Christmas in the Trenches (12 page)

In the summer of 1917, Haig launched an offensive in Flanders. Heralded by the explosion of nineteen large mines under German positions on Messines Ridge, the offensive known as the Third Battle of Ypres, or more popularly Passchendaele, got under way on 31 July. However, with over 4 million shells having been fired in the preparatory artillery bombardments, the ground over which the infantry was expected to advance was badly torn up. After four weeks many of the initial objectives were not taken and torrential rains set in, turning the battlefield into a quagmire. A change in tactics, bringing in ‘Bite and Hold’ operations to win limited objectives met with some success. But with increasingly poor weather conditions, the battle degenerated into a slogging match with both sides losing something in the region of 250,000 men by the time Haig halted operations following the capture of Passchendaele Ridge in November.

If the Germans believed this to be the end of major operations for 1917, they reckoned without Haig’s willingness to employ novel tactics in a final attempt to pierce the Hindenburg Line before the New Year. On 20 November, over hard, chalky, open fields near Cambrai, 300 tanks led 6 British divisions forward. Surprise was achieved and early gains were made. But the loss of 179 tanks on the first day, with few reserves available, slowed the advance as German resistance stiffened. Nine days after the attack began, Haig called a halt to the battle. The British had created a vulnerable salient, which they were preparing to evacuate when German troops counter-attacked. When fighting ended on 7 December, the front line was back in a similar position to where it had been before the British attack.

Active operations were over for another year and the troops prepared themselves to face yet another winter in the trenches:

The damp and verminous trenches harboured disease; but all possible precautions against it were taken. Not only were there gum-boots, grease and regular changes of socks; but Maj-Gen Gorringe, the divisional commander, most wisely insisted that the men in the trenches should have a hot meal or a hot drink every four hours. Huge food containers, manufactured on the principle of the Thermos bottle, were used for that purpose and the battalion cookers were brought right up to Ravine Wood, within six hundred yards of the German front line. (
Capt Sir George Clarke, 1/8th Londons
)

In the Ypres Salient, so much fought over since the summer of 1917, men in the line met Christmas as best they could:

We spent our Christmas day up there in the shell holes and pill boxes. A Happy Xmas, yes, but we didn’t see Father Xmas come down the chimney with a big bag of toys, or any presents on his back . . . we went into the line on 22nd Dec. and we came out of it again on the 29th Dec. at 9 o’clock at night. We had a white Xmas here and it began to snow on Xmas eve, and we had about six weeks of it. It kept on freezing day and night all the time, and we were snowed up and frozen up then, but we had our happy Xmas day on New Year’s Day after coming out.

Our Christmas dinner in the line or shell holes was composed of tins of bully beef and a few hard biscuits thrown into a canteen, with a big handful of snow to make water. We could make some Bully Stew for dinner that day and we enjoyed it fine, as there was nothing else to have at that time. Snow the only thing we could use to make water as we couldn’t use the water in our bottles we carried for it. It was a crime then which would have won us 14 days pay stopped, and we didn’t want that now.

The ground was covered in snow and the water in the shell holes was frozen. We were not supposed to use it or drink it at any time. We had to be very careful about lighting a fire because of the smoke in the daytime and the light of the fire at night as well. If Jerry had seen it we may have had a gentle visitor come over to visit and wish us a Happy Xmas and a Xmas box to wish us a Happy New Year all in one day then. So we had to make ourselves happy but not seen too much at any time. (
Pte Alfred Lewis, 6th Northamptons
)

Some units were doubly unlucky in spending both Christmas and New Year in the line. One of these was the 14th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders who were back at Clonnel Camp, Hamelincourt, when they received Christmas parcels from the people of Stirling on 19 December and enjoyed a seasonal dinner four days later. On Christmas Eve they relieved the 13th Yorkshires of 121st Brigade in the line at Fontaine-les-Croisilles, where they remained until the evening of 27 December, when the 16th Royal Scots took their place. Two days later the Argylls found themselves back in trenches, this time the Bullecourt section support line, where they remained into the New Year:

We really had a good time just before Christmas and I put away one cake and other good things . . . but . . . as I sit and shiver tonight I think of the stuff we wasted there. After expecting to spend Christmas ‘out’ we were quite disappointed when we got the order to pack up before the eventful day and let me but whisper it we spent New Year ‘in’ too. Rotten luck we thought to have both days ‘in’ but thank goodness we were in a quiet spot and everybody returned safely except for a few who are now secretly gloating in Blighty at our sad fate. I am sorry in a way I am not in that select body myself but I am bad enough already without Old Fritz modelling my torso. As I have said before let me return as I am.

