The last few years I posted many articles on the Christmas of the First World War, starting 25th December 1914 and going on to 1916. This year we reach 1917 which would become the war’s final Christmas
A lot had happened during 1917, the American’s were now mobilized and the year ended with the horrendous ‘Third Battle of Ypres – Passchendaele’.
We start with - CHRISTMAS AT THE FRONT
This article that appeared in the Times on Boxing Day 1917.
CHRISTMAS AT THE FRONT
War Correspondents
On Christmas Eve the frost, which had lasted just a week, broke and a rapid thaw set in. The result was that the sun rose this morning on a ‘piebald’ landscape, with the remaining snow patches dully reflecting the rosy brilliance from their slushy face.
It is my impression that there that there is less of the spirit of Christmas tide in the trenches this year than on the three previous Christmas Days our troops have spent in France. I do not suggest that there is any flagging of cheerfulness. But it seems to me that the men have a consciousness that the present is no fitting time for demonstrative festivity. Not that this has blunted their appetites for the very excellent fare provided for them. The Christmas dinner of the troops this year has been supplemented for the first time, by plum pudding as a regular ration. Heretofore private generosity has made ample provision in this direction. But today plum pudding was a regular issue, and I am assured by those who sampled it that it was excellent.
There has been a good deal of artillery activity on both sides during the past 24 hours, which served as a grim reminder that there was to be no attempt at fraternizing. The Germans are manifesting great curiosity about what we may be doing in various parts of the line, and frequently attempt to raid our trenches, but with a very small measure of success. Probably they have not quite recovered from the shock of the great tank surprise of November 19 last.
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