Diary entries from December 23-25 1914
Christmas Day. Not one shot was fired. English & German soldiers intermingled & exchanged Souvenirs. Germans very eager to exchange almost anything for our “Bully Beef” & Jam. Majority of them knew French fluently. Continue reading
Quiet day. Relieved 2nd R DUB FUS [Royal Dublin Fusiliers] in the trenches in the evening.
Germans shout over to us & ask us to play them at football, & also not to fire & they would do likewise. At 2 a.m. (25th) A German Band went along the trenches playing “Home, sweet Home” & God Save the King which sounded grand and made everyone think of Home. Continue reading
Fine day. Relieved 2nd Seaforth Highldrs at PT 63 in the evening.
Fine day. Battalion rests.
Quiet day. Battalion moved to Billets in evening to LA CRECHE. Showery all day.
Fair amount of sniping but enemy rather quiet. 2 killed. Relieved at night & marched to billets at PT 63.
11th Brigade attacked German trenches on our right in the afternoon. We kept up a continuous Machine Gun & rifle fire. Our artillery fired plenteous ammunition. 11th Brigade gained a little ground but suffered rather heavily. We had a few casualties from our own shell fire.
Quiet day throughout. Very little sniping. 1 killed 1 wounded. Germans continue to fire flare lights all night.
Snipers active. Little shelling. Germans fired a few Grenades. 2 killed 3 wounded.
Fine. Quiet day. Relieved R.DUB. FUS [Royal Dublin Fusiliers] at night in trenches.. Germans sending up flares all night.