The weather is now of the vilest, after having had hard frost since my return a thaw set in and today water and all its discomforts are with us.
¹
(
Pte Robert Lawson, 14th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
)

As in previous years there were those who were more fortunate:

Many thanks for your nice letter and kind wishes. May I return the compliment and wish you and Cicely the nicest Christmas and happiest New Year possible. We look like having a really nice Xmas for once in a way out here. We are out of the trenches in a little village just behind the lines and we shall be here for Xmas day too. Anyway we are making terrific preparations, making tables and forms for the men’s dinner, killing pigs and roasting and buying beer and vegetables for them. There will be such a feed and drink as never was and a concert after. I only hope they will not be too drunk to sing. As for the officers we have a Turkey and about 14 Xmas puddings to say nothing of 6 orange puddings and soup tins and tinned Turkey, 12 cakes, 14 tins of shortbread, chocolate and sweets galore. In fact we have a miniature grocer’s shop. I expect we shall be horribly ill after it all and be awfully snappy the next day but still we must do something.
²
(
2/Lt Harold Ridsdale, 76th Field Company, RE
)

The sappers held their company Christmas celebrations on 24 December and the event was evidently a success, their war diary recording that they spent the following day ‘recovering from Christmas dinner’.
³
On Boxing Day the company marched to Stirling Camp near Hervin Farm in preparation for work on a new set of trenches. But not every soldier had fond memories of their unit’s communal festivities:

Well Old Dear how did you spend your Christmas, I hope it was a better one than I did for I think it was the worse one I have ever spent. I was thinking of you all and wishing that I was with you all, and I was very much with you at 8.00, oh yes, I drank your health at that time. After that time I went for a good walk to get out of it. Why, well some of them had got too much beer down them and they were playing H–––. Yes it was a fine idea clubbing together to have a feed, it might have been if the money had been spent right. We got together 105 francs and the army canteen fund gave us 50 so we put 80 to it for two turkeys that was going to be got for us in Paris and the rest of the money was spent on a barrel of beer which was alright for those who drank it, our officer bought us 5 bottles of wine, which was very good of him. That was all the chaps who did not drink had for their money. Well the turkeys did not turn up but the money did at ¼ 9 on Christmas Eve. So we had a bit of beef for dinner which I think was just as good. We also had ½ a pound of pudding which was very nice. The dinner was the last part of the day, for when the beer got going the trouble got going as well, so I cleared out just after 8 . . . at that time things were not so bad, but two of them play hot stuff until ½ 2 in the morning so to end it we got out of bed and put them to sleep. I never want to spend another day like it . . . Well the money that was sent back to us we are having a feed on New Years Day (but no beer). We gave 50 francs to a chap to spend and I must say he has spent it well. We have got two chickens for dinner on that day and he has bought a lot of things that otherwise we do not get and we have still 30 francs in hand, which we are thinking of buying some records for the gramophone with. So I think we shall have a better time on New Years than we did on Christmas Day.
⁴
(
Sapper Jim Sams, 1st Army, 3rd Area Detachment, Signals Company, RE
)

In the camps dotted about villages and woods behind the lines, much effort went into organising sporting events of various kinds. Football was particularly popular whether it be against another battalion, at intercompany level, or officers versus sergeants. Of the latter matches, unit war diaries record that the sergeants invariably came out victorious. Boxing, rugby, athletics and horse shows were also popular. Other, more ad hoc, events provided more comedic than sporting entertainment, both for the audience and those taking part:

After lunch came the gymkhana. About 15 of us went down to theatre and dressed up. I was M.F.H. with a long black coat, white flannels, gum boots, old top hat, spurs, eyeglass and riding whip . . .

