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From a song "CHRISTMAS IN THE TRENCHES" by John McDermott

OH MY NAME IS FRANCIS TOLLIVER, I COME FROM LIVERPOOL
TWO YEARS AGO THE WAR WAS WAITING FOR ME AFTER SCHOOL,
FROM BELGIUM AND TO FLANDERS, GERMANY TO HERE,
I HAVE FOUGHT FOR KING AND COUNTRY I LOVE DEAR.
T'WAS CHRISTMAS IN THE TRENCHES, AND THE FROST SO BITTER HUNG
THE FROZEN FIELDS OF FRANCE WERE STILL, NO SONGS OF PEACE WERE SUNG
OUR FAMILIES BACK IN ENGLAND WERE TOASTING US THAT DAY
THEIR BRAVE AND GLORIOUS LAD’S SO FAR AWAY
I WAS LYING WITH ME MESS MATES, ON THE COLD AND ROCKY GROUND
WHEN ACROSS THE LINES OF BATTLE CAME A MOST PECULIAR SOUND.
SAYS I NOW LISTEN UP ME BOYS, EACH SOLDIER STRAINED TO HEAR
AS ONE YOUNG GERMAN VOICE SANG OUT SO CLEAR.
HE'S SINGING BLOODY WELL YOU KNOW MY PARTNER SAYS TO ME,
SOON ONE BY ONE EACH GERMAN VOICE JOINED IN IN HARMONY
THE CANNON’S RESTED SILENT AND THE GAS CLOUD ROLLED NO MORE
AS CHRISTMAS BROUGHT US RESPITE FROM THE WAR
Instrumental

AS SOON AS THEY WERE FINISHED AND A REVERENT PAUSE WAS SPENT,
GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMAN, STRUCK UP SOME LADS FROM KENT,
OH THE NEXT THEY SANG WAS SILENT NIGHT T’IS SILENT NIGHT SAY’S I,
AND IN TWO TONGUE'S ONE SONG FILLED UP THAT SKY.
THERE’S SOMEONE COMING TOWARDS US NOW THE FRONTLINE SENTRY CRIED
ALL SIGHTS WERE FIXED ON ONE LONE SOLDIER TRUDGING FROM THEIR SIDE,
HIS TRUCE FLAG LIKE A CHRISTMAS STAR SHONE ON THE PLANE SO BRIGHT
AS HE BRAVELY TRUDGED UNARMED INTO THE NIGHT
THEN ONE BY ONE ON EITHER SIDE WALKED INTO NO MAN’S LAND,
WITH NEITHER GUN NOR BAYONET, WE MET THEIR HAND TO HAND,
WE SHARED SOME SECRET BRANDY, AND WE WISHED EACH OTHER WELL
AND IN A FLARE LIT FOOTBALL GAME WE GAVE THEM HELL.
WE TRADED CHOCOLATES, CIGARETTES, AND PHOTOGRAPHS FROM HOME,
THESE SON’S AND FATHER’S FAR AWAY FROM FAMILIES OF THERE OWN,
TOM SANDER’S PLAYED HIS SQUEEZE BOX, AND THEY HAD A VIOLIN,
THIS CURIOUS AND UNLIKELY BAND OF MEN
Instrumental
SOON DAYLIGHT STOLE UPON US AND FRANCE WAS FRANCE ONCE MORE
WITH SAD FAREWELL’S WE EACH BEGAN TO SETTLE BACK TO WAR
BUT THE QUESTION HAUNTED EVERY HEART THAT LIVED THAT WONDROUS NIGHT
WHOSE FAMILY HAVE I FIXED WITHIN MY SITE
T'WAS CHRISTMAS IN THE TRENCHES AND THE FROST SO BITTER HUNG
THE FROZEN FIELDS OF FRANCE WERE WARM AS SONGS OF PEACE WERE SUNG
FOR THE WALLS THEY’D KEPT BETWEEN US TO EXACT THE WORK OF WAR
WERE CRUMBLED AND WERE GONE FOR EVERMORE
Instrumental
OH MY NAME IS FRANCIS TOLLIVER IN LIVERPOOL I DWELL
EACH CHRISTMAS COME SINCE WORLD WAR ONE, I'VE LEARNED IT’S LESSONS WELL
FOR THE ONE’S WHO CALL THE SHOTS WON'T BE AMONG THE DEAD AND LAME
AND ON EACH END OF THE RIFLE, WE’RE THE SAME

There is a great song writen about this event.If you like good old American folk music, may I recommend "John McCutchen" he plays a Hammer Dulcimer (SP?)Nice lyrics and instrumentals

Christmas in the Trenches
by John McCutcheon

My name is Francis Tolliver, I come from Liverpool.
Two years ago the war was waiting for me after school.
To Belgium and to Flanders, to Germany to here
I fought for King and country I love dear.
'Twas Christmas in the trenches, where the frost so bitter hung,
The frozen fields of France were still, no Christmas song was sung
Our families back in England were toasting us that day
Their brave and glorious lads so far away.

