent of General - to do this as it suits both regiments just fine. On Christmas Day the greatest thing out took place here. Somehow or other a friendly feeling got up between the Germans and us, so we both left our trenches unarmed and exchanged greetings about 300 yards apart. We were all standing in the open for about two hours, waving to each other and shouting, and not one one shot was fired from either side. This took place in the forenoon. After dinner we were firing and dodging as hard as ever; one could hardly believe that such a thing had taken place. We are getting hard frost today (December 27th) and it makes us busy to try and keep warm, but the trenches are cleaner so we are better off that way. Wishing you a 'guid new year'.

Friday January 1st 1915: A Queer Time
Writing from the front to friends at Jarrow, under date December 26, a soldier thus describes his Christmas Day on the battlefield: Things have been remarkably quiet during Christmas and the infantry went so far as to come out of their trenches. On Christmas Eve an infantryman went into the German trenches at midnight and made himself comfortable. They gave him drinks and smokes and a German soldier accompanied him halfway back to his own trench. While in the German trenches a British soldier made an arrangement that a truce of 24 hours would be called between his company and the Germans. On Christmas Day soldiers on both sides left the trenches and exchanged greetings, cigars, cigarettes and so on. Where possible the men conversed with ech other and exchanged names and addresses. The writer proceeds: I have heard that this happened all along the British line, excepting where the Prussians were opposed to it. I had occasion to go down to the trenches and I tried to talk to the Germans. I had my photo taken with them and I wish I could get the proof. Now today it is different.Where we were at peace with them yesterday, we are at war today and the guns are roaring as usual and the rifles are being fired. it is a queer time right enough!

Friday January 1st 1915: Hob-nobbing with the enemy. How an unofficial armistice was observed between German and British troops on Christmas Day is related in a letter written by avlocal officer at the front to Mr and Mrs Taylor of Braemar, Victgoria Avenue, Forest Hall. He writes: The Germans looked upon the day as a holiday and never fired a shot, except a few shells in the early morning to wish us the compliments of the season, after which there was perfect peace and we could hear the Germasn singing in their trenches. Later on in the afternoon my attention was called to a large group of men standing up halfway between our trenches and the enemy's, on the right of my trench. So I went out with my sergeant-major to investigate and actually found a large party of Germans and our people hob-nobbing together, although an armistice was strictly against regulations, the men had taken it upon their own hands. I went forward and asked in German what it was all about and if they had an officer there, and I was taken to their officer, who offered me a cigar. I talked with them a short time and then both sides returned to the trenches. It was the strangest sight I have ever seen. The officer and I saluted each other gravely, shook hands and then went back to shoot at each other. He gave me two cigars, one of which I smoked and the other I sent home as a souvenir. If only I had a camera, I could have sent you an interesting pictgure. I do not know if this unofficial armistice was general in other parts of the line or not.

Friday January 1st 1915: Rifleman L P Windridge, fo the Queen's Westminsters, writing home to his father on Boxing Day says: "I have just spent the most curious Christmas I am every likely to see or hear about, not without enjoyment, in spite of the circumstances. There had been very little firing in our part of the line during Christmas eve. About five o'clock it stopped altogether and later on in the evening we started singing and soon the Germans who are just within heg, took up the singing also and then both sides took to shouting compliments of the season across from one trench to the other. Christmas Day dawned misty and we could not see the German trenches and knowing that they could not see us we blew up the football and had a kick about behind the trenches, but the ground was too hard. During the morning we had a church parade, a few of us at a time in the trench. Later we could see the Germans walking about 'on top' and some of our fellows went out to meet them and there, between the two firing lines, the English were shaking hands with the Germans, changing smokes, buttons and hats.

Thursday December 31st 1914: Combatants Shakes Hands. Christmas Day at the Front. A Gateshead soldier, who is serving at the Front, writing to a friend at Low Fell, gives an interesting description of the way in which Christmas Day was spent by some of the troops. He states: On Christmas Eve the Germans lit up their trenches and started calling across, A Merry Christmas. We responded in the same vein, and then we started singing songs to one other another, carols etc. we then sang the Austrian National Anthem and they responded with God Save the King, after which we cheered lustily. By this time all shooting had sopped. We walked about the parapets of the trenches and called out to one another. Then some of our chaps walked out and met some fo the Germans half-way, wished each other a Merry Christmas, shook hs and said they woudl not fight today. We had Communion this (Christmas) morning in a farm about half a ile away. we set off before daylight to be on the sfe side. It was very strge. The farm had been bombarded adn consequently it was in a bad way. Where we held the service hafl the roof was off. I don't suppose I shall eveer go to such another service - it was so reverent and the surroundings so rough. Whenw e came back we decided to come along the top, although we would be in full view of the enemy. We good back safely, and then some of our chaps started kicking a football about outside the trenches. Then the Germans showed themselves and, to cut a long story short, it finished with us meeting halfway, shaking hands and exchanging fags and souvenirs, and parting the best of friends. One has given me his address to write to him after the war. They were quite a decent lot of fellows, I can tell you. I know this seems an unbelievable story but it is a fact. I am sure if it were left to the men there would be no war.

Saturday December 26 1914: "Said They Were Sick Of It"- A lieutenant writes in The Daily Mail
An extraordinary thing happened between us and the Germans yesterday. We are so close in our trenches that we can talk to the Germans and yesterday we got quite friendly. After lot of talking and shouting to each other, we arranged that one of our men should go out halfway and meet a German and that there was to be no shooting meanwhile. Both men got up at the same time and went out, everyone in the opposing trenches looking over the tops of them. The men met shook hands amid cheers from both trenches. Our men gave the Germans some cigarettes and received in return some chocolate. Then I went out and met a German and did the same, and so did few others. I went right up and stood on the parapet of their trench and talked to them. Several spoke English quite well. They said they were very sick of it and added, "Hurry up and finish this cursed war". They told us theyw ere in a bad state as regards water in the trenches, but were fed fairly well and got letters about every five days. We had quite a long talk and then one of their superior officers came along, so they said 'Get back'. So back we got and then they fired very high over our heads 'just to warn us that they were going on as before' evidently to satisfy their superior officers. They were very sporting and played the game perfectly.We asked them why they sniped such a lot and said 'Why don't you chuck it? It's a terrible nuisance." Funnily enough they never fired a shot while we were relieving last night.

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