Extract from a report contained in a war diary, from 15 Infantry Brigade to Divisional Headquarters confirming events of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, 1914, (Catalogue ref: WO 95/1510/4)
Transcript
Headquarters,
5th Division
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I beg to report that an informal meeting took place yesterday between the lines of trenches of ourselves and the Germans, at which about 200 of our men assisted, and even larger number of Germans.
It appears that on Christmas Eve there was a good deal of shouting and chaff between our right trenches (Norfolks) and the Germans about LA PETITE DOUVE Farm, each inviting the other to come over. Although there was a certain amount of firing on our part all yesterday morning and up to 2.p.m. (Christmas Day), there was no response of rifle fire from the enemy on our front (only a few shells in the early morning some distance from the North). About 2 p.m. a German Officer or N.C.O. [Non Commissioned Officer] appeared and walked over to our trenches holding up a box of cigars. He was not fired at, and one or two of our men went to meet him. Others, Germans and Englishmen, chimed in and soon there were large numbers in the space between the trenches nearer the German ones than to ours, talking and fraternizing and accepting each other’s cigars and cigarettes etc. Most of the Norfolks and some of the Cheshires (on their left) from the fire trenches took part in this informal gathering including several officers.
The latter reported that the Germans refused to talk “shop” but were very friendly and appeared to have no evil intention of any sort. They said the war would be over and ourselves beaten, in two months and said they hadn’t begun in earnest yet, although we had the best of them up to the present. They also showed an official memo stating that the Russians had been smashed and were fleeing to WARSAW also the Austrians had occupied BELGRADE.
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26/12/14 Sd. Gleichen, Brigadier General.
Commanding 15th Infantry Brigade
P.S. The Germans stated that they were not taking any action by fire or otherwise from 25th to 27th instant. I have however ordered hostilities to proceed as usual