Christmas in the Trenches Read online

  At 5.20pm everyone was ready, with the men to man the barricade sitting in the trench just behind it.

  The night fell dark, with a full moon just showing through cloud and haze, and it was very cold sitting there waiting for eventualities.

  At about 7pm the enemy suddenly sprang from their trenches and rushed at the bastion yelling ‘Allah! Allah!’ their advance being headed by lines of bombers (we gave them Allah alright and sent many to Allahlujah!) Immediately everyone sprang to their posts and as soon as the Subadar of the 103rd blew his whistle to show that they were clear of wall B we opened fire at the dim shadows in the gaps of the wall to our front: we were greatly helped by ‘Very Lights’ which showed the enemy up well.

  Men started to fall very fast, Br. Palmer was the first, Wheeler Gunner Manning next, both shot between the eyes . . . the din was terrific; ‘Bhussa’ bales and loose timber began to burn, a volley of bombs literally wiped out the 103rd in gallery A . . .

  The Oxfords and our men were falling fast . . . and the smoke of the shells drifting slowly over us added to the general bonfire effect.

  After about an hour’s hard firing . . . our numbers at the barricade were getting rather low . . . It was now that a bomb, or it may have been several, burst right among us and seemed to clean out all the defenders . . .

  By the time I had got up and felt myself there was no one left, so the Major and I decided to make for the second line trenches, but finding the trench three yards in the rear of us full of able bodied men, he shouted out that there were enough to hold on, and back we jumped. The Major would not fall out to get his wound dressed and at the time I did not know he was hit in the shoulder, as his face was covered with blood. Davern with his maimed hand also would not fall out and now did yeoman work stuffing ammunition into our pockets which enabled us to keep up a heavy fire . . .

  At 11.30pm we were relieved by the 48th Pioneers, and thankful we were to go back to the 2nd line, as all were pretty well cooked after four hours solid firing in the dark. While the Major went off to get orders I took the men that remained, to the trenches by our guns and we all started to oil our rifles and many odd ones we had brought away, and had not been there long when Gunner Skinner appeared with a ‘decktchie’ of tea and hunks of bread spread with salmon, where he got it from Gawd only knows, but it was some supper I reckon.

  We sat there wishing each other a Happy Christmas under rather novel conditions, and just to cap up the Sergt Major and myself split my flask of whisky . . .

  The Norfolk Regt relieved the Pioneers at 3am and there was a certain amount of firing, but the Turks had taken their punishment early and had no stuffing left in their attacks.

  While waiting to get the wounded out I fell asleep where I sat, and no longer heard the snores and moans of our exhausted and wounded men. (Capt Keith Freeland, Royal Garrison Artillery)

  While the Kut garrison were engaged in fierce fighting, other troops in Mesopotamia were having a more restful Christmas. Men of the 1/5th The Queens (Royal West Surreys) were on outpost duty along the River Euphrates:

  Xmas day K. Post. Reveille at 6.30, breakfast at 7.30. Tea and milk, bread and butter, salmon. Our tent is in lying picquet and not allowed to leave post so unable to go to Church at all. Dull with cold wind and air full of dust. Received message from King wishing the troops in Mespa a Happy Xmas that the goal for which we are fighting for was in sight, also message from O.C. 5th Queens wishing all at K Post a Happy Xmas. Stuffing dates all day. Xmas dinner cold boiled chicken and beef, hot turnips only vegetable obtainable and Xmas pudding no currants etc were to be had dates were added in their place not so bad considering everything. Tea – tinned peaches, bread and butter and milked tea, turned in about 9.45. Came off picquet 5 o’clock. (Pte Henry White)

  The next round of major operations would have to await the New Year when sufficient troops were gathered for the attempted relief of Townshend’s force at Kut.

