Christmas 1914 In no man's land

The truce began on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1914, when German troops began decorating the area around their trenches in the region of Ypres, Belgium, for Christmas. They began by placing candles on trees, then continued the celebration by singing Christmas carols, most notably Stille Nacht (Silent Night). The British troops in the trenches across from them responded by singing English carols.

The two sides continued by shouting Christmas greetings to each other. Soon thereafter, there were calls for visits across the "No Man's Land" where small gifts were exchanged — whisky, jam, cigars, chocolate, and the like. The artillery in the region fell silent that night. The truce also allowed a breathing spell where recently-fallen soldiers could be brought back behind their lines by burial parties. Proper burials took place as soldiers from both sides mourned the dead together and paid their respects. At one funeral in No Man's Land, soldiers from both sides gathered and read a passage from the 23rd Psalm: The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.

The truce spread to other areas of the lines, and there are many stories of football matches between the opposing forces. The film Joyeux Noël suggests that letters sent home from both British and German soldiers related that the score was 3-2 in favour of the Germans.

source: wikipedia

I made this video after hearing Mike Harding's song played on the radio in December 2007. The whole video was done in a few hours and uploaded the same night. Not so much a rush job - I just needed to get it done because I felt increasingly upset at looking into the faces of the lads from both sides, many who will have died soon thereafter.

Here is a link to Mike Harding's website where you can find details of the CD Plutonium Alley, the album from which this song is taken. A better quality remastered version is available:
http://www.mikeharding.co.uk/

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• christmas
• christmas truce
• joyeux noel
• christmas 1914
• first world war
• great war
• ww1
• ww2
• truce
• trenches
• trench
• trench warfare
• mike harding
• silent night
• stille nacht
• ypyres
• belgium
• pipes of peace
• Frélinghien
• football
• Panzergrenadier
• Fusiliers
• mustard gas
• eastern front
• armistice
• world at war
• all quiet on the western front
• peace
• no man's land
• no mans land
• wwii
• merry xmas
• merry christmas
• germany

[woo3276]

we used ur video for our Xmas play. thanks for making it ;)

[alanstarkie2001]

@woo3276 Thank you for using it :)

[phoebee108]

I watched this at school today... Really suprised me, very emotional actually:(

[alanstarkie2001]

@phoebee108 I felt like that the day I put it together :)

[jaquesTNT]

Fantastic what kinds of insightful comments I read here, the most people here in Holland should take this as an example. Hate against germans is still living here entered by one-sided history lessons and 'believe it or not' anti german report in the media. 4 generations after last war, young people still learning here "we are good, germans are bad. It's a shame!

[alanstarkie2001]

@jaquesTNT If it's any consolation, here in the UK we very much like the Dutch and the German people. Merry Christmas.

[lordvelos]

Sadly this is an event they tend to leave out of the history books. I think most people do not even know this event was REAL and really did happen! (Google The Christmas Truce of 1914)

[Hippophilee]

@jaquesTNT, that's interesting, in France we never think of the Dutch as nationalist people! Besides, in the 1960s the French made great efforts to transform the French-German relationship from bitter resentment to friendship: school children & student exchange, pairing cities, etc. And it succeded, partly because we had a president named De Gaulle, who knew Germany well.

That doesn't mean that we forget history – but it has become history.

[TheSailorsPride]

@Lintflas Such mal nach Joyeux Noel ein Film über den Weihnachtsfrieden. Guck ich mir jedes Jahr an an!

[handymannw1]

German POW Camps have been compared favorably with others, say Japanese POW Camps.

[woo3276]

oh my god... there's so many graves at 3:33, I wanna cry now. DX

[Musclejohnb]

A beautiful song and a poigniant video. I have always liked it.  My grandfather was in the first world war and told me that the only evil there was those behind the lines spreading propaganda.

[Lintflas]

This is my favourite christmas song, beautiful and very moving.

I remember those tears in my eyes when I first heard this song and story about this beautiful event. I really wonder why they still didn't make a great movie of this stuff. It is worth to be told.

Frohe Weihnachten and all the best from Germany to Britain.

[phoebee108]

@alanstarkie2001

It really suprised me when i found out what happened, made me look at the war differently actually! The songs really good aswell:)