UK / Germany Christmas 1914: German and British Soldiers Stop Fighting In The Trenches And Play Football Against Each Other.

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 The 1914 Christmas Truce – German and British Soldiers Stop Fighting In The Trenches And Play Football Against Each Other.

ww! truce

From The Illustrated London News of January 9, 1915: “British and German Soldiers Arm-in-Arm Exchanging Headgear: A Christmas Truce between Opposing Trenches”

Link – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce

WW1 Christmas truce marked in army football teams match

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-30498509

The Christmas truce (German: Weihnachtsfrieden; French: Trêve de Noël) was a series of widespread but unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front around Christmas 1914.

In the week leading up to the holiday, German and British soldiers crossed trenches to exchange seasonal greetings and talk. In areas, men from both sides ventured into no man’s land on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to mingle and exchange food and souvenirs.

There were joint burial ceremonies and prisoner swaps, while several meetings ended in carol-singing.

Men played games of football with one another, giving one of the most enduring images of the truce.

However, the peaceful behaviour was not ubiquitous; fighting continued in some sectors, while in others the sides settled on little more than arrangements to recover bodies. The following year, a few units arranged ceasefires, but the truces were not nearly as widespread as in 1914; this was, in part, due to strongly worded orders from the high commands of both sides prohibiting fraternisation.

Soldiers were no longer amenable to truce by 1916. The war had become increasingly bitter after devastating human losses suffered during the battles of the Somme and Verdun, and the incorporation of poison gas.

WW1 truce 2

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/9763539/Britons-started-WW1-Christmas-football-match-with-ball-kicked-from-trench.html

SAV Comment – Football NOT Killing !!

WW1 truce 3

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