A poignant diary has come to light to reveal how British and German soldiers warned each other of shelling attacks to reduce casualties.
Both sides famously put down their weapons and walked into No Man's Land to fraternise and play football on Christmas Day 1914.
But now the recently-discovered diary of a Tommy shows the warring sides had another little-known gentleman's agreement with one another.
A trench diary from an unknown solder from the First World War has revealed how British and German soldiers on the front lines in 1914 and 1915 warned each other of incoming artillery attacks - without the knowledge of their respective generals
The diary revealed that soldiers would raise their heads above their trenches to warn the other side about an incoming artillery strike to give them time to run for cover
All that is known about the author is that he served with the Northumberland Fusiliers. The diary covers his time at the Western Front between September 1914 and June 1915
On one section of the Western Front the German soldiers would often raise their heads over the trench parapet to signal to the British that a deadly artillery attack was imminent.
And the British Tommies returned the gesture.
The fair warnings gave each side a chance to take cover from the devastating shelling.
The diary belonged to a soldier of the 3rd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. Sadly his identity is not known.
The journal covers his time on the Western Front from September 1914 to June 1915.
The author wrote that the officers at General Headquarters far away from the fighting would have been 'sick' if they knew about the secret pact.
The entry is dated February 13, 1915, seven weeks after the Christmas Day truce.
The diary included some sketches of the front lines showing the opposing trenches were 200 yards apart with woods to the side
The author of the diary admitted the General HQ would be 'sick' if they knew about the co operation between British and German units
He wrote: 'In one place the [soldiers] have a sort of understanding, and show their heads over the top * when the Germans get word from their gunners our trenches are going to be shelled, they sign over to us, and the Brits do the same.
'General HQ would be pretty sick if they knew this.'
The diarist movingly describes his sadness that a wounded German soldier was lying too far away for him to bring him into the trench and had to endure an agonising, drawn-out death.
He adds: 'Thank God he is dead today as we could not get him in.'
His 162 page diary documents his battalion's engagement at Neuve Chapelle and in the First Battle of Ypres.
Historian Professor Graham Seal, author of The Soldiers Press: Trench Journals in the First World War, said the 'unofficial agreement' between the two sides over shelling attacks was borne from a human instinct to 'preserve life'.
The diary was recently sold for £3,200 at auction in West Sussex
He said: 'In some parts of the line, soldiers on both sides had an unofficial arrangement whereby they would let each other know of impending artillery attacks.
'The famous Christmas Truce is another well-known manifestation of the same human instinct to preserve life, even in the midst of the carnage in the trenches and there were similar unofficial, though less-known 'truces'.
'As the diarist says, the brass hats back at HQ far from the fighting would be very 'sick' if they knew about it - which, of course, many officers actually in the trenches did, though these mostly and wisely, turned a blind eye.'
The diary has has recently sold at auction with Bellmans, of Wisborough Green, West Sussex for £3,200.
Denise Kelly, books specialist at Bellmans, said: 'After the Christmas Day football game and truce they found it very hard to go back to fighting because they had bonded with the Germans.
'This incredible diary is so full of detail. I could not put it down, and turning the pages I was instantly transported back to the trenches, as if I was standing next to the writer.
'It is a fascinating, moving, historical record of horrific battles fought by very brave men.'
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/12/27/poignant-diary-of-world-war-i-soldier-sells-at-auction-for-3200/
Main photo article A poignant diary has come to light to reveal how British and German soldiers warned each other of shelling attacks to reduce casualties.
Both sides famously put down their weapons and walked into No Man’s Land to fraternise and play football on Christmas Day 1914.
But now the...
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