1915: ‘merry Christmas. We will not fire to-morrow’

From THE TIMES of LONDON: Jan. 11, 1915. LETTERS FROM THE FRONT. - THE SCOTS GUARDS’ CHRISTMAS. - A PIPER’S IMPRESSIONS. A Piper in the Scots Guards writes: We had a glorious time of it on Christmas Day. There wa a keen front and snow falling slightly. On Christmas Eve the Germans shouted from their trenches: “A merry Christmas, Scottie Guardie. We are not going to fire to-morrow ; we will have a holiday and a game of football.” Our fellows agreed. Next morning, sure enough, the Germans came out of their trenches, and began to saunter over to ours unarmed. At this our chaps went over half-way to meet them. They greeted one another like the best of friends and shook hands. You would have thought the war was at an end. We exchanged cigarettes for cigars, tobacco &c. They brought over ever so many things as souvenirs. A German officer gave me a button off his coat for my capstar. We were chatting all day. I was talking to a German who was four years ...