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 Through the week leading up to Christmas, parties of German and British soldiers began to exchange seasonal greetings and songs between their trenches; on occasion, the tension was reduced to the point that individuals would walk across to talk to their opposite numbers bearing gifts. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, many soldiers from both sides – as well as, to a lesser degree, from French units – independently ventured into "no man's land", where they mingled, exchanging food and souvenirs. As well as joint burial ceremonies, several meetings ended in carol-singing. Troops from both sides were also friendly enough to play games of football with one another.

Source: Wikipedia



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English, French and German soldiers cease fighting and smile in front of a camera during Christmas Day, 1914. During the height of World War I.

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this is one of the most inspiring stories i've come across.  i never tire of going through the details of this awesome event in no man's land that knew only horror and brutality, from the initial steps to reach out to how the lives of those involved turned out. 


books/articles:

“Christmas Truce: The Western Front, 1914,” by Malcolm Brown and Shirley Seaton (New York: Hippocrene, 1984)

“Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce,” by Stanley Weintraub (New York: Plume, 2001)

“The First World War: A Complete History.” by Martin Gilbert (New York: Henry Holt, 1994)

“The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century,” by Jay Winter and Blaine Baggett (New York: Penguin Studio, 1996)

“Remembering a Victory for Human Kindness; W.W. I’s Puzzling, Poignant Christmas Truce,” by David Brown (The Washington Post, Dec. 25, 2004)

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Its surreal to know that these boys are all gone now. Life is so short...

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Recalling the truce last year, Mr Anderson said: "All I'd heard for two months in the trenches was the hissing, cracking and whining of bullets in flight, machinegun fire and distant German voices.

"But there was a dead silence that morning, right across the land as far as you could see. We shouted 'Merry Christmas', even though nobody felt merry.

"The silence ended early in the afternoon and the killing started again. It was a short peace in a terrible war."

A holder of the Légion d'Honneur, France's highest honour, Mr Anderson received his 19th telegram from the Queen in June this year, but was too frail to take part in the recent Remembrance Day ceremonies.

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A private visit from Prince Charles, 2002
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/)

The Rev Neil Gardner, of Alyth Parish Church, said that Mr Anderson was a "very gracious and unassuming man" who remained lucid until the end.

"He was the last surviving veteran anywhere to have served in the First World War in 1914 and lived a truly remarkable life," he said.

"Alfred was quite philosophical about his wartime experiences. He took everything in his stride.

"He had a great sense of humour but also a terrific sense of wisdom which came from his great age."

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"But I think also there was a great sadness in his heart that he had outlived his generation.

"He was one of those who represented the finest aspects of the Scottish character and his departure is a sad moment for this country."

Mr Anderson's unit, the 5th Battalion of the Black Watch, was one of the first to be sent to France in October 1914 when the First World War broke out. He was billeted in a dilapidated farmhouse away from the front line at the time of the truce.

He had reached the rank of sergeant when he was invalided out of action in 1916 by a shell explosion that left him with serious shrapnel wounds. He later helped to set up Home Guard units during the Second World War.

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a reenactment of the christmas truce in that horrific trench war:





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a reenactment of the christmas truce in that horrific trench war

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