War Diaries Talk

Christmas 1914

  • woollamc by woollamc

    The Christmas truce of 1914 is the stuff of legend but, according to the official history written shortly after the war, it was all started by the 1st North Staffords - although I am sure other regiments made similar claims. The War Diary entries for this date will make interesting reading and it would be great if people would extract any interesting finds and record them here.
    The Staffords' War Diary entries are considerably less detailed than the account given in the battalion history but it does confirm that the Germans facing them asked them for an armistice on Christmas Eve and that they took it turns to sing songs and that the "Germans win a prize for this". On Christmas Day, "not a shot was fired". The Germans bury their dead "and our men go and help". "Baccy and cigars exchanged and Germans and our men walk about in the open together!!" No mention of any football and, although the Staffords returned to their trenches at 4 pm, "peace reigns until midnight". On Boxing Day, "the Germans still anxious to continue peace. No shots fired".

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