The True Story of the Christmas Truce

Firsthand testimonials reveal the true story of World War I’s Christmas Truce between British and German troops in No Man’s Land. “One of them shouted ‘A Merry Christmas English. We’re not shooting tonight.’ . . . [then] they stuck up a light. Not to be outdone, so did we. Then up went another. So, we shoved up another. Soon the lines looked like an illuminated fete.” —Rifleman Leslie Walkington On Christmas Eve 1914, a group of German soldiers laid down their arms, lit lanterns and started to s