December 24, 1914 (life in the front lines and the Christmas agreement)

Dear Eve, 


I guess i was wrong, it is December and the fighting shows no signs of stopping. I am still well, and living in the front is fairing poorly. I myself am having a hard time on the front with a lot of things. I am currently far back in the  battle lines with my division, and we are to move up to the front in about 3 days time, so we have time to prepare ourselves. One major thing we've had to deal with is the massive amount of lice in our clothes and bodies. These conditions with the rats and the general mess have led to the abundance of these infectious creatures. Every week we've had to pick through our clothing, through every seam to get the filthy bugs out. The rise of these insects must be due to the dead remaining in our trenches. It is a truly sad state of affairs when we cannot even bury our own men once they've passed from this world. They are just moved and left aside, with little regard as to what their effects on the us are. The consolation for the living  are few, we get little sleep and terrible food. Aside from the gruel we are served daily, the fruits and vegetables are spoiled and the meat rotten. I can only imagine what it must be like for the Germans, as they must live in conditions like this over no mans land. The reason i'm writing this on Christmas eve is not to just complain about the terrible conditions my fellow soldiers and i are going through, but to tell of an amazing event that occurred. As the sun was setting and the firing came to an eventual stop, almost like a cease - fire. Then i saw people going over the top, and upon looking over i saw that the Germans were doing the same. A sense of disbelief was in my head, why would we go over to the most dangerous part of the battlefield with our enemies? It was then it hit me. It was Christmas, there was no need to be violent to each other, it was a time of giving and peace. I jumped over the top and immediately joined my fellow people and did something i haven't done in months: enjoy myself. I talked to the Germans as best i could and had a great time with everyone. It was a welcome solace from the war and as i learned the next day, it had occurred all along the front lines, from the Channel to Switzerland! This "Christmas truce" was truly a wonderful time, yet the prospect of fighting the men that i had just talked to was somber indeed. As for the children, tell them to enjoy their Christmas just as much as I had, and to you as well. 

Merry Wishes, Daniel Wadsworth

Sources: Canadian at war 1914 - 1918  Donald M. Santor, Socials Studies Eleven Student Workbook, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CC5SFPooc8