Happy Holidays

Heft · Dec 24, 2012

Happy Holidays to all.

A soldier's letter describing the extraordinary Christmas Day football match in the First World War has been discovered.
Staff Sergeant Clement Barker wrote the note to his brother Montague four days after the game in 1914, saying the temporary ceasefire began when a German messenger crossed No Man’s Land on Christmas Eve to arrange it.
He wrote: “A messenger come over from German lines and said that if (our side) did not fire, they (the Germans) wouldn’t in the morning (Xmas day).”
It was agreed, and the letter goes on to give a fascinating insight into the famous, brief truce.
“A German looked over the trench – no shots – our men did the same, and then a few of our men went out and brought the dead in and buried them and the next thing a football kicked out of our Trenches and Germans and English played football.”
The soldiers also shared carols, shook hands and exchanged cigarettes. Sgt Barker added: “We have conversed with the Germans and they all seem to be very much fed up and heaps of them are deserting. Some have given themselves up as prisoners, so things are looking quite rosy.”
Click to expand...

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/letter-tells-of-world-war-one-1504190

nbrooks503 · Dec 24, 2012

Heft · Dec 26, 2012

Our favorite tree ornament.

anderson · Dec 26, 2012

And a Karim Benzema to one and all!