CHRISTMAS IN THE TRENCHES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 32, 14 December 1945, Page 16 (Supplement)

CHRISTMAS IN THE TRENCHES

From time to time much is made in the press of the fact that a number of British soldiers shared, a meal with the Germans in "No Man's Land" on Christmas 1911; but it is not often mentioned that the ceremony Avas repeated in 11)15. I was at the time in command of a company in the 9tli Welsh Regiment (writes a correspondent of the Manchester Guardian), and avc Avere occupying .some Avaterlogged breastAvorks in front of Vieille Chapelle. Christmas Day dawned grey and bleary, but Ave managed to get a little fire going and to brew some tea. One man put his mess tin of the scalding beverage on the parapet to cool when a "Jerry" popped his head up in their trenches some 'W yards away and asked for a drink of tea. A corporal fearful of nothing promptly scrambled over the top and "Jerry" met him in the open. Tea was swapped for a cigar and other Germans came out to lie met by a number of Welshmen. There must have .been at least a score of combatants .scattered over the thirty yards of "No Man's Land" sharing tea and cigars. An elegant German officer came out to be mot by a dishevelled Welsh subaltern, and con. versation became general. Finally, when fraternisation reached the stag;' of swapping tunic buttons, the German officer blew a whistle, and each side withdrew to its own -trcnchys, There \viis no rilly iiry fur the rest of the (lav and in the evening these mutual enemies treated each other to a selection of Christmas carols. The Welshmen always said after wards that it was the raucous, singing of the Germans that night that re.started the war next morning.