SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2016
A CENTURY AGO
B Y T OM E MERY
Special to Siuslaw News
he First World War
shocked the world with
its brutality and casual-
ties. But for a brief time at
Christmas 1914, enemies
became warm friends.
Over a century ago this
month, men of opposing armies
called a truce during the first
Christmas of a war that has
become the stuff of legend.
While many of the stories of
the cease-fire have been embel-
lished with time, the truce
stands in contrast to the horrific
warfare that ravaged Europe at
that time.
T
5 A
A Christmas truce
“In some cases, the men
posed for photographs wearing
each other’s hats,” said Doran
Cart, senior curator of the
National World War I Museum
in Kansas City. “They
exchanged cigars and ciga-
rettes, and drank German
schnapps and British rum to
celebrate the occasion.”
Accounts of the truce vary
widely, and it is apparent that
the truce was celebrated with
different intensity, and with dif-
ferent length, at various spots
along the lines. Much of the
truce occurred between Ypres,
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Belgium, and Neuve-
Chappelle, France, and origi-
nated when a truce was called
to bury the dead between the
lines in “no-man’s land.”
“That’s how it started,” said
Cart. “It’s certainly not unusual
for both sides to request a
cease-fire to take care of the
dead. It kind of grew from
there.”
Some report that German
soldiers cheerily called “come
over here” to their British
counterparts, while others
recall Germans placing small
Christmas trees on top of their
entrenchments on a frosty
Christmas Eve. One British
soldier compared the lit trees to
“the footlights of a theater.”
Multiple accounts note that
German troops began singing
carols, including Stille Nacht,
commonly known as “Silent
Night.” While some Allied
troops suspected a trap, many
others applauded the music and
responded with songs of their
own. One awestruck British
fighter wrote that “I shall never
forget it. It was one of the high-
lights of my life.”
As more trees and candles
appeared on the parapets,
British soldiers cheered mighti-
ly, including one who recalled
that “I stayed awake the entire
night. And it was a wonderful
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night.”
A young Bavarian officer
was one of many who shouted
that a Christmas truce should
be made, and that both sides
should leave their trenches to
approach the other.
He recalled that the British
eventually agreed, and that “a
man came out of their trenches
and I on my side did the same
… we shook hands a bit cau-
tiously.”
They were joined by others,
and the next day was filled
with intermittent visits in no-
man’s land, where men found
their enemies to be quite
engaging.
“Many of the Germans who
participated in this were
Saxons and Bavarians, and a
lot of them had lived or worked
in England before the war,”
remarked Cart. “There are
examples of soldiers asking
about others they knew in both
countries.”
Amid good-natured ribbing
about the other side’s war
efforts, men stood in small
groups, chatting and joking
while exchanging goods. Cart
says that, unlike popular leg-
end, there were no actual
Christmas gifts to each other.
“They didn’t give any real
presents to each other,” he said.
“They traded goods they had,
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but nothing of any
military value.
Each side was happy
to get what the other
had.”
Several myths have
grown from what many British
soldiers called “the wonderful
day.” An example is that one or
more soccer games were
played along the lines, a recol-
lection that has been chal-
lenged in recent years.
“There may have been some
kicking around of a ball, but I
just can’t see any way that a
full-fledged soccer game could
have been played in no-man’s
land,” commented Cart. “There
would have been so much
debris in that area, which had
been a furrowed farm field. I
don’t know that there would
have been enough space of
suitable ground to actually play
a real game.”
While the British and
Germans are commonly associ-
ated with the Christmas truce,
some French and Belgian sol-
diers also took part. However,
many scholars believe those
armies were in little mood to
celebrate with the Germans,
who had overrun their coun-
tries earlier that year and were
accused of various atrocities.
In some areas, the truce did
not end on Christmas Day.
Pockets of opposing soldiers
extended it into Dec. 26, and in
isolated cases, for a week or
more. Commanding officers on
both sides threatened reprisal
for the men involved in the
agreement, though there is no
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of any actual pun-
ishments. Half-hearted attempts
were made to repeat the truce
at Christmas in subsequent
years, but nothing like what
happened that first year.
The 1914 truce became a
sensation in the English press,
and countless British soldiers
recounted the events of the
truce in letters to home and the
papers.
The holiday cease-fire has
since grown into a global leg-
end, its story captured in books
and TV depictions.
“A mythology has arisen
from the truce,” said Cart.
“There’s no doubt that a truce
actually happened, because
many, many men on both sides
wrote and spoke of it later. But
it’s become much larger than it
probably was.”
Ceremonial recreations of
the Christmas truce have been
held periodically over the years
at the site, including in 1999. In
2014, diplomats of various
nations joined to commemorate
the centennial of the truce, a
remarkable event that one
British soldier wrote “made the
bitterest of foes friends,” if
only for a little while.
—Tom Emery is a freelance
writer and historical
researcher from Carlinville, Ill.
F LORENCE
F LASHBACK
FLORENCE UNITARIAN
UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP
N.W. Corner of Heceta Beach Road & Hwy. 101
Every Sunday at 10 a.m.
All are welcome. (541) 997-2840
BY
B OB J ACKSON
BAY BERRY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP SINGSPIRATION
You are invited to come and sing your favorite old time gospel hymns
Every Friday night at 7pm • Non-denominational
Bay Berry Square; 101 at Sutton Lake Dr. /milepost 185 N.
