The Christmas Truce Letter

[Lightkeeper]

The Christmas Truce Letter

On November 7, 2006, singer Chris de Burgh paid £14,400 at Bonhams auction house for an original 10 page letter from an unknown British soldier that records events and incidents with the Germans on that night (during World War I) describing "the most memorable Christmas I've ever spent".



The letter begins:

This will be the most memorable Christmas I've ever spent or likely to spend: since about tea time yesterday I don't think theres been a shot fired on either side up to now. Last night turned a very clear frost moonlight night, so soon after dusk we had some decent fires going and had a few carols and songs. The Germans commenced by placing lights all along the edge of their trenches and coming over to us — wishing us a Happy Christmas etc. They also gave us a few songs etc. so we had quite a social party. Several of them can speak English very well so we had a few conversations. Some of our chaps went to over to their lines. I think theyve all come back bar one from 'E' Co. They no doubt kept him as a souvenir. In spite of our fires etc. it was terribly cold and a job to sleep between look out duties, which are two hours in every six.

First thing this morning it was very foggy. So we stood to arms a little longer than usual. A few of us that were lucky could go to Holy Communion early this morning. It was celebrated in a ruined farm about 500 yds behind us. I unfortunately couldn't go. There must be something in the spirit of Christmas as to day we are all on top of our trenches running about. Whereas other days we have to keep our heads well down. We had breakfast about 8.0 which went down alright especially some cocoa we made. We also had some of the post this morning. I had a parcel from B. G's Lace Dept containing a sweater, smokes, under clothes etc. We also had a card from the Queen, which I am sending back to you to look after please. After breakfast we had a game of football at the back of our trenches! We've had a few Germans over to see us this morning. They also sent a party over to bury a sniper we shot in the week. He was about a 100 yds from our trench. A few of our fellows went out and helped to bury him.

About 10.30 we had a short church parade the morning service etc. held in the trench. How we did sing. 'O come all ye faithful. And While shepherds watched their flocks by night' were the hymns we had. At present we are cooking our Christmas Dinner! so will finish this letter later.

Dinner is over! and well we enjoyed it. Our dinner party started off with fried bacon and dip-bread: followed by hot Xmas Pudding. I had a mascot in my piece. Next item on the menu was muscatels and almonds, oranges, bananas, chocolate etc followed by cocoa and smokes. You can guess we thought of the dinners at home. Just before dinner I had the pleasure of shaking hands with several Germans: a party of them came 1/2way over to us so several of us went out to them. I exchanged one of my balaclavas for a hat. I've also got a button off one of their tunics. We also exchanged smokes etc. and had a decent chat. They say they won't fire tomorrow if we don't so I suppose we shall get a bit of a holiday — perhaps. After exchanging autographs and them wishing us a Happy New Year we departed and came back and had our dinner.

We can hardly believe that we've been firing at them for the last week or two — it all seems so strange. At present its freezing hard and everything is covered with ice…


The letter ends:

There are plenty of huge shell holes in front of our trenches, also pieces of shrapnel to be found. I never expected to shake hands with Germans between the firing lines on Christmas Day and I don't suppose you thought of us doing so. So after a fashion we've enjoyed? our Christmas. Hoping you spend a happy time also George Boy as well. How we thought of England during the day. Kind regards to all the neighbours.

With much love from Boy.

This is a very touching letter. It makes one wonder why we can't call a truce everyday and stop wars.

I heard an interesting comment today, "You can't solve a problem at the problem level, wars won't be stopped by picketing, protesting, etc."

At what level do you think we can call a permanent truce and stop wars?

[Eolas Pellor]

in Erich Maria Remarque's "All Quiet on the Western Front"

Forgive me, comrade; how could you be my enemy? If we threw away these rifles and this uniform you could be my brother just like Kat and Albert....But now, for the first time, I see you are a man like me. I thought of your hand-grenades, of your bayonet, of your rifle; now I see your wife and your face and our fellowship. Forgive me, comrade. We always see it too late. Why do they never tell us that you are poor devils like us, that your mothers are just as anxious as ours, and that we have the same fear of death, and the same dying and the same agony--Forgive me, comrade; how could you be my enemy?

or, as it put it in a slightly different translation:

If we threw away the guns, the grenades - we could have been brothers, but they never want us to know that.

I first heard of the Christmas truce when i was about 14....33 years ago. It haunst me every year at this time, moreso as I get older and think what a terrible waste all war is.

Originally Posted by Lightkeeper

This is a very touching letter. It makes one wonder why we can't call a truce everyday and stop wars.

I heard an interesting comment today, "You can't solve a problem at the problem level, wars won't be stopped by picketing, protestinge, etc."

At what level do you think we can call a permanent truce and stop wars?

I think whoever said that is terribly foolish. The Christmas truce happened because ordinary people had enough of fighting for one day, and were more concerned about violating something sacred (in its basic meaning, of something set aside, makred off as special) than they were of the guns and courts-martial of their officers.

As the Russians and the French both discovered before the Great war ended, eventually ordinary people, people who are not used to thinking for themselves, who are used to being bullied and ordered and commanded and told where to march and sleep and fight and die...eventually they can have enough. Then they simply stop fighting. Even shooting every tenth man (as the French generals did) will not make them fight, then.

And if the people at home turned against war; if they hsated it to the point that they would not sew a button on a uniform, or polish a shell, or load a single boxcar with a single case of explosive, then war would end.

War will not stop because of our "leaders"; what they pledged today, they will violate as soon as it pleases them to do so. It is the ordniary people, the small people, who will bring an end to war.

People will be slaughtered and will slaughter, will be butchered and will butcher, as long as they fail to realize that it is all so pointless, that it serves the desires and plans of others who have no interest in them at all. But all the war machines, all the military-industrial complexes in the world are built on sand, and sand can be washed away....


"Be seeing you..."

[Jednorozec]

War will end when enough people on the planet manifest Peace in their own lives.