Schuetz

In the run-up to Christmas a programme on television reminded me of a story that I had heard before. It was all about an event that started on Christmas Eve in 1914.

World War I had started. British and German troops had been locked in a terrible conflict and were fighting from the trenches. But as Christmas approached the guns fell silent.

The Germans started singing Silent Night and lit lanterns. And shouts of "Merry Christmas!" went across no man's land into the darkness.

The peace continued into Christmas Day. And at dawn troops from both sides cautiously climbed out of the trenches. They met in no man's land where they chatted, shook hands and exchanged small gifts.

It started with the lower ranks first. But the truce quickly spread upwards from privates to sergeants to corporals.

When faced by an enemy who doesn't behave like one, the normal rules of engagement don't apply. For many, this was the first time that they had ever met the enemy.

A joint carol concert was held. And a senior officer joined the scene with two bottles of Fortnum and Mason's rum.

One of the German officers suggested a one-day truce to finish at 8:30 a.m. on Boxing Day. The offer was accepted by the British. And by midday nearly half the British front line was involved in fraternising - an offence of treason that is punishable by a firing squad.

Later in the day a soldier from a Lancashire Regiment produced a football and a game was started. Further along the trenches other troops used anything suitable as a ball in order that they could play football too.

At 8:30 a.m. on Boxing Day, the truce officially comes to an end but no shots were fired in anger that day, or the next.

Some of the Germans went on strike but then realised that their protest was futile. Both sides opened fire but without causing any injury. It was probably a sniper's bullet that brought peace to an end and war was resumed.

This had been the greatest act of spontaneous peace of any war.

One year later and with another million casualties, nothing had moved. And the same again the following year. But changes in the way that war was conducted, including the introduction of gas, stopped any truce reoccurring.

If those troops had known what was to come, would they have gone back to war?