CHRISTMAS TRUCE 1914 DURING WORLD WAR ONE

Incredulity and joy – these are feelings which appeared among soldiers during Christmas Truce on 24 th December 1914 during World War One. British and German troops meeting in no man's land during the unofficial truce.

On December 7, 1914, Pope Benedict XV suggested a temporary hiatus of the war for the celebration of Christmas. The warring countries refused to create any official cease-fire, but on Christmas the soldiers in the trenches along the Western Front declared their own unofficial truce.

The truce took place along the western front in France where the Germans were fighting both the British and the French. Since it wasn't an official cease fire, the truce was different along different points of the front. In some places, the soldiers continued to fight, but in many areas they stopped fighting and agreed to a temporary truce.

In many areas, the truce began when German troops began to light candles and sing Christmas Carols. Soon British troops across the lines began to join in or sing their own carols. Brave soldiers began to make their way into the area between the two lines called "No Man's Land." They met up with enemy soldiers to exchange gifts and souvenirs. British and German officers posing for a photo in the middle of no man's land.

All along the western front, the soldiers behaved differently. It probably depended on what their local commander allowed them to do. In some areas, the soldiers just stopped fighting for the day. In other areas, they agreed to let each other recover their dead. However, at some points along the front, it almost appeared like the war was over. Soldiers from each side met and talked to each other. They gave each other gifts, shared food, sang Christmas carols, and even played games of soccer with each other.

For the most part, the Christmas Truce only lasted for Christmas Eve and Day, though in some areas it was extended through Boxing Day and New Year's. The war was going on... A cross, left in Saint-Yves (Saint-Yvon - Ploegsteert; Comines-Warneton in Belgium) in 1999, to commemorate the site of the Christmas Truce.

Below see what witnesses said about Christmas Truce 1914 "Altogether we had a great day with our enemies, and parted with much hand-shaking and mutual goodwill." Percy Jones of the Queen's Westminster Regiment. "It was a curious scene - a lovely moonlit (Christmas) night, the German trenches with small lights on them, and the men on both sides gathered in groups on the parapets. It is weird to think that tomorrow night we shall be at it again. If one gets through this show it will be a Christmas time to live in one's memory." Captain R Armes of the 1st North Staffordshire regiment. "It was absolutely astounding, and if I had seen it on a cinematograph film I should have sworn that it was faked." Lieutenant Sir Edward Hulse, 2nd Scots Guards. "What a sight; little groups of Germans and British extending along the length of our front. Out of the darkness we could hear the laughter and see lighted matches. Where they couldn't talk the language, they made themselves understood by signs, and everyone seemed to be getting on nicely. Here we were laughing and chatting to men whom only a few hours before we were trying to kill " Corporal John Ferguson of the Seaforth Highlanders.

Made by Pupils: Mela, Dawid, Robert Szkoła Podstawowa nr 9 im. Mikołaja Kopernika Dzierżoniów, Poland January 2015

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