  While numerous units of the Indian Army prepared to embark for Mesopotamia, those battalions sent out from Britain the previous year were well settled in numerous garrisons across the subcontinent and British-controlled islands in the Indian Ocean. One such unit was the 2/4th Somerset Light Infantry, who were based at Port Blair in the Andaman Islands. By December they had sat out the malarial season, although numbers of men now began to pick up ringworm which, while not too serious, was annoying and uncomfortable. The battalion’s officers were also enjoying new cuisine, among which was parrot pie, the main ingredient for which were shot by the officers. As mailboats from India were none too regular the battalion’s main recreation was cricket, either within the battalion or against the local Gymkhana. Strangely enough, Christmas Eve found the Somersets on alert for a possible German raid to free Indian nationalist prisoners from the large penal colony on the islands, something the Indian military authorities had been expecting since August:

  John was at the wireless station, Andrew at Ross and I was sleeping in a tent on the barrack square and when I turned out at 4am feeling very sleepy I went to the signallers and got them to signal Christmas greetings to John at the wireless station and in a few minutes a reply was flashed back wishing the same to me. Then we repeated the message to Andrew on Ross. This is the first time we have ever wished each other a merry Xmas by means of heliograph. Neither John or I will be able to eat our Xmas dinner tonight for we shall both sleep out under the stars. John will be in charge of a picket at the wireless station and I shall have one at Corbyns Cove about three miles out, and I don’t expect there will be much sleep for either of us. For about a week now we have been standing to arms at 4pm remaining out till daybreak, but it will not last much longer for we were to be attacked on Christmas night, when the enemy no doubt thought we should all be feasting. However they will not catch us napping this time if they come, but it is very unlikely that they will get here for we are surrounded by a huge fleet of warships. The mails came in yesterday and brought your letters for Nov 18th but we have had none of the letters between Oct 20th and Nov 18th . . . I am going up to barracks in a few minutes to see that the men’s Christmas dinner is alright. The money for it has been provided by Willis, but beside this the people of Bath have very kindly sent out about £50 for the same purpose so the men will not do at all badly. We have got turkeys for them locally and green vegetables and oranges came down from Rangoon yesterday. Owing to the trouble no man is allowed more than two pints of beer but I don’t think this restriction is very necessary for there have only been about three cases of drunkenness since the Regiment came to Port Blair.15 (Capt James Mackie)

  If the war had not been going well for Britain in Europe or the Middle East during 1915, her forces were gaining victories in Africa. The most vital of these came in February, when a determined Turkish attack on the Suez Canal was defeated. However, the forces on hand were not strong enough to pursue the defeated enemy across the Sinai Desert, leaving a potential Turkish threat to Egypt. In German South West Africa, South African forces took a lead in forcing the surrender of the colony on 9 July 1915. This freed troops for offensive operations in German East Africa, although it would be 1916 before sufficient manpower was available to really challenge von Lettow-Vorbeck’s Schutztruppe. Until that time British forces were primarily engaged in trying to prevent German raids against such strategic targets as railways. The one major Allied success in East Africa was the sinking, by naval gunfire, of the German light cruiser SMS Konigsberg in the Rufuji River delta (11 June 1915). Progress was more tangible in Cameroon, where British columns, largely composed of African troops, had, by the close of the year, brought the German defenders close to defeat. These campaigns in the colonies could be tough in the extreme in terms of climate, disease, poor rations and lack of comforts available in most other theatres of war. Even some of the old Africa hands, officers who had been attached to their units since before the outbreak of war, found things tough going:

  This is a curious life if you come to think of it, here are
most of us who have been out here some time richer than we have ever been before yet all in rags and likely to be living off rice and maize in a few days time. A cheery prospect for Xmas and of course nothing to drink.

  It does make one grouse a bit after having kept fit for so long to run the chance of getting run down for want of a little arrangement.

  The price for what one can buy locally are simply enormous like native tobacco and the worst imaginable cigarettes especially made for native trade and sold at 1/- a 100 in peace time are now being sold for a mark a piece.

  We are getting on quite satisfactorily with our advance south but it is slow work and to average 5 miles a day is very good . . .