I was lying with my messmate on the cold and rocky ground
When across the lines of battle came a most peculiar sound
Says I, "Now listen up, me boys!" each soldier strained to hear
As one young German voice sang out so clear.
"He's singing bloody well, you know!" my partner says to me
Soon, one by one, each German voice joined in harmony
The cannons rested silent, the gas clouds rolled no more
As Christmas brought us respite from the war
As soon as they were finished and a reverent pause was spent
"God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" struck up some lads from Kent
The next they sang was "Stille Nacht." "Tis 'Silent Night'," says I
And in two tongues one song filled up that sky
"There's someone coming toward us!" the front line sentry cried
All sights were fixed on one long figure trudging from their side
His truce flag, like a Christmas star, shown on that plain so bright
As he, bravely, strode unarmed into the night
Soon one by one on either side walked into No Man's Land
With neither gun nor bayonet we met there hand to hand
We shared some secret brandy and we wished each other well
And in a flare-lit soccer game we gave 'em hell
We traded chocolates, cigarettes, and photographs from home
These sons and fathers far away from families of their own
Young Sanders played his squeezebox and they had a violin
This curious and unlikely band of men

Soon daylight stole upon us and France was France once more
With sad farewells we each prepared to settle back to war
But the question haunted every heart that lived that wonderous night
"Whose family have I fixed within my sights?"
'Twas Christmas in the trenches where the frost, so bitter hung
The frozen fields of France were warmed as songs of peace were sung
For the walls they'd kept between us to exact the work of war
Had been crumbled and were gone forevermore

My name is Francis Tolliver, in Liverpool I dwell
Each Christmas come since World War I, I've learned its lessons well
That the ones who call the shots won't be among the dead and lame
And on each end of the rifle we're the same

© 1984 John McCutcheon - All rights reserved

Indeed, a captain on the front wrote in his diary, "We have issued strict orders to the men not on any account to allow a 'truce.' The Germans did try. They came over towards us singing. So we opened rapid fire on them, which is the only sort of truce they deserve."

Refusing a truce is one thing. Firing on someone approaching unarmed with the obvious intent of attempting to negotiate a truce is inexcusable, unless their side has a known record of treachery under cover of truce (which, AFAIK, was never the case for the Germans in WWI).

This is one of the reasons that the First World War was such a turning point. In 1914, these soldiers made the most of their shared Christian Heritage and utterly horrified their superiors. By the next Christmas, it was the "filthy Boche" and whatever the Germans called the Brits and French, and it was everything that lead up to the slaughters like Ypres. Out of this war came the chaos and bitterness that nutured Hitler and his "Final Solution" for Jews, Gypsies and all others his hating mind could add.

Yet, Today, can anyone envision such a war in Western Europe? This is the miracle of the 20th Century and we are too close to it to see it at all well. W.Europe had been at war amongst its component states for a millenium, yet now it isn't even thought about. Maybe there is hope yet!

Most people loathe war and killing. It is striking that even among sworn enemies trying to slaughter each other, these being British and Germans, they would take every opportunity offered to avoid that distateful act and treat each other with compassion.

Then again, I am given to wonder why there are no such stories with respect to our combat with Asian enemies. I am unaware of any such niceties during WWII against Japan, or during the Korean or Vietnam wars.

Perhaps those kindnesses were only known among Westernized Cultures. Perhaps it was the common deminator of both being Christian Nations, England and Germany. Perhaps we saw Asians as sub-human and offered no similar treatment.

IMHO, the difference lies in the relative civility of Westernized cultures vs. the relative cruelty of Asian cultures -- treatment of occupied women and children, and treatment of POWs, being huge differences between Western and Asian cultures.

This is why I detest multi-culturalism. All cultures are not equal. While all nations and cultures have their respective skeletons in the closet, some cultures are flat out "superior" to others. Period.

Thanks for the reminder that even in a deadly there can be found compassion and humanity. Nobody wants war. Only a few politicians and generals. Most of us just want to be left alone to be happy.