Shot in The 'Christmas Truce': A Soldier's Story
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- On the morning of 25th December 1914 across this frozen and mist-covered ground in northern France, a lone German soldier appeared. In the minutes that followed dozens and then hundreds of men emerged from the trenches of the Western Front, to meet their enemies in no-man’s-land, and share a moment of peace that has gone down in history.
But what was the real story of that day? Was there a universal peace? and did all of those who witnessed those events live to see the end of that day? In this video, using the latest technology, historical accounts and the words of those who were there, we’ll follow in the footsteps of just a few men in the 1914 ‘Christmas Truce’.
Podcast Episode: 24 Hours in the Xmas Truce
Apple Podcast: podcasts.apple...
Spotify: open.spotify.c...
Not So Quiet Podcast: battleguide.co...
A special thanks to:
Geoff Reason
The Gregory Family
The Huggins Family
Herts at War
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General Sources:
• US National Archives (NARA)
• Google Earth Pro & Web Versions
• Maptiler Pro (Desktop Version)
Credits:
• Research & Script: Dan Hill
• Narration: Dan Hill
• Editing: Shane Greer
• Thumbnail Design: Linus Klassen
• Music & Sound Effects: Shane Greer
Podcast Episode: 24 Hours in the Xmas Truce
- Apple Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/24-hours-in-the-xmas-truce/id1716885995?i=1000681137270
- Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/71bo6gZMoGOM9eEQPhtAFP?si=82OKG9C8QqqCIqQMYRBwTw
- Not So Quiet Podcast: battleguide.co.uk/nsq
Peace on earth and good will towards all men and women no matter their nationality. Vaya con Dios y en paz descansen. 🙏
Have a great festive period Harry and thanks for your support!
I agree
Yet another uplifting and inspiring story of joy amongst the horrors of war, mostly ruined by the reality of what actually happened in the majority of places. It's something you get used to, studying warfare across history. There are absolutely unbelievable feats of the best qualities known to man, and some truly tearjerking stories, but in the end, too much was lost to take much solace in that. The bad always outweighs the good.
War is hell O7
thanks for covering some of these brave young men.
Thanks for watching.
Absolutely no one does what you do to these stories. Really, just extraordinary.
Thanks so much for all your support mTk.
Well said mate totally agree
Great video. Merry Christmas to everyone
Happy holidays! Thanks for your support!
Frohe Weihnachten
The "establishment" pooed their pants at this. Could it be possible the fighting troops could see their apponents as fellow human beings?
Did the 2 million German soldiers turn around and stop invading France? No? Ok then the fight continues... Do you take this airy fairy view on Ukraine today and want them to put down their arms because we're all human. I swear people look back on conflicts and because they weren't there have no idea what the threat was like
Love the way you add the old maps and put them on modern maps. Gives a bigger perspective. Love it
Brilliant video 🙏 Merry Christmas everyone.
Outstanding as always, and a big thanks for the early Xmas present both here and on the podcast. If any of your viewers haven’t discovered the podcast I would highly recommend they do.😊
Thanks!
Outstanding. Merry Christmas everyone. Peace in ours hearts is everything. Deus Vult
Thank you... have a great festive period.
I’ve recently got into your videos and I have to say they are absolutely excellent. Thanks so much for these gems!
Thanks for the kind comments
Great video, great channel.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
Thanks! You too!
Your videos hit different at Christmas thank you so much I love all your content ❤
thank you for your work; without history we are bound to make (even more of) the same mistakes again and again!
Indeed and thanks for watching.
20:54 as a collector of fine writing & drawing pens, this advert caught my eye: the vintage Mabie Todd “Swan” fountain pen is still sought after among artists & calligraphers, and it’s cool to see it among the wartime cartoonist ephemera. anyway thanks for making this video!
The Christmas Truce - and the stories behind the story. I am indebted to you for assembling this video today. Merry Christmas!
Its tough hearing them talking about how firmly they hope the war will be over soon, and yet us knowing it's just beginning.
Merry christmas all.
Indeed! Have a great festive period.
Your videos + narration are so good
Thank you for that.
No problem
Excellent video, Battle Guide team. I appreciate the work that you are doing. I remember last year around Christmas, you had an episode about the Christmas Truce and discussed how the myths and realities about it. You did a great job here. You gave a good overview of the moments of peace (both with the burials and exchanges) and moments of heartbreak and bloodshed (like the killings of Private Huggins and Sergeant Gregory and the German soldier who Sgt. Gregory killed).
Powerful and moving ending.
Battle Guide Team - I hope you and your families have a wonderful holiday season. Thanks so much for all of your hard work. I've learned a lot over the last couple years thanks to your videos. Ditto for your podcasts. I'm looking forward to listening to this week's episode. I haven't been able to listen to it yet, but it's one of the episodes that I'm looking forward to. Again, happy holidays and warm wishes for a great and joyful holiday season. I hope you have a great New Year too. Take care :).
Thanks for all your support Alex.
@@BattleGuideVT My pleasure. Thank you for all of your kind responses and hard work. You do a great job :).
Another great one thank you and keep up the great and unique work.
Thanks again!
Paul McCartney's song and video "Pipes of Peace" is a great recognition of the event.
I can see the burial of each side men. Singing of xmas songs. Till that shot on 25/12/14. 3 men lost their lives, not a season of good will and peace.
Thank you for a fascinating story.
Thank you to your whole team
Thanks for watching.
Remembrance of Xmas past. Twenty years ago I composed this (my dad was wounded on the Somme): ..... Christmas 1914
It began with Tannenbaume
and shouts of ‘Got mit uns’,
and replies, ‘we got mittens too.’
They met hesitant at first,
between the wire.