  David is in great form. He is on this column and is a jolly good soldier. A bit quieter now that we are teetotallers under compulsion. From the papers it seems if England was a dull place now and I gather one is looked upon as unpatriotic if one orders champagne. What ho for the chance, I think we deserve it.16 (Capt Eric Barclay, 2nd Nigeria Regiment)

  Christmas 1916

  I send you my sailors and soldiers, hearty good wishes for Christmas and the New Year. My grateful thoughts are ever with you for victories gained, for hardships endured, and for your unfailing cheeriness. Another Christmas has come round, and we are still at war, but the Empire, confident in you, remains determined to win. May God bless you and protect you.

  At this Christmastide the Queen and I are thinking more than ever of the sick and wounded among my sailors and soldiers. From our hearts we wish them strength to bear their sufferings, speedy restoration to health, a peaceful Christmas and many happier years to come.

  The King’s Christmas Message to his Troops, 1916

  By the third Christmas of the war the scale of the conflict, especially on the Western Front, had grown again. A strategy of attrition had taken hold and the ability of each nation to sustain the demands of total war was put to the test. This was the year of those defining battles of the war, Verdun and the Somme. The latter operation was one of a number of co-ordinated Allied efforts across the Western, Eastern, Italian and Salonika Fronts in an attempt to greatly weaken the Central Powers by preventing Germany, and to a lesser extent Austria-Hungary, from concentrating their forces. The Somme battle, which was to have included a major contribution by French, became a primarily British operation once the scale of the German effort at Verdun was realised. The battle would witness the blooding of a large part of ‘Kitchener’s Army’ of volunteers. By the time Haig called off operations on 19 November, the Somme had claimed 419,654 British and Dominion casualties, 204,253 Frenchmen and 600,000 Germans. The first day of the battle, 1 July 1916, was the bloodiest day ever for the British Army, with some 57,470 casualties. It also witnessed the first major operation by the ANZACs on the Western Front, namely the taking of Pozières (25 July–5 August). There were also innovations such as the first use of tanks (15 September), improvements in infantry-artillery cooperation and a growth of tactical knowledge across the vastly expanded British Army.

  When Haig closed down the offensive in November, it was primarily due to the deteriorating state of the ground over which his troops would have to advance. As Christmas approached an additional month of bad weather had taken its effect on the trenches:

  The 33rd Division had taken over the front line that had been held by the French about the beginning of December and the 16th was holding a part of the line near Maricourt and Clery. The condition of the communication trenches, support and front line trenches were terrible, very few dugouts and general conditions as bad as they could be. The dead, mainly French, were still lying about in No Man’s Land . . .

  After a few days rest we were ordered in again in the same sector. This was the period of Christmas and we were in from the 23rd until 26th December. Once again strict orders were issued to the effect that there was to be no fraternization with the enemy and indeed such was the condition of the ground between us – ‘No Man’s Land’ – that it was not possible or desirable. (Rfm Harry Gore, 16th King’s Royal Rifle Corps)

  The 14th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders found similar problems in trenches north of Bouchavesnes on 26 December. Here, some communication trenches were filled by waist-deep mud leading to most movement being undertaken across the open:

  During the whole spell of 5 days rain fell nearly every day which made any special work on the trenches absolutely impossible. Owing to the fact that this part of the line is a salient the bringing up of rations was very hard. Even over the top the going is very slow and parties were being constantly held up by someone sticking in the mud. Dugouts were very scarce and any that there were were old and damp. There is little to report during this spell as little more than the mere occupation of the trenches was possible. (Battalion War Diary)

  Knowing that their coming spell in the line was liable to allow little in the way of Christmas cheer, the Highlanders celebrated early:

  On the 24th we had our Christmas dinner which was held in one of the huts and it was quite a decent affair. Of course we had no tables or chairs and we had just to sit on the earth (no floors) and eat the various courses out of the top of our mess-tins, the bottom portion being used to hold a couple of pints of awful French beer, but the latter was better than nothing to drink at all. We didn’t bother to wash out our tins between the courses . . . which were soup, mince (no potatoes), figs, pineapple, plum pudding. The usual concert followed given by members of the company. Concert parties from home don’t venture this length. We enjoyed it immensely and knew it was the last time before we had gone through a bad time, so we made the most of it.1 (Pte Robert Lawson, 14th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders)

