Rugby Advertiser

Rugby Advertiser, January 9, 1915, p 5. How Christmas was spent at the Front. English and Germans fraternise.
Letters received from soldiers in France and Belgium describe how almost all along the fighting line - the troops on both sides in the trenches spontaneously suspended hostilities on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and fraternised with each other in peace and good will. In a letter written on a paper serviette a Coventry man says:-
"I daresay you will be surprised at me writing a letter on such paper as this, but you will be more surprised when I tell you that it contained cake given to one of our men by a German officer on Christmas Day, and that I was given some of it. No doubt you will think this very very strange proceedings, but we had not been in the trenches very long on Christmas Eve before we were shouting and wishing one another a Merry Christmas. Then we invited them to come over; they did not like the idea, neither did we, of course. Some of the Germans spoke English very well, so they shouted "no shoot" and we said the same. Then one of our sergeants went out half way to meet them, and an officer and a private came out from the German trenches. They exchanged cigarettes, and after that they sang a song and so did we. Then on Christmas morning we all went out of the trenches and met the Germans half way. We were able to bury our dead, some of whom had been laying there for six weeks or more. We are still on speaking terms with them, so that we have not fired a shot at them up till now (December 29), neither have they, so that the snipers on each side have had a rest." This is typical of many other letters which have been published in the daily papers concerning what has been described as an "amazing truce".

Rugby Advertiser, Saturday, January 9th, 1915, p5. A Napton Soldier's experience. Pte T Sheasby son of Mr T Sheasby, Butt Hill Farm, rejoined the 2nd Battalion of the Scots Guard at the beginning of the war.
In a further letter home Pte Sheasby says that on Christmas Eve they were ordered to some new trenches. We had not been there many minutes before we started shouting the compliments of the season to the Germans who were entrenched about 250 - 300 yards in front of us, and to our surprise they shouted back: "Hello! you English, if you won't fire we won't over Christmas": so, of course, we shouted: "All right; we won't fire till you do". Of course, the sentries were at their posts just the same; but we felt more free and hadn't to keeping bobbing down to miss stopping a bit of lead. At the same time, we hardly expected them to keep to their word; but there was not a shot fired that night by us or by the Germans opposite, although there was fire going on on our right and left. The next morning, as soon as it got light and we had had breakfast, we took a walk through our barbed wire entanglements, and met them half way between the two trenches. After hand shakes and " a Merry Christmas" we exchanged cigars and cigarettes, and all had a chat and smoke togerther. I took a drop of whiskey, and we had a drink. They were very eager after the whiskey, you bet; and they also seemed very eager after food too (check with original). Our officers came out and took our photograph, about 20 of us Germans and British mixed together, and he has promised me one if he can get them away to be done. We fixed things in that neither side would fire on the other unless we were ordered to, and then we were to fire in the air until after Boxing Day; but one of the Germans came over and volunteered the news that he had seen their orders, and that they were to make an attack on us that night (Boxing night) at 12.15pm. Of course, we got prepared, and all stood to arms at about 11.30 with fixed bayonets, all at our posts, anxiously waiting for them. And then our big guns started to let them have it a few minutes after that, and shelled their trench for about three quarters of an hour, dropping shells right in to them. I think that must have put them off it and made them think that we were about to make another attack. Anyway, we stood to our posts till 2.30, and nothing happened.

Rugby Advertiser, Saturday January 16th, p3. Letters from the Front. How a Lawford boy spent Xmas with Germans
Walter Cooke, son of Mr H Cooke of Church Lawford has written home to thank his friends for the plum pudding and good things they sent him for Christmas. He says: "The plum duff and mince pies were a treat. My chums and I had them on Christmas morning for our breakfast. It sounds funny but I had kept them a day, and could not keep them any longer. We had a real good feed on Christmas Day; we had a duck for our Christmas dinner; we bought it off a Belgian farmer for 5 francs (4s 2d). We plucked it and cleaned it ourselves, and roasted it in bacon fat - and it wasn't so bad either. It has been freezing and snowing all through Christmas. I wish it would keep on freezing, for we have had plenty of wet since I have been here. At times we have had the water above our knees all night in the trenches, but it is a lot better now. The people here are very hospitable, and we get on very well with them now we are out of the firing line. I got the parcels just in time for Christmas, and as we went in to the trenches on Christmas Day I took them with me, and we had a feed there. On Christmas Eve the Germans were singing Christmas carols; they also had a band in the trenches and it sounded great - much better than hearing shells whistling overhead. They also sang Home Sweet Home and played our national anthem. Our chaps cheered them when they played that. On Christmas Day we saw some of the Germans get out of their trenches and come across to ours. We went and met them. They said they did not want to fire if we would not, and we agreed not to. They gave us cigars and we gave them fags. They wanted to play at football but that fell through. They kept their word, and did not fire a shot all Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Warwick and Warwickshire Advertiser

