Wet Christmas
Diary of a Stosstrupp Leader (Part 14)
This post continues the translation of the diary of a German soldier who fought in the First World War. Readers can find links to other posts in this series in the following guide.
24 December 1916 (Sunday)
Each man found eleven marks worth of gifts (apples, nuts, honey cakes, socks, and other things) under the Christmas tree we had trimmed earlier that afternoon.
In the evening, Lieutenant Winter and I sat down with the company commander to enjoy coffee and cakes by the little tree decorated with lit candles.
In my shelter, I invited my squad leaders to drink some grog in front of my Christmas tree. Another Christmas tree stood in the trenches.
‘Oh, you joyful. Oh, you blessed.’ 1
25 December 1916
I thought about (the contrast between) home and the mole holes in which we lived. In the afternoon, we listened to our choir, which had been practicing Christmas carols for quite some time.
The Russians attacked our neighbor to the left, the 11th Jäger Battalion.
A wonderful display of firepower stopped the attack.
26 December 1916
Nothing beyond the usual duties, save for greater watchfulness and combat readiness.
27 December 1916
Lieutenant Winter and I went forward in a sap, where we took part in a hand grenade fight agains the Russians. I barely escaped a bad accident. An activated grenade fell at my feet. I picked it up, and threw it at the Russians, but it exploded in the air.
28 December 1916
Lieutenant Rudloff went to a machine gun course. Thus, Lieutenant Peters has taken his place as company commander.
29 December 1916
In the evening, we relieved the 8th Company. The 3rd Platoon went into Line 1b, which was in horrible shape.
30 December 1916
In the night, the ground thawed and it rained. The water in the trenches rose to the level of our knees, and flowed into the shelters, most of which became uninhabitable. Morning, noon, and night, we shoveled water and mud.
31 December 1916
We did not rest, because we spent the day pumping water out of the trench and cleaning it out.
to be continued …
Sources
The text comes from Alwin Lydding Meine Kriegstagbuch (My War Diary), an unpublished manuscript that I found at the Bundesarchiv (German Federal Archive) (Folder N 382/1).
For Further Reading
At least it didn’t flood them out on Christmas.
What an inspiring and heart-warming episode, one of so many battlefield Christmas moments (both recorded and unrecorded) throughout the ages when soldiers have found a way to share the Christmas spirit under the harshest of conditions, often with "field expedient" decorations.