1914 Christmas Truce Story

[Western SMT]

It is off topic -

http://www.firstworldwar.com/features/christmastruce.htm

[G-CPTN]

There was something on the radio (BBC Radio Five) earlier this week.
Some chap found leters (I believe) written by his grandfather who was one of (if not the) intermediary that went over to the German lines (unarmed) when the Germans indicated that they wanted a 'parley'. The German was armed, but said that they wanted a senior officer to agree a ceasefire over Christmas until the New Year.
This developed into the famous game of football.
Following this a new British commander arrived and forbade any collaboration stating that any German that 'revealed' himself must be shot and any Tommy that disobeyed would be charged with treason.

I'm sorry that I don't remember any more detail (either about the incident or the source - it might have been a book).

It's only because the 'numptie' added spam to this thread (now deleted) that I re-read it and recalled the above.

[Western SMT]

The following link is to a fictional letter drawn from real letters and diary’s.

http://www.aaronshep.com/stories/061.html


Though the Christmas Truce is the greatest example of its kind, informal truces had been a longstanding military tradition. During the American Civil War, for instance, Rebels and Yankees traded tobacco, coffee, and newspapers, fished peacefully on opposite sides of a stream, and even gathered blackberries together. Some degree of fellow feeling had always been common among soldiers sent to battle.

[billyboy]

I know that several of our members have spent some time at sea in their early days. Well this book is well worth a read. A ripping yarn in fact of a young boy who wanted to follow in his fathers footsteps and made from first tripper deck boy to Captain of his own command.
it can be ordered through
http://www.shipsandseatales.com