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Christmas at World War 1

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by sarahh14 (U11172267) on Sunday, 2nd March 2008

  Hi,
  Im doing an essay about Life in The Trenchers during World War One...
  And unfortunately Im totally stuck on one section..
  
  Does anybody know what gifts soldiers received from their families at Christmas?
  
  Thanks a lot.
  

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• Message 2

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  Posted by ElizaShaw (U10750867) on Sunday, 2nd March 2008

  Don't tell me - KS 3?!!!
  
  (I'm in the same boat!)
  (though a slightly different essay topic on WWI)
  
  

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• Message 3

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  Posted by ElizaShaw (U10750867) on Sunday, 2nd March 2008

  
  
  I'm currently searching this, but so far haven't spotted anything about Xmas presents, though v. good on aspects of trench life soldiers must have encountered.

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• Message 4

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  Posted by Volgadon (U10843893) on Sunday, 2nd March 2008

  From the book "Forgotten Voices of the Great War"
  
  "Private Clifford Lane
  1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment
  We'd all got these long, thick woollen underpants and vests on and we were soaked right through. When we got back to the trench it was dark, and we tried to get around this little brazier fire, but of course only two or three men could get near anyway so we didn't really get dry. And then they brought us 'Princess Mary's gift box'. And in this box was cigarettes, tobacco and a bar of chocolate, which was very much appreciated. And then we had what the English newspapers called Christmas Dinner. This consisted of cold bully beef and a cold lump of Christmas pudding, that was our Christmas dinner. The English newspapers said that the British troops in the fron lines 'enjoyed' their Christmas dinner."
  
  Lovely, isn't it?
  Tobacco was one of the best gifts you could send a soldier, as well as socks. Some people asked for books, usually plays.

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• Message 5

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  Posted by vera1950 (U9920163) on Wednesday, 5th March 2008

  hi Sarah14 and Eliza,
  canI give you a coupe more pointers along with those already given.
  book-A walk round Ploegsteert wood-its a good source -sorry couldn't just lay my hands on ittogive you authors etc-but it wont be hard to find.
  book-Silent Night-The remarkable Christmas truce of 1914-Stanley Weintraub.
  web sit-Heritage of the Great War-
  Demistifying the christmas truces of 1914&1915.
  This is a great site with many areas of WW1 and lots of good pictures.
  The Christmas truce occured in many places along the front line butthe most famous is near Ploegsteert wood nr Ieper in Belgium.
  In one of the cemeteries in the wood-Rifle House are the graves of some of those killed on 19/12/1914 whose bodies were collected in and buried under the truce.
  

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• Message 6

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  Posted by Lilymac (U11141840) on Wednesday, 5th March 2008

  They got packages from their families. Things like cake, hankies, pencils for letters or ink for pens and cigarettes. Many families had little money to spare as inflation during the war was bad, hence the rationing in 1917 finally.

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• Message 7

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  Posted by tony_19680 (U5835599) on Wednesday, 5th March 2008

  Excellent references to parcels and life in the trenches in Lynn MacDonald’s 1915 - the death of innocence.
  Mostly first hand accounts of what the soldiers go from home and what soldiers sent home.
  The mail service in WW1 for Soldiers and families sounds like it could put present day postage to shame.
  24 hr turn around was the norm for parcels and mail (well to the reserve areas of the line anyway - units under active attack or shelling would have to wait longer.
  

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• Message 8

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  Posted by Mike Alexander (U1706714) on Wednesday, 5th March 2008

  Amongst the better-off (junior officers etc) wristwatches were particularly popular. In fact there's a good case to argue that WWI was the impetus that first made wristwatches (as opposed to watch and chains) widely fashionable.
  
  Portable trench periscopes were also a popular item amongst the better-off.

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• Message 9

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  Posted by Mani (U1821129) on Thursday, 6th March 2008

  Sarah, Not a pressy from families, but from the 'King' in (i think) 1917 - all troops received a small brass box within it they got sweets etc. On the top, the quite ornate box indicates it's a gift from the king, has the names of our allied countries in the corners and an impression of the king. I have one at home, I'll have a look tonight.

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• Message 10

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  Posted by U10765351 (U10765351) on Thursday, 6th March 2008

  I don't know much...
  
  Sorry

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• Message 11

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  Posted by Amphion (U3338999) on Monday, 17th March 2008

  I was recently reading acouple of letters form a number of soldiers stationed 'Somewhere in France' during the Christmas scrum down of 1915.
  
  One, was from a driver who operated from the Officers mess. He makes the interesting remark, that they (drivers) usually became the recipitents of much of the food that was left uneaten by the officers, especially at Christmas. He talks of Turkey, roast potatoes, goose, oranges, apples, walnuts, cigars...etc.
  
  A similar letter written by a soldier near the front line at about the same time, talks of the cook boiling up tins of 'bully beef,' and a 'tot of rum.' He says the whole of the platoon cast the cook a strange glance as they sat down to dine!

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