On a crust of frozen mud,
swapped Princess Mary’s tins
of chocolate and tobacco
for Pickelhaube helmets,
and belt buckles. Saxon
shook hands with Celt and Saxon;
discussed how best to kill the lice.
Then field grey with khaki,
kicked a ball around -
but only after they’d agreed
to bury last week’s dead.
Fantastic video!
Nice editing! Love your videos!
Thank you. Much appreciated.
I very much enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up
Fantastic again Dan, happy Christmas.
That first sniper shot made me jump! I was deep into the Christmas truce and not expecting it!
Complete and utter waste of human life for nothing. All war is a total waste of life.
A life that is not worth fighting for, is also wasted.
Would you rather live under a Hitler or a Stalin?
I think just about everyone on the planet would agree with you.However,sometimes people are put in the dilemma of " fight or perish".
It's the religious wars that are the most pointless waste of life in my opinion,but nobody can blame a man for defending his wife,children and/or country if he is attacked(as we are seeing in Ukraine).
@@JohnnySmith. People talk about “religious wars”, but it’s a real challenge finding a major war that is not based at least partly on politics and resources.
@@peterwebb8732 I think if everyone in the Middle East was atheist, the trouble probably would never have started in the first place,but I do agree that politics and money play a hugh part in modern wars.
@ I dunno, mate. The record of explicitly atheist societies isn’t exactly stellar. They just find different reasons to hate and kill.
Excellent as always...👍👍
Hello I’ve been watching for a while and I was wondering if you could do a video on the South Africans and the battle of delville wood?
Best cover of the story I've heard
Gracias por la pista de audio en español, excelente trabajo por darnos a conocer estas historias y sus protagonistas
Super Video! Vielen Dank für die deutsche Version!
These are great ^^
Glad you enjoyed it.
Exceptional. Keep up the good work lads
Thanks!
Directed from the communication section !
Thhank you
❤️🎄
My great grandfather became a casualty on Christmas Day ‘14.
17:48
That scared me so bad!
In Denis Winters excellent book De@ths Men (edited for the algorithm) he states a similar truce occured at Oppey in 1917
Ah la guerre ! ce moment magique où des anonymes tuent d autre anonymes pour le compte de son of b... à l abri derrière cumulant les sardines sur un veston et défilant fièrement sur le sang des autres. Thanx for your job.
Gud Vid
Thanks
Merry Christmas Came from comment section. Im hoping it was true 🎉
Does Anyone else think that the guy standing third from the left in the thumbnail, looks a bit like Paul McCartney ? who sang the song, "Pipes of Peace", about this very subject.
Cela à dure pendant toute la guerre
Des tranchées des jeunes ce jetaient des cigarettes ou d autres friandises
Ps
L’armée avec ces officiers empêchaient par tous les moyens ces fraternisations surtout entres jeunes
Merci pour la mémoire de nos aînés
Et des ennemis de jadis
Pour un rien tout peut recommencer en Europe
💀💀💀👌
Imagine if a contingent of British volunteers had been sent to Ukraine in 2022 following the russian invasion, I wonder what the reactions would have been if these British troops had fraternized with the Russians on their very first Christmas on the front.
I’ll take second.
Death is never far away on the battlefield . Us humans are not very bright it seems .
As I watch this I am looking at a bust of 'Old Bill' beneath the t.v.
A bullet hole in his helmet. A pipe hanging from his lips beneath his walrus moustache . A muffler around his neck (no doubt knitted by the W.I.) He has bags beneath his careworn, tired eyes staring out from his grimy face.
No-one but a man who had been there could have invented this character.
After watching many of these excellent videos I decided it was high time to become a Patreon. I encourage everyone who enjoys Battle Guide to do the same, that will help ensure many more great videos to come.
Thank you so much...the Patreon support really does gives us the means to plan ahead and work on these videos and covers everything from source material (books and copyright fees) to field trips to IT equipment (drones, gimbles, software fees etc.) all vital to the process!
Mein uropa war damals dabei. Ich denke jeden Tag an ihn.
Imagine if the rank and file just decided that it was not worth fighting brothers and walked away and went home.
bloody sad aright
and for what???
Northern France ? Don’t you mean st Yvon in West Flanders Belgium to be a bit more accurate .
Hi Jason, it happened both sides of the border as you know :)
Triste journée pour un 25 décembre paix à eux
Who would of thought we would see trench warfare again but it's been happening in Ukraine. It seems no one really knows how to use modern weapons in war atm. It's all a learning experience that the West will be watching and learning from. Putin wouldn't want to launch a nuke at Ukraine! It would be the end of Russia as we know it. I just watched Beneath Hill 60 again the other day. A brilliant Australian movie on WWI.
First? Wow. Cool.
Yes you are!
@BattleGuideVT first time for everything. I enjoy your content.
@@VintageFordChannel :) Thank you very much.
Community section referral
Great to see the folk who pop over from the community area thank you!
Verstehe ich nicht ganz mit den unbegrenzten Grenzuebertritten. als Inhaber eines non Immigration-O Visums habe ich schon seit mehr als einem Jahrzent die Moeglichkeit der begrenzten und auch unbegrenzten Einreise nach Thailand, Benoetigt wird dazu nur das Re-Entry Permit das es als Einzel Permit als auch als Multiple Re-Entry Permit gibt.
Weirdly enough, there's alot alot of Veterans from both sides who served around that time that were very skeptical about it. One Veteran said "Although it would be arrogant to say that the thing didn’t actually take place, I very much doubt whether anything of the nature or magnitude that have been claimed for it took place at all. And particularly because the two armies concerned, the German with that rigid discipline and our own with the finest discipline of a fighting force there was, are not likely to break that tradition. And if anybody tried, what were the NCOs doing? What were the officers doing? I think the whole thing borders on the fairytale and may be classed with the Russians with snow on their boots and the Angels of Mons."