Warwick and Warwickshire Advertiser, January 16th 1915:
Writing on December 26th, Rifleman Smith says: "Hope you all enjoyed yourselves at Christmas as I must say we did. There was no official armistice but the Germans said if we played the game they would, so of course sportsmanlike, we accepted tehir offer. The fun started on Christms Eve, each side shouting and singing to each other. Eventually some of our fellows went out and met some of theirs and made an agreement between themselves which was the cause of most of our enjoyment. On Christmas Day no one would have believed we were enemies as you could see groups of Germans and English shaking hands, exchanging souvenirs, partaking of each other's cigarettes and cigars, whilst in places they buried some dead which must have lain there a long time. In the afternoon we even played football between the two lines of trenches, the Germans being interested spectators. These conditions remained the same all night and up to now but expect we shall soon be smacking into it again. Dear Aunt, it is hardly creditable but believe me it is so. It was a sight to see enemies conversing, smiling and joking. *** piece missing ***It is a box with the Princess's head engraved in the centre, and composed of a pipe, tobacco, cigarettes, photo and card with greetings. I am going to send them all home as soon as I can, that is when we come out of trenches, which we expect to be in about a fortnight, according to rumours. Writing on January 1st, Rifleman Smith, says: "Although we were in trenches we had a good time at Christmas, better than we expected under the circumstances. I hope you received my last letter, which I sent on Boxing Day. I expect there were a lot of broken harts in Leamington and Warwick at Christmas. They have all gone from our Battalion except me. There were about 12 of us when we came out here, but let's hope their loss will be soon avenged, which can only be done by the men at home coming forward as quick as possible. We have been in these trenches now for nearly five weeks, and what with rain and mud, we could do with a bit of a rest but we keep on smiling, and hope to have one some day."

WITH THE FIRST WARWICKS. BISHOP'S ITCHINGTON MAN TELLS OF GERMANS' FRIENDSHIP:
BY the kindness of Mr and Mrs H Day of Bishop's Itchington, we are enabled to reproduce the following interesting letters which have been received by them from tehir son, Pte Alfred Day, who is serving in the 1st Battalion Royal Warwickshires at the front:-
30th December. Dear Mother - Just a few lines wishing you both a happy New Year and thanking you for the cake and pudding. I have had French and Belgian but there is none to come up to yours. I think you get better every time. I have enjoyed by self very much and we have made friends with the Germans in front of us. They are a Saxon regiment and they are a near relation to us. We exchanged cigarettes with them for their cigars, a gift from the Kaiser. I have got some of their postcards which they signed and addressed.We should have played them at football fi we had got a ball. They were the first to make friends. About 1 o'clock on Christmas mornign they struck up with a band of concertinas and a cornet; they played Home Sweet Home first, then a lot of other tunes finishing up with God Save the King. Then in the mornign we met them halfway between the trenches. There are several fo them from London. They will be glad when the war is over and for three days they were just the same. It cannot last any longer, I don't think, or else our officer will get intro trouble. Send me a paper if there is anything in about it. It is sure to leak out I think.

Warwick and Warwickshire Advertiser, 9th January 1915. THE AMAZING TRUCE. GERMAN URGES OUR MEN TO "BE BRITISH" Sergeant H A Barrs of the Cyclists Corps, a prominent Reading swimmer in the course of a letter written from the front on Boxing Day to his parents says:-
"On Christmas Eve both troops were singing to one another and on Christmas morning, after some shouted conversation across the open space between the trenches a German shouted: "Be British and come halfway" and out goes one of our officers. He shok hands and exchanged cigars and cigarettes with the German officer. The German suggested, 'You no shoot, we no shoot'. That started the ball rolling and they all came out and had a spree, exchanging souvenirs and autographs. After sixteen shells which the Germans had sent out in the morning there wasn'ta shot fired all day. On Boxing morning (today) I had a topping time, and wouldn't have missedi t for pounds. There was enjoyment all over the place. It's really marvellous the organistion in everything. We get papers two days old and letters in two days also, so you can imagine we are doinga lot better than we expected and better than any troops have done in war before. There are loads of warm clothing and plenty of food and rum." Sergeant Barrs concludes by saying, in respect to the war - "The general opinion seems to be that scarpping will soon be over".

Midlands Daily Telegraph Tuesday Jan 5th 1915.

How Christmas was spent. English and Germans Fraternise. History of a serviette
A paper serviette received in Coventry recently by the wife of a soldier serving in France was the medium of conveying a remarkable story of how Christmas was spent in some districts at the front. The correspondent was Pte. Alfred Smith, of the First Royal Warwickshires, who has been on active (service) since the commencement of the war and has taken part in many of the important battles, and he explains that the serviette on which he wrote contained a piece of cake given to himself and his comrades by a German officer during the festive season. He tells of the good feeling that existed between the opposing forces, at any rate for a time, and he relates the incidents of the day in the following words:
“I daresay you will be surprised at me writing a letter on such paper as this, but you will be more surprised when I tell you that it contained cake given to one of our men by a German officer on Christmas Day, and that I was given some of it. No doubt you will think this a very strange proceeding, but we had not been in the trenches very long on Christmas Eve before we were shouting and wishing one another a merry Christmas. Then we invited them to come over; they did not like the idea, neither did we, of course. Some of the Germans speak English very well, so they shouted ‘No shoot’, and we said the same. Then one of our sergeants went out half-way to meet them, and an officer and a private come out from the German trenches. They exchanged cigarettes, and after that they sang a song and so did we. Then on Christmas morning we all went out of the trenches and met the Germans half-way. We were able to bury our dead, some of whom had been lying there for six weeks or more. We are still on speaking terms with them, so that we have not fired a shot at them up to now (Dec. 29), neither have they, so that the snipers on each side have had a rest.”
Contributed by Morag Wilkes

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