An unofficial ceasefire in WWI Western Front, 24 December 1914 – 1 January 1915
1. Carols were sung across the battlefield
On Christmas Eve, British soldiers in the frontline trenches heard German soldiers singing carols including Silent Night. The British responded with a rendition of O Come All Ye Faithful, and the Germans sang the same song back in Latin. Eventually, across the sector, the two sides warily met in the middle of no-man’s land.
2. The sworn enemies exchanged gifts
After shaking hands, the sides gave each other gifts, which took different forms across the front. Food and drink were popular choices including chocolate, plum pudding and plenty of alcohol. Rumours abounded of a pig roast while cigarettes and clothing items were also exchanged. One British soldier even had his hair cut by a German barber.
3. The ceasefire was a chance to bury the dead
While some soldiers happily mingled, others adopted another Christmas message of compassion and used the temporary truces to bury dead soldiers who had lay on the ground for weeks. Many ceasefires began after simple requests to bury comrades, and in many cases, soldiers from both sides helped each other to carry out this task.
4. They played a friendly football match
The most famous part of the truce was a reputed encounter in which British and German soldiers played a game of football, with the Germans apparently winning 3-2. Some have argued the event never took place, but there is enough evidence to suggest that there was at least several small-scale ‘kick-abouts’ along the Western Front between the two sides.
5. The last witness died in 2005
The last recorded person who could remember the truce was a Scotsman in the Black Watch called Alfred Anderson. Aged 18 in 1914, Anderson didn’t fraternise with Germans, but he recalled the cessation of gunfire: “I remember the eerie sound of silence. We shouted ‘Merry Christmas’, even though nobody felt merry. It was a short peace in a terrible war.”
Banner image credit: Public Domain/1914 Illustrated London News
Subscribe to
All About History now for amazing savings!
