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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment
Guy Cave
British Army 1st Btn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment
James Cave has a collection of letters from his grandfather’s brother, Guy Cave one of four brothers who served in the Army and who, though wounded three times, lived until 1949, when he died at the age of 64.
On December 31, 1914, when Guy (1st Btn Royal Warwickshire Regiment) was stationed at Ploegsteert, Flanders, he wrote about his company’s fraternisation with the 134th Saxon Regiment. "On arriving in the trenches on Xmas eve at night, the Germans called out greeting etc. Their trenches are about 80 yards away. We replied in our best German, wishing them a Fröhliche Weihnachten [Merry Christmas]. They invited us to fetch cigars and on their promise, ‘Ve veal not joot’, I allowed a man to go over. He came back shortly afterwards with his cigar. He also asked for a drink but he was met with the reply, ‘My officer says I must not give you drink because you must be already drunk or you would not have come...’"
The following morning, Guy woke to the sound of his sergeants singing carols. "At daybreak, we went out to the Germans who met us halfway. We made arrangements that there would be no shooting on either side during the day and Boxing Day, and this arrangement spread over our regiment, and all along the line. We took advantage of Xmas day to bury our dead and the German dead. We got their identification discs, so there will be definite news at home for their relatives. We had our photo taken in a group, Germans and Tommies together and officers. The Germans have promised to bring me a print tomorrow at midnight. The regiment in front of us is the 134th Saxon, and they are fed up with the war. One rather significant remark was made by one of their officers: ‘You are Anglo-Saxons, we are Saxons. Then why we joot?’"
Since Christmas Day, Guy reports that there has been no shooting on either side but Christmas Day 1914 will go down in history as a day absolute unique.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-one/inside-first-world-war/10273760/your-memories.html
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