Search The Archive

[A remarkable Christmas Truce letter sent from France in 1915 by Private Thomas William Brightwell to his sister Ethel Brightwell in Calgary, Alberta, giving his firsthand account of the Christmas Day he and his fellow British soldiers spent together with the German soldiers from the opposing trenches.]

Sat. Feb. 6th 1915
No. 8149, Pte W. Brightwell D. Comy.
1st Norfolk Regt 2nd Army Corps
British Expeditionary Force c/o G.P.O.

Dear Ethel

just a few lines to you in answer to your most kind and welcome letter which I recieved on 4th Feb. Hoping you are in the best of health as it leaves me quite well at present. I have had a bad cold on my chest but I am glad to say I have got rid of it now as we are getting some better weather now You say you wondered how I spent my Xmas Well I shall never forget that Xmas Day as long as I live. I spent it in the trenches it was a sharp frosty Night Xmas Eve when day light came I was all white with frost just like Father Xmas The Germans were singing all night in their trenches carols and parts of English songs what they knew of them, we were only 200 yards from them, about 10 a.m. they signaled to us that they wanted to talk to us they sent one man towards and we sent one to meet him and he said that they wanted a 3 days truce he said if you dont fire on us we will not fire on you we agreed the Germans started getting out of their trenches so we got out as well and shook hands with each other they gave us cigars and cigeretts and we gave them some of ours they were pleased they would have given us anything we exchanged pipes and knives and sang songs and played football with them some of them could speak English so we managed to understand each other – it looked alright seeing Germans and English chasing a hare about with big sticks we buried a poor French soldier who had been lying for weeks in front of our trench the Germans helped to dig the grave and one German and one Englishman lowered him down to rest. They were good chaps they kept their word and were very little trouble to us after that. I reckon you will hardly credit this I couldn’t myself I had to pinch myself to see if I was awake, it was a treat to walk about and not to be fired at Now Dear Ethel I dont think there is anymore I can say this time give my best respects to your husband I wonder if we shall ever meet Now I will conclude with heaps of love from

Your Effectionate
Brother Will
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
P.S. I think I have got all your letters but they had travelled about before they reached me