The Christmas Truce

December 24, 1914

Rifleman H.C. Brazier was manning his position in a British trench, when the Germans opposite him began calling out to him and his companions. They were shouting in English, saying things like "A Happy Christmas" and "English means good". A few of the British soldiers climbed over the parapet  and began making their way towards the German trenches. A group of four Germans met with them halfway, and said they wouldn't shoot at the British on Christmas Day if they did not. This remarkable event, witnessed by Brazier and his British counterparts, happened in many other parts of the western front on December 24 - 25. In fact, some 100,000 British and German soldiers took part in the unofficial truce.

Brazier recounts this miraculous event: "I went out with some more of our fellows and we were met by about 30 Germans, who seemed to be very nice fellows. I got one of them to write his name and address on a postcard as a souvenir. All through the night we sang carols to them and they sang to us and one played 'God Save the King' on a mouth organ.

"On Christmas Day we all got out of the trenches and walked about with the Germans, who, when asked if they were fed up with the war, said 'Yes, rather'.... Between the trenches there were a lot of dead Germans whom we helped bury....

"A hundred yards or so in the rear... there were old houses that had been shelled. These were explored... and we found old bicycles, top hats, straw hats, umbrellas, etc. We dressed ourselves up in these and went over to the Germans. It seemed so comical to see our fellows walking about in top hats with umbrellas up.... We made the Germans laugh.

"No firing took place on Christmas night and at four the next morning we were relieved by regulars."

The series of ceasefires that took place during Christmas of 1914 were nothing short of a miracle. It portrayed, like nothing else, the humanity of the soldiers fighting and suffering in this terrible war. Sadly, when the short cease-fire ended early morning on the 26th, the fighting resumed just as before. 

The Christmas Truce (December 24 - December 25)