from "the illustrated war news" january20,1915 edition.photos of the christmas truceThis one's a random pick....another one for christmas.
The christmas truce describes the many unofficial cessations of hostilities that occured on christmas eve of 1914 between German & British or French troops during WW1 along the west front .
December 7,1914 =} Pope Benedict XV suggests a temporary suspension of war on the eve of christmas.Germany readily agrees but other powers refuse
December 24 , 1914 =} tensions along the western front suspended for christmas celebrations
A few extracts :
"Of course with us all kicking round each other out there in the open, lots of chaps got to talkin'. The Saxons was friendly enough.
"One chap said to me, 'You Anglo-Saxons, we Saxons. We not want to fight you.
"I thought I'd land him one, so I said 'What about the Kayser, then, old lad? What do you think of Mr. Kayser, eh?
"'Bring him here, and we'll shoot him for you,' said the Saxon feller, and we all laughed.
"But I didn't take no stock of that. I knew he was only trying to be pleasant.
"Some of our chaps changed cigars and cigarettes. with them Huns, and had talks about all sorts of things. At four o'clock we' all took cover on both sides, but there was no firing on our front that night. The next morning we kept up the callin' business. We didn't stop it for a matter of eight days."
"One chap said to me, 'You Anglo-Saxons, we Saxons. We not want to fight you.
"I thought I'd land him one, so I said 'What about the Kayser, then, old lad? What do you think of Mr. Kayser, eh?
"'Bring him here, and we'll shoot him for you,' said the Saxon feller, and we all laughed.
"But I didn't take no stock of that. I knew he was only trying to be pleasant.
"Some of our chaps changed cigars and cigarettes. with them Huns, and had talks about all sorts of things. At four o'clock we' all took cover on both sides, but there was no firing on our front that night. The next morning we kept up the callin' business. We didn't stop it for a matter of eight days."
Quite a desparate way of relief..
