[00:00.70]One of their men,speaking in English,
[00:02.75]mentioned that the had worked in Brighton
[00:04.87]for some years and that he was fed up
[00:07.12]to the neck with this damned war
[00:09.24]and would be glad when it was over.
[00:11.73]We told him he wasn't the only one
[00:13.84]who was fed up with it.
[00:15.83]The German commander asked Buffalo Bill
[00:18.14]if we would like a couple of barrels of beer
[00:21.21]and they brought them over to us.
[00:23.25]The officers came to an understanding
[00:25.05]that the unofficial truce would end
[00:27.13]at midnight.
[00:28.67]Just before midnight we all decided not start
[00:31.72]firing before they did.
[00:33.62]During the whole of Boxing Day we never fired
[00:35.89]a shot and they the same:
[00:38.39]each side seemed to be waiting
[00:40.02]for the other to set the ball rolling.
[00:42.67]One of their men shouted across in English
[00:44.83]and inquired how we had enjoyed the beer.
[00:47.71]We replied that we were ery grateful
[00:50.11]and spent the whole day chatting with them.
[00:52.80]That evening we were replaced
[00:54.59]by another battalion.
[00:56.63](From Old Soldiers Never Die
[00:58.77]by Frank Richards)
[00:59.48] |