Christmas truce of 1914

[HARRY THE MOLE]

The incident which CBH refers to, happened at 'Dead man's Corner' in Flanders. L/Cpl George D'All (age 40) of 23rd battalion reserves, mentioned in a letter home of an incident which occurred on Christmas day 1915. The battalion were in the front line, and over the previous few days they had been subjected to both gas and high explosive shells from the enemy gunners. Christmas day came, and any feeling of 'good will' towards the Germans from the Canadian troops was in short supply after their recent losses. But silence descended over the battlefield as dawn broke on this most holy of days on the Christian calendar. A few Germans climbed out of their trenches and shouted greetings across no-mans-land and in their outstretched arms they bore gifts of drink and cigars. One by one, the Canadian soldiers stood up on the fire step and looked across towards their enemy. Some made to climb out of their trenches, all feeling of hostility was now gone. A Canadian Sergeant stepped forward and warned them that they must not leave their trenches, and he ordered them to open fire on the enemy. He himself shot dead two of the German soldiers and hostilities once again commenced. In the following exchange of fire, L/Cpl Richard John Kingsley Nash, & Pte Frank Joseph Keown, were shot through the head. And so ended the 1915 attempt of a Christmas truce on their stretch of line.

Pictured below is L/Cpl George D'All

[Anderson]

"It was a unique set of circumstances from which we should all take something even if it it just a reinforced confidence in basic human nature as it is before it is corrupted by events." Steve.

Fine comment from Steve. It was an interesting occurrence as it was completely spurred by the front line rank and file soldiers. And this sort of independent thinking from the lower ranks was deeply disturbing to the officer class. Remember the period was also a time when Socialist ideas were growing and popular in many countries of Europe and the Army itself demonstrated the class divide with enlisted men working class and the officer class coming from middle and upper classes. Add this political undertone to the Christmas Truce and no wonder the upper classes of officers were alarmed at working men of opposing sides shaking hands. As few had no clear idea why they were at war anyway.

[HARRY THE MOLE]

For anyone who may be interested... 'Dead Mans Corner' is a crossroad just west of a disused mill... and close to the ruins of a sugar factory near Bailleul. It can be located on trench map - sheet 51B NW3... grid square G15.

Cheers,
Steve.

[CBH]

Thank you Steve for the additional information, it's appreciated.

[HARRY THE MOLE]

Thank you Steve for the additional information, it's appreciated.

Something that I failed to add to the account was that the battalion war diary for December 25th 1915, recorded that it was: 'A quiet day'. There were other isolated incidents of attempted - and successful truces in various places along the line in 1915, and indeed in later years.

People tend to think of the Western Front as an area of continual fighting, but it wasn't. There were 'quiet' areas and 'active' areas, and there was also a 'live and let live' system in operation on many stretches of the front. For example, if there was only one source of water supply situated in no-mans-land which both sides depended upon, there was little point in depriving the enemy of that supply - for they would do the same to you. So a gentleman's agreement would operate where the British would draw water at set times, and so would the Germans. This could also extend to meal times, where artillery strafing of the trenches would be done at set times by both sides so that the trenches could be evacuated before the shelling took place. of course this gentleman's agreement was entirely reliant upon the co-operation of both sides, and this sometimes broke down when a new brigade took over the area.

Cheers,
Steve