We often imagine the First World War as silence punctured by gunfire. But on Christmas 1914, along certain parts of the Western Front, the night sounded very different. Corporal Robert Renton of the Seaforth Highlanders wrote home:

“On Christmas Eve the Germans in front of us started singing what appeared to be hymns. We were shouting for encores (their trenches are only about 150 yards in front of us), and they kept the singing up all night.”

In some sectors, men stepped into No Man’s Land and exchanged small gifts. Others simply listened, answering carols with applause. 150 yards is nothing, close enough to hear lyrics, accents, laughter and be reminded that the enemy were just like them.

And so, as we remember those voices carried across the wire, we send our gratitude to all who served, on every front, in every conflict.

Thank you for remembering with us this Advent. Merry Christmas, from all of us at Sophie’s Great War Tours.