2nd Essex and the Christmas Truce of 1914
The 2nd Essex Regiment were in the
trenches at Ploegsteert, known as Plugstreet due to the mud, in
December 1914.
Their War Diary records on
incident on 10th December 1914 when for a few days the rain
ceased and a slight frost improved condition in the trenches.
At 10am officers and men of the A
and D Companies of the 2nd Essex met a party of the 181st
Regiment, 19th Saxon Corps midway between the trenches. The
Germans said that they were fed up.
Their trenches appeared to be held
in about the same strength as ours in the same state.
The 2nd Essex were relieved on the
next day and so this meeting was not repeated.
More details can be gleaned from a
letter that was sent home by Private H Scrutton to his family in
Wood Green, North London that was published in the Chelmsford
Chronicle.
As I have told you before, our
trenches are only 30 or 40 yards from the Germans. This led to
an exciting incident the other day.
Our fellows have been in the habit
of shouting across to the enemy and we used to get answers from
them.
We were told to get into
conversation with them, and this is what happened:-
From our trenches "Good morning
Fritz" - No answer
"Good Morning Fritz" - Still No
answer
"GOOD MORNING FRITZ" from the
German trenches " Good morning"
Our trench " How are you?" from
German trenches " All right"
"Come over here Fritz" reply " No;
if I come I will be shot"
"No you won't. Come on"
reply "No fear"
"Come and get some fags Fritz"
reply " No you come halfway and I'll meet you"
One of our fellows there upon
filled his pockets with fags and got over the trench.
The German got over his trench and
right enough they met half way and shook hands. Fritz taking the
fags and giving chocolate in exchange.
It was good to see the Germans on
top of their trenches and the English also with caps waving in
the air, all cheering.
About 18 of our men went halfway
and met about the same number of Germans.
This lasted about half an hour,
when each side returned to their trenches to shoot each other
again.
What I have written is the truth
but don't think that we got chums as two of our fellows were
killed the same night and I don't know how many of them.
The copy of letter ends at that
point,
To corroborate the account there
is a record of one death on 10th/11th December 1914 there were
two recorded deaths from the 12th Brigade one from 2nd Essex and
one from Lancashire Fusiliers.
Although there are a number of
reports of unofficial truces/football matches that appear to
have been invented or much exaggerated, given the record in the
War Diary it is likely that this event took place in similar
fashion to that described by Private Scrutton.
