The Christmas Truce 1914

German and British Troops pictured
on Boxing Day 1914 (IWM)

The truce during the War's first Christmas in one of the enduring stories of the war, and has spawned many images. It really happened in parts of the front in Belgium and the extreme north of France. Mostly it was a British German truce - the French were less inclined to fraternise with an army occupying their land. A couple of years ago on a visit to Ypres I came across the unofficial memorial shown below. When I went back this August it was no longer there.

While visiting CWGC cemeteries in March 2013 around Messines ridge and the Ploegsteert Wood, I came upon this by chance on my way back to Ypres. It was on Vaartstraat off the N336 and approx. 5k south of the Menin Gate, between Ypres and Wytschaete.                                                                           

This, allegedly, was the turnip field of No-Man's Land
where the legendary football match occurred

The text reads:

This field had the opposing lines running west to east through it, although the major part of it was No-Man’s Land. At Christmas 1914, men of both armies in this part of the line met here to talk, swap souvenirs and cigarettes and were said to have played a game of football. This impromptu Christmas Truce, frowned upon by British High Command, lasted for a week before the troops returned to the serious business of war. The truce was never recorded north of this area but was enjoyed east of the wood and right down the line into northern France.

Both sides took the opportunity during the cessation of hostilities to recover and bury the dead scattered around No-Man’s Land.

It looks semi-official, and had been there since 1999 apparently.
Strange it had gone by the time of the centenary