Christmas in the Trenches by Alan Wakefield

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 . . .
    Soon after ‘Stand Down’ the Commanding Officer . . . came to wish us all a Happy Christmas and expressed sorrow that he could not drink our health because his bottle of whisky had been mislaid. Afterwards it was found that some of our Platoon had found it and drunk it. It was surprising the CO never smelt it but if he guessed what had happened to his whisky he was sporting enough not to notice or say anything about it. He was a very fine man and a very good officer.
    Christmas Day passed off very quietly but the next morning we had to carry two of the Lewis Gun Team down to the First Aid Post suffering from Trench Feet and they could not walk. We were allowed to go over the top but were under orders to come back by the trenches, but not liking the conditions in the trenches we disobeyed the order. Fortunately, we were not spotted by the CO, officers or German snipers. ( Rfm Harry Gore )
    Troops coming out of the line just before Christmas hoped to spend a relatively comfortable time in huts or billets. However, the shortage of furniture and other comforts meant that any camp not permanently occupied was liable to be stripped of anything useful, leaving a rather desolate appearance to weary men returning from the front:
    Friday. Dec. 22nd
    Up and away at 9am and marched through mud to Aveluy reaching there at 12 noon. We found the camp which we left ten days ago fairly comfortable, an absolute wilderness. All the chairs, tables, beds etc have been pinched for some other camp. So we set to and started a pinching campaign. We visited other surrounding camps and within as hour had enough to make the place presentable again. I fear the people in the camps were all out on working parties for the day! They will have a shock on their return! ( Capt James Wyatt, 2/4th Gloucesters )
    Signallers early on Christmas Day received messages of action at the front, which were probably formulated to prevent any feelings of goodwill from spreading across No Man’s Land. But apart from these brief reports there was little to spoil festivities:
    Very heavy strafe by our arty in Armentieres area. 2nd Anzacs made a raid and found enemy trenches deserted and were not able to bring back any identifications of any kind . . . I was on duty at 6.30. Took off Xmas message from Commander in chief wishing all ranks a happy Xmas and victorious New Year. At 1pm we sat down to a nice Xmas dinner of roast pork, potato, cabbage, stuffing, apple sauce, Xmas pudding, custard, stewed fruits (apricots, peaches, pears), biscuits, oranges, apples, nuts, several boxes of cigars, good cigs, beer for those who drunk it, citron (lemonade) and Grenadine (made from cherries) and soda water for the TTs. The aft was devoted to practising songs for the concert in the evening. 4.30 tea consisting of jellies, custard, stewed fruits as above, mince pies, and the rest as above. Concert commenced 6 o’ck and I had to give 5 songs. Some of the time was given to dancing and as we had some Belgian people in who had helped us with the preparations of the food they enjoyed it immensely. I made a few attempts and got on tolerably well towards learning. We packed up at 11.30 after which I went on duty all night. ( Sapper David Doe, 51st Signal Company, RE )
    Where possible the inclusion of civilians in festivities appears to have been widespread