Christmas in the Trenches

[Subdeacon Joe]

German soldiers singing Christmas carols with a Christmas tree in a trench on the Eastern Front, December 1914.
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Colourised by @sannadullaway.
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The following is excerpts of Danish-German soldier Hemming Skov's account of Christmas on the frontlines of the Eastern Front on December 23, 1914 - today 109 years ago. Translated by myself:

"In the evening of December 23 we entered the trenches, and now a Christmas Eve in a muddy trench between the railway and the town of Ludwikow was looking most probable.
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Together with a few comrades I 'installed' a firepit in the trench, where we had some cozy warmth. Following a quiet day we reached the holy Christmas Eve, a Christmas Eve far away from our dear ones.
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Under inconsolable outer surroundings, Christmas had to be celebrated. In a foreign country; for a foreign cause one was here, guided here by the heavy duty imposed upon us.
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Later on in the evening - I believe it was around the time we usually would approach the lit Christmas tree - I was sent back for food at the field kitchen together with some comrades. Here we received the delightful news that we soon were to be relieved.
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With this welcomed message we began our course back to the frontlines, during which we regretfully lost a comrade. Ducking and weaving we ran in the direction of the whistling bullets; but our joyous message of our relief was now accompanied by the report of the loss of a comrade.
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The relief came, and we once again went our way towards the field kitchen and the barn we were to be billeted in during Christmas Night. Upon our arrival at the field kitchen we were distributed extra hot rum, as well as porkchops and peas."
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#worldwar1 #wwi #ww1 #christmas #christmastree #xmas #xmastree #history #worldwarone #firstworldwar #thegreatwar #Germanhistory #carols #christmaseve #militaryhistory