At 2.30 we mounted horses in market square and proceeded to move off. One horse started to gallop stable wards, so did mine. Then the fun began, all the horses with dressed people galloping along road some controlled others not, mine was being given its head, found its stable. I decided to return to scene of action, did so, found it necessary to return to stable and once more back to riding ring. We then had tug-of-war on horseback. I did not intend entering but owing to backwardness of others I did so, still in costume. I was finally persuaded to enter for wrestling on bare horseback. I had a new mount which had a very prominent backbone. My first opponent was a heavy little fat man, we struggled and to my unbounded surprise, I found he was pulled off. Elated with victory I was about to seek fresh victims when suddenly my mount began rearing about, and I took a delightful toss over his head and my part in the show was finished.
⁵
(
2/Lt Winn Johnstone-Wilson, 10th Royal Sussex
)

In large towns and cities further back behind the lines, such as Amiens and Arras, there were correspondingly more varied entertainments to hand:

The entertainments of the place were many, the leading one being a pantomime (
The Babes in the Wood
), being run at the original Theatre of Arras, which was drawing larger crowds than any theatre could draw here. Then there was a certain Divisional Troupe . . . in some old French cavalry barracks who gave an extremely good show and changed their programme every week. Good parties were also to be seen at The St George’s Hall, which was also a YMCA. Also at either one or two places you could see a good show of pictures . . . (
Pte Fred Philipson, 1st Grenadier Guards
)

But no matter where and when soldiers had a chance to celebrate Christmas out of the line, they took full advantage of the break from army routine and the more relaxed attitude taken to discipline. In 1917 this was particularly true for those who had fought through the recently concluded Third Battle of Ypres and the Battle of Cambrai:

Tuesday 25 December:

It began to feel a bit more like Xmas last night, when I was in bed waiting for the goddess of sleep to visit me, I heard a band in the distance playing Xmas carols. It was lovely in the morning to be in bed and feel that there was no necessity to get up at all if you don’t want to and I didn’t until nearly 9am. Then I dressed in all my gladrags, no working clothes on a real holiday and strolled into breakfast.

We had tinned kidneys and tinned mushrooms for breakfast and very good they were. After breakfast I sat in the Mess and read my Xmas mail . . . The Mess dinner was a great success the cooks really did wonderful work. We visited all the huts and drank all their healths and by the time we had finished we had imbibed not too wisely but too well. Our own dinner was in the evening. We had invited the supply officer to dine with us and French of the CDM company came too so we were a merry party. The turkey was excellent so was Walford’s plum pudding. After dinner the sergeants came over and serenaded us so we had them all into the Mess and had quite a rowdy evening. It was lucky I think that Xmas only comes once a year. It snowed during the afternoon and evening – real proper Xmas weather. The war didn’t quite stop, our guns were firing slowly all afternoon and we had some observation balloons up but things were comparatively quiet. (
Capt Eustace Vachell, Royal Engineers
)

Christmas 1917 on the Western Front was also marked by a relatively unknown, violent incident behind British lines when men of No. 151 Company, Chinese Labour Corps, killed their British sergeant major, who had been extorting money and flogging labourers under his charge. Most of the Chinese were easily rounded up by British troops near Reninghelst, though others fled towards 5 Corps HQ at Locre:

Went to HQ for Xmas dinner and tea. After dinner we went over to the football ground to see a match at 3pm, but the Chinese coolies encamped just opposite put a stop to it. They murdered their NCOs and fled the camp armed with sticks, iron and tops of picks. They came across our ground and then the artillery camp turned out and commenced firing rifles at them. Several shots missed me by not much! The Police sent us all back to camp to get our rifles and we all had to turn out and shoot Chinese to help stop the mutiny. About 8 were shot on our footer ground. Some had got very far away and we had to help round them up. In all we captured 93 prisoners!
Some
Xmas believe me! In evening, I went back by the longest way instead of the short cut which is past the Chinese camp and through the woods. Got caught in heavy snowstorm. (
Signaller David Doe, 51st Signal Company, RE
)