For more information , please call 541-997-2681
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE GROUP
“God Is Life”
Meeting Thursday at 3pm
575-313-3640
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST
OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
Located at Munsel Lake Road and North Fork Road
Worship Services 10:00 AM Sunday
All are welcome! 541-997-7268
COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH
4590 Hwy. 101, Across from Fred Meyer –- 997-7418
Sunday School, 9:30a.m. – Worship, 10:45
Wed. Prayer - 6:00 p.m. –Wed. Ministries 1-8 Grade 7 p.m.
CROSS ROAD ASSEMBLY OF GOD
Corner of 10th & Maple –- 997-3533
Bible Study at 9:00 A.M.
Services: Worship, 10:30 A.M.
fl orencecrossroad.org • offi ce@fl orencecrossroad.org
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH - SBC
1935 25th St. – 997-7660 • Pastor, Dr. Marvin Owen
Series “People of the Bible.” on Wednesdays 6 p.m.
A friendly place to worship, vacationers welcome.
Sun.; 11am & 6pm, Sunday school 9:45am.
FLORENCE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
2nd & Ivy – 997-2961 –Non-Denominational
Worship Service: 9:00 am & 10:30 am
FLORENCE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
FOURSQUARE CHURCH
1624 Highway 101 (next to A&W) –- 997-6337
Pastor George Pagel – Something for the entire family.
Sun. Services: 10:45 a.m., Wed. Bible Study 7 p.m.
Website:fl orence4square.com
FLORENCE VINEYARD (GOD’S POWER HOUSE)
2610 Kingwood, Florence • 541-268-2025
Sunday Worship @ 10:00 a.m., experience the Power of the Holy Spirit
Pastors: George & Beverly Sisemore
Intercessory Prayer & Worship, Thursday night @ 5:00 pm
fl orencevineyardchurch.com
NEW LIFE CHURCH-UPC
1424 15th Street •541-991-9398
Sunday Services: 10am and 6pm
Tues. Bible Study 7:00pm
NEW LIFE LUTHERAN CHURCH, E.L.C.A.
21st & Spruce Street – 997-8113
Adult Forum 9 a.m. – Sunday School 10:30 a.m.
Worship services; Sun. 10:30am & Wed. 6pm.
Pastor Lori Blake
www.lutheranchurchfl orence.com
Traditional Worship Service 10:00 a.m. , Reverend Greg Wood
Sunday School and Nursery – Organ and Choir
All Welcome. Come as you are.
3996 N Hwy 101 997-7136
RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS (QUAKERS)
Pre-Denominational (Romans 16:16)
1833 Tamarack Street (2 blocks east of Hwy. 101 on 18th St.)
Bible Study: Sunday 10 a.m.; Worship: Sunday 11 a.m.
www.churchofchristfl orence.org
FLORENCE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE
12th and Nopal –997-9020
Worship Service 10:30 a.m.
10 am Wed., Women’s Bible Study
Saturdays, Mens’ Breakfast @ 8 a.m.
Online Worship Service@ www.fl orencenaz.com
FLORENCE EVANGELICAL CHURCH
1318 Rhododendron Dr. –- 997-2523 – Worship at 11:00 AM –- Sunday
School at 9:30 AM – Variety of Sunday evening activities - 5 PM
Wed. Bible & Children classes at 6:00 PM
Call for details.
FLORENCE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST
4445 Hwy 101 (South of Fred Meyer) – 997-3951
Worship on Saturday 10:30 A.M.
Adult/Children’s Sabbath School 9:15 A.M.
C
ontrary to adult belief, there really is a Santa
Claus ... er, Sandy Claws. He scuttles about
the Oregon beaches on Christmas Day bring-
ing good cheer and holiday greetings to well-behaved
starfish and hermit crabs. Anyone visiting the beach
Christmas morning is sure to catch a glimpse of
him — just watch where you step!
A LICE B RAUER C HRISTIAN P RESCHOOL
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF THE SIUSLAW
Middle School and High School youth groups meet on Wednesday.
FLORENCE CHURCH OF CHRIST
O RIGINALLY P UBLISHED D EC . 24, 1975
T HE S IUSLAW N EWS , V OL . 85, N O . 52
1st Sunday of each month worship at 10:30 am
2nd-5th Sundays worship at 9am and 10:30am
Every Sunday Adult Sunday School at 9am
Children and Youth Sunday School at 10:45 AM
2nd & Kingwood • (541) 997-6025
“War is still not the answer.” FCNL
We worship in homes at 11am Sundays
Call 997-4237 or 902-9511 for locations.
RESURRECTION LUTHERAN CHURCH, L.C.M.S.
Every Sun., Bible Class 9 a.m., Worship Service 10 a.m.
85294 Hwy. 101 S. – 997-8038
DVD of Weekly worship service available.
Pastor Randy Benscoter
ST. ANDREW’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
2135 19th St. –- 997-6600
8:30am, Tuesdays, Morning Prayer
Sunday Services: 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. - Wed, 11 a.m.
Everyone Welcome – Come walk our Labyrinth.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Wishing You a
Merry Christmas
and Happy New Year
from Our Family to Yours!
Meggan Haslett, Director
abchristianprek@gmail. com
541-999-6026
Let me Showcase your property.
SAINT MARY, OUR LADY OF THE DUNES
CATHOLIC CHURCH
Masses: Sat. 5:30 p.m., Sun. 11:00 a.m.
1.5 miles south of river on Hwy 101 – 997-2312
Richard Beaudro
Principal Broker
541 991-6677
Jensen Ln #613 – Over an acre waiting for
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1749 Highway 101 • 541-997-1200