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Western Mail, Cardiff Saturday, January 2nd 1915: A Christmas Truce: The Combatants visit one another's trenches Frank Wrentmore the well-known ex-Penygraig and Mid-Rhondda Northern Union football player, is serving with the Somerset Light Infantry with the Expeditionary Force. Writing to Councillor Mark Harcombe, of Trealaw, he relates some of his experiences. His letter is as follows:- "I suppose you want to know how the boys are getting on here. It is very cold and freezing hard. We have had a lot of rain, so it has been very rough in the trenches. We have been up to our knees in water. We had a good skirmish on December 19, when we were successful in taking the trenches of the Germans opposed to us. We , however, had to retire from them because they were full of water so I suppose they were glad to leave them. We lost a lot of men in the skirmish - roughly speaking about six officers and 127 men killed...The Germans acted very well on Christmas Day. They helped us to bring in our dead, and we did the same for them. Some of theirs had been there two months. But under the circumstances we did well. The Germans and ourselves climbed out of the trenches and we shook hands with each other. We stopped firing from five o'clock until midnight, and we visited each other's trenches..." Met Each Other Mid-way. Memorable scene between the trenches "We had the time of our lives on Christmas Day" writes an Abercarn man, Lance-corporal George Yearsley, who is on active service with the 2nd Monmouthshires. The Germans left their trenches and walked without their rifles half-way across the field to where we were entrenched. There was not a shot fired. Some of our chaps then got out and went to meet the German soldiers. You should have seen them shaking hands with our boys and handing them smokes. Both sides walked and talked with one another as if there was nothing the matter. Later on our lads helped the Germans to bury their dead and sang over the graves. It was a sight you could never forget."Greetings Exchanged - expereinces of a Crickhowell rifleman. Rifleman Percy J Treloar of the Queen's Westminster Rifles writing home to his parents Mr and Mrs J Treloar of Crickhowell states there was much firing the day before Christmas but it became more quiet in the evening. About six pm the Germans sang patriotic songs and lit up their trenches. "Our fellows," he says "replied by giving them some of their choice tunes. Then the Germans cheered. One or two of them seemed to speak English fairly well and yelled their greetings. By about 9.30 things had become fairly quiet again and not a single shot was fired during the remainder of the night. When the morning broke on Christmas Day the Germans were running about the tops of their trenches." During the morning Rifleman Treloar and three companions walked halfway down between the opposing trenches and spoke to two Germans who were burying a dead comrade. They exchanged cigarettes and shook hands. He returned to his trench with a sample of German ammunition and a button as souvenirs. Not a shot was fired that day.4th January 1915: Christmas Day in the trenches. Singing to the Enemy. Rifleman C Ernest Furneaux, son of Mr Henry Furneaux, Swansea, now with the British Rifle Brigade, in the trenches, writing home says: "I msut tell you how I spent Christmas Day. Of course you would think under difficulties, but as luck would have it we were very happy. About five o'clock on Christmas Eve the Germans started lighting up Christmas trees in their trenches. We took no notice of them until they began to sing. Then we began to cheer them and to talk to one another as we are only about 80 yards apart. So by the light of their searchlight our officers went across halfway and their officers came to meet them.They shook hands and conversed for a while. It was agreed that we should have a day off and they would fire the first shot to start again. So from five o'clock on Christmas Eve until ten o'clock this morning (December 26th) neither side has fired, only walked about. Some of the Germans came cross to us and we shook hands and had some chocolate and cigars from them. They seem pretty young, some of them. I had a nice dinner - made it myself - stew, potatoes, carrots turnips and meat, which we had out of a garden near by and of course pudding. Rhonda Leader 16th January 1915, page 6: RHONDA SOLDIER'S TALE OF TRUCE: Private W. A Wall of the machine gun section of the 2nd Monmouths, whose h ome is in the Rhondda Valley, writing to a lady with whom he was biilleted at Northampton, says: "We had Christmas Day in the trenches. The Germans, whose trenches were quite close, came half-way over and shook hands with our chaps, who met them. They then exchanged cigarettes and chocolates. Aftewards they sang over the graves of Germans who had been buried on Christmas morning. We have had more men from home to fill up the gaps. We have just come from the trenches after five days in them." If you would like to take part in this project by helping to transcribe such letters from your local archives, send an email to info@christmastruce.co.uk to register your interest. |
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