78 men killed in ‘day of peace’ on theWestern Front
Why Christmas Day ‘truce’ of First WorldWar was not so friendly for all
IT was the brief moment when compassion and camaraderie shone through the blood and mud of the Western Front.
It was the day troops on both sides crossed into No Man’s Land, shook hands, exchanged gifts and even played football.
The rule-breaking Christmas Day truce of 1914 is used to illustrate the futility of the Great War and the horrific waste of life.
But it has grown taller in the telling and writing.
It has been depicted as a magic moment when universal peace reigned across the entire front.
That is a misty eyed version of events.
In truth, the slaughter continued on December 25, 1914.
It was not a day of goodwill to all serving soldiers.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records the deaths of 78 men on the day. While just over 30 of those “died of wounds”, 43 were killed in action.
That’s proof the truce was not universal across the Western Front.
Not many reports deal with the part the Vatican played in the cease fire.
In late December, 1914, the Pope called for a truce. Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano informed readers: “The august Pontiff, homage of faith and devotion to Christ the Redeemer, who is the Prince Peace, and also out of a sentiment of humanity and pity, especially towards the families of the combatants, addressed an inquiry confidentially to the belligerent Governments to know how they would receive proposal for a truce during the sacred and solemn festivity Christmas but ‘a certain Power’ rejected the overture.”
And what of the emotive lines written about the football matches that broke out?
There is little detail but it is known Aston Villa left winger Herbert Smart played in one of the matches.
He began his career with Bilston United and, after five years with Villa, played for Leicester Fosse, Smethwick Carriage Works and Wolves.
The impromptu match on Christmas Day 1914, was his only international.
On December 31, 1914, the Staffordshire Advertiser revealed: “Gunner Herbert Smart, an Aston Villa football player now in France with the 5th Battery Royal Field Artillery, writes home concerning the interchange of courtesies between British and Germans on Christmas Day.”
Herbert wrote: “The Germans had a Christmas tree in the trenches and Chinese lanterns along the top of a parapet. ‘Come over,’ said one German soldier, ‘I want to speak to you’. We didn’t know how to take it at first, but one of the nuts went over, and as no harm befell him, others followed.
“But our commanding officer would not let more than three at a time go. I went out myself on Christmas Day and exchanged some cigarettes for cigars. The German I met had been a waiter in London and could use our language a little. He says they do not want to fight.”
Arthur Salt gave the Staffordshire Advertiser a gem of an exclusive about one of the games.
On February 27, 1915, the paper carried an interview with Arthur...
“Drummer Arthur E. Salt, 1st North Staffordshire Regiment, has arrived at his home, Railway Cottages, Great Bridgeford, near Stafford, after being absent with his regiment since September.
“Interviewed by a reporter he said, ‘I can tell you we have had a lot of losses since we took over that position at La Bassee canal.
“‘Of course, there have been bayonet charges and I am pleased to say we have come out on top. We were in the trenches from December 8 to the 31st, being unable to be relieved. So we had Christmas Day there.
“‘There were so many dead Germans in front of our trenches and also in them that we gave the Germans a 24 hours armistice on Christmas Day to bury their dead. Of course, during the day we paid compliments and had a sing-song. They said they would sooner be in London or anywhere except where they were. Well, we had a football contest, and England won 2-1. We parted on best of terms and at night started on our usual game, as butchers, of killing one another.’”
But how did the German media treat the temporary halt of hostilities? That’s something the majority are oblivious to.
Interestingly, Tommies told newspapers the truce was instigated by the Germans, the Germans said it was instigated by the English.
This is a letter, penned from a German soldier and published by “Vorwarts” in early 1915...
“Suddenly from the enemy hurrahing was heard, and, surprised, we came from our mouseholes and saw the English advancing towards us, waving white cigarette boxes, handkerchiefs, and towels.
“They had no rifles with them and, therefore, we knew it could only be a greeting and that it was all right. We advanced towards them about halfway. We were only about 200 metres from each other. The greeting took place in the presence of officers from both sides. Cigarettes, cigars and many other things were exchanged, and even snapshots by both sides were taken.
“The English began playing with a football they had with them. With darkness descending, both sides returned to their drawing-rooms having promised that for the next three days of the holidays they would
‘I have been through so much now that I really don’t care for anybody or anything’
not fire on each other. This promise was given as word of honour and extended on both sides to the artillery as well as the cavalry and infantry.
“The French lay a little further away, and, therefore, did not take part in this. They were under fire the whole of the day by our artillery. We were able to move about the whole of Christmas Day with absolute freedom. It was a day of peace in war. It is only a pity that it was not a decisive peace.”
There was certainly no end to the violence for those in the Western Front’s Festubert to Cuinchy sector.
The 4th Brigade – essentially 2nd Battalion Coldstream and 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards – were in the thick of it on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
In the early hours of December 24, the two battalions took over trenches just east of Le Touret, having marched
ONE of the most remarkable letters to somehow pass army censorship was penned by a young soldier from the Staffordshire Regiment.
Writing from the trenches on Christmas Day, he stated: “I can’t play a mouth organ, but I gave them to the men and the trenches resounded all day with perfect melody, much to the annoyance of the Germans, who are only yards away.
“They sent shells and bullets whistling over the heads of the players. I have a minute to spare as I am adjutant now, and, when we are not in the trenches, I am absolutely worked off my head. I came out last night for a rest after 10 solid days in trenches.
“We do endure ghastly tortures in this war. The cold is perfectly appalling, however many clothes one wears, and I haven’t slept for nearly a fortnight, so I am awfully tired and done up.
“I am the only officer left who came out with the regiment, the last survivor besides myself was killed last Saturday morning in a fight we had. Such a nice boy, too, but I have lost all my best friends In this war, and I daren’t think of what it will be like when it is all over.
“However, I suppose that will come very soon and I shan’t mind as I have been through so much now that I really don’t care for anybody or anything.
“I have established friendly relations with our enemy opposite just for Christmas, and all today English and Germans have been standing in groups between the trenches discussing the war and exchanging cigarettes, etc.. Wonderful isn’t it? I have a great admiration for these Germans and they are undoubtedly worthy of our steel as they are exceptionally fine soldiers.”
How that note, praising the enemy, damning conditions and showing morale was broken, made it back home is a Christmas miracle.
several miles from Bethune. The brigade war diary records that the relief took 11 hours and several Grenadier Guardsmen had to be dug out of the communication trenches.
Theirs was not a merry Christmas. Both battalions’ war diaries paint a depressing picture of conditions: “Trenches in very bad state. The men were standing in mud, slush and water over the tops of their boots. Trenches waist deep in water.”
The 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards suffered a number of losses on Christmas Eve, including Captain Sir Montagu Aubrey Rowley Cholmeley and 2nd Lt John H G Nevill. The latter had joined the battalion only days before his death.
The war diaries provide little detail of the Christmas Day action, but it is clear a great deal of shooting took place during the day, with the Grenadier Guards noting three were killed,
two wounded. The Coldstream Guards suffered five losses – and their diary asserts German snipers displayed such accuracy telescopic sights must’ve been used.
One of those killed by deadly sniper fire was Private William Bannister, aged 18.
The misery continued on Boxing Day, with 22 Grenadier Guardsmen hospitalised with frostbite. One patient wrote bitterly to his family: “Perhaps you read of the conversations on Christmas Day. It is all lies. The sniping went on just the same; in fact our captain was wounded, so don’t believe what you see in the papers.”
The captain referred to in that letter was Edward George SpencerChurchill, who would survive the war. A clear case of don’t believe the hype.