A messenger come over from the German lines and said that if we did not fire Xmas day, they (the Germans) wouldn’t so in the morning (Xmas day). A German looked over the trench – no shots – our men did the same, and then a few of our men went out and brought the dead in (69) and buried them and the next thing happened a football kicked out of our Trenches and Germans and English played football. According to the soldier who was there at Christmas, it was a football see post 13 and see the actual letter on Antiques Roadshow.
Bloody hell fire.... I wasnt there but I'm pretty sure saying it in a letter doesnt make it FACT. Is everything you've ever said in an email entirely 100% correct? And I'm sure Brazilian kids kicking rags around a favela call it a football as well. They dont say "Here, pass me that rolled up collection of rags" (in Portuguese). All I said was, a panel of historians who have studied this more extensively than many of us will have done, claimed the idea of an England vs Germany football match between the trenches on Christmas Day has been highly romanticised.
Why - for referencing what a panel of learned historians said? It's not even my ****ing opinion!! And if that makes someone a c**t yep, I'm a shoe-in.
It certainly seems that way! Who cares whether it was a proper game or not, surely the truce and the thought that there were pockets of soldiers from both sides intermingling and possibly having a kick-about with anything, is all that matters isn't it? I've got a Great Great Uncle who was in the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment and was killed at Neuve Chapel in 1915 and may well have been involved with one of these instances and the thought of that brings a lump to the throat.
I dont care either if it wasnt a proper match!! The topic came up and I shared what historians said about it in a recent discussion I listened to. I didnt say "that ****ing football story is a lawd of auld pony, you ****s". Why is this being turned into I'm against a lovely story from WWI? Even if they hadnt kicked some rags about, the story of a truce alone on Christmas Day and soldiers chatting to each other is fantastic. Jesus Christ....
Do I need to put my curly black wig on and say it in a cod scouse accent? Your initial post suggested your scepticism of what is generally considered quite a remarkable incident that may well have been romanticised but if it did happen in any way shape or form is still a pretty heart-warming testament to man's humanity in the face of adversity. The fact that you then seemed to get more and more wound up with each response was quite amusing and I was just poking a bit of fun at that, which is why I added the laugh emoticon but perhaps a wink would have been more suitable. Anyway, no malice intended from me, just trying to give an opposing view and then a mild attempt at continuing the wind up.
I have no scepticism about the popular view whatsoever. I dont know enough about it and would never claim otherwise. I dont think i gave my opinion once on whether a "football match" took place or not.