  The generally poor conditions at the front not only ended active operations on any large scale but ushered in the by now familiar struggle to maintain trenches and dugouts. As both sides were engaged in this work and having to cope with daily life in the mud and rain, an attitude of ‘live and let live’ could be found along numerous sectors of the line:

  Before going any further I’ll tell you how things are round here – you will hardly believe it, though you may have heard of such cases before but it’s absolutely true. Fritz and us up here are on absolutely speaking terms – he comes over and exchanges cigs etc – it got so frequent it had to be stopped and even after our order to quit, two of our boys got 28 days for going out and meeting him half way for a chat. There’s never a rifle or machine gun shot fired by either side for many days, although we got orders to fire we knew it was hopeless to do so – so we didn’t. You see both of us are only holding shell holes which meant us going over the top for 150 yards or so and had we fired on him he would have returned the compliment so that was the understanding between us.2 (Pte Arthur Patrick Burke, 20th Manchesters)

  At Le Touret in the La Bassée sector, two companies of the 9th North Staffordshires were sampling life on a quiet part of the line after taking part in three months’ fighting on the Somme. In ‘A’ Company’s Officers’ Mess the big task of Christmas Eve was to secure some whisky. Following a tip-off from officers of a Royal Fusilier battalion a case of scotch was procured from an army canteen in Bethune. By way of a thank you, 2/Lt F.M. Hahn was dispatched with a few bottles to the Fusiliers. After partaking of a few glasses a number of officers decided to go out into No Man’s Land to see what the Germans were up to and to sing them a few carols. Hahn was invited to accompany the group:

  We crossed No Man’s Land and, parading in front of Fritz’s wire, began to sing Christmas carols to them.

  Fritz responded by standing up behind their lines and singing their carols, in German, to us. Our North Stafford patrol, hearing the cheerful noise, came and joined us, and we passed along the German front, singing and exchanging friendly badinage with them. There was no hatred about it! A few hours ago we had been blasting each other to Hades, we killed them and they killed us; but that was part of the game; we did not hate each other; we both knew that, and for Christmas, for that day only, the Spirit of Christi
anity prevailed.

  Goodwill continued to prevail when Hahn returned to his battalion’s lines. Here he noticed lights showing in a farm building to the rear of their position:

  I knew only too well what it meant. Our company was having a Christmas Eve dinner of roast duck . . . Fritz however, did not even fire a rifle shot at that farm building while the party was on. In normal conditions it would have been too good an opportunity for his artillery; but he knew that if he did we would spoil his Christmas for him; and the spirit of Christmas prevailed and the company enjoyed a splendid Christmas Eve dinner of roast duck. I am afraid, however, that the supplies of French beer for Christmas Day were somewhat depleted . . .

  Such attitudes did not prevail everywhere as there were always those who zealously followed to the letter orders warning against attempts to fraternise with the enemy:

  21–26/12/16: In line again received parcel from home containing roast turkey and sausages. Invited all gun team to dinner and had a royal feed. Sent share to Bill Percy in support (including parsons nose). Fritz fairly quiet. Fritz showed himself during the day and invited us into no-mans-land to meet half way. Maj Gordon saw them and ordered two snipers to fire on them, which they did. The Batn called him a dirty dog and so he was. It was an unBritish act, as the 9th KLR were doing work in our trenches and encouraged Fritz by shouting and waving. He did not fire, in fact he appeared to be unarmed. (Pte Walter Hoskyn, 5th King’s (Liverpool) Regiment)

  Where there was no overt contact with the enemy, troops in the line simply passed Christmas as quietly as they could and took advantage of any small comforts they could find:

  ‘D’ Coy held the front line until early Christmas morning and the Lewis Gun team found a small dugout which we could use when off duty and turn about. It was very quiet and there was no sniping or gunfire during that period but a sharp lookout was constantly kept. We were relieved from the front line about an hour before ‘Stand To’ back to support lines about a hundred yards behind the front line. Conditions were a little better but not much . . .