World War I diaries reveal story behind 1914 armistice
Expeditionary Force in August 1914. His regimental brothers-in-arms included friends Bruce Bainsfather, the Great War cartoonist, who lived at Bishopton, Warwickshire, and Bernard Law Montgomery, better-known later as Field Marshal Montgomery, hero of the Second World War.
Soon after the momentous events of Christmas 1914, the full descriptions of which follow, Captain Hamilton returned to England on leave. He crossed to Folkestone on January 12, boarded a train and ate four boiled eggs in the restaurant car. He arrived home at 9pm, declaring: “All’s well that ends well.”
The officer, who appears to have been extremely popular with his men, suffered recurring problems with his ears, a condition exacerbated by shellfire and the grim trenches existence. His dodgy ears probably saved his life. Following an examination by two senior Army doctors, Capt Hamilton was deemed medically unfit for frontline service and was appointed commandant of a military detention barracks in Hereford.
Just a few months later, in April 1915, his battalion was decimated at the Second Battle of Ypres. Several officers who were with him at the front during the Christmas armistice were killed.
Capt Hamilton had loved the camaraderie of active service and viewed his new posting, dealing with conscientious objectors, with disdain. Andrew, who is 55 and has three daughters, says: “My grandfather was harsh with conscientious objectors and I feel pretty bad about that now. But he was an officer and he would do anything for a soldier in need.”
Andrew was initially concerned his grandfather’s diary description of the Christmas truce may have suffered from a “surfeit of truth”. But the contents appeared to be corroborated when he found Capt Hamilton’s original diary, written at the front, in pencil and standard issue purple crayon, and a second more detailed copy. The third, and final, typed draft contained only minor alterations from the trench diary, namely the omission of criticisms of the generals.
Ultimately, it is impossible to say if Capt Hamilton instigated the legendary Christmas ceasefire, which took place along the line, and certainly Andrew makes no claim in this respect. However, he adds: “My grandfather was there at dawn, meeting the Germans. Whether there were many other officers who had arranged to do this is difficult to say. But he was certainly one of the first to set it all off.”
* Andrew Hamilton and Alan Reed, Meet At Dawn, Unarmed, published by Dene House Publishing, priced £16.99. To order, go to www.meetatdawnunarmed.co.uk
DIARY EXTRACTS:
December 24 - I rode about in the morning but the mud and slosh made it most unenjoyable. We set off for the trenches at 6.30pm a little sad spending Xmas day in them. Crossing the well worn danger zone to our consternation not a shot was fired at us. The Dubs [Royal Dublin Fusiliers] told us as we relieved them that the germans wanted to talk to us. [Hamilton always uses the lower case “g” for the enemy.] When we were settled down we heard them shouting, “Are you the Warwicks?” To which our men replied, “Come and see.” They said “You come half way, and we will come half way, and bring you some cigars.” This went on for some time, when Pte Gregory, Double Ginger, my late servant, came and asked if he might go out half way. I said “Yes, at your own risk.”
Pte Gregory stepped over the parapet, and got half way, and was heard saying, “Well here I am, where are you?” “Come half way” they said, so on went Gregory, until he came upon two unarmed germans, and one fully armed, lying down just behind, with his rifle pointed at him, typically german. Gregory was unarmed and alone. Typically British. He got his cigar and spun them some magnificent yarns about the strength of his company, which amused us all very much when he told us later. They wanted me to meet their officer, and after a great deal of shouting across, I said I would meet him at dawn, unarmed.”
Xmas Day - I went out and found a saxon officer of the 134th saxon corp, who was fully armed. I pointed to his revolver and pouch. He smiled and said seeing I was unarmed, “All right now.” We shook hands, and said what we could in double Dutch, arranged a local armistice for 48 hours, and returned to our trenches. This was the signal for the respective soldiers to come out. As far as I can make out, this effort of ours extended itself on either side for some considerable distance. The soldiers on both sides met in their hundreds, and exchanged greetings and gifts.
We buried many germans, and they did the same to ours. The chef of the Trocadero was among the saxons in front of us, and he seemed quite delighted to meet some of his former clients. They told us quite frankly that Russia with her nine million soldiers was washed out, when Lieut Campbell of the Irish Fusiliers, who came out with me and who had heard, but did not believe that we went out and talked with the enemy, came along with his magnificent black beard. I took him out and said “What about this Russian?” They looked distinctly disappointed ... Wasey and I went to a concert in D company trench, and at about midnight, we attended another in our own. The Black Hat gang had rigged up an enormous dug out, and had plastered the walls with Tatler pictures of all the latest girls. They had a stove with a teapot singing away, and altogether it was a most enjoyable evening. A very merry Xmas and a most extraordinary one, but I doubled the sentries after midnight.
December 26 - The truce continues. Our guns opened fire on the second line german trenches, but not a rifle shot was fired all day. Such a relief to get one’s morning duties done in peace and comfort. It all seemed strangle quiet at night and I hope they are not cooking up some devilish plot. Wrote a longer letter to Renie [Robert’s wife]. The gang boarded the floor of my dug out, and put me in a stove and altogether made it so comfortable that my subs [subalterns] seemed to think they are entitled to it. The Xmas mail came out with stacks of good things for everybody. We all smoked german cigars.
Sunday December 27 - The truce continues, so we all walk about as if there was no enemy within a hundred miles of us. We have dug more trenches, made new parapets, and put up miles of entanglements, and at night we heard them doing the same. Can’t turn these talkative young subs out of my warm dug out with its fire. Shall have to detail a fatigue party to make them each, one of their own.
December 28 - It rained all day, and we were thankful we were going to be relieved tonight ... We were relived by the Dubs, and got down to our farm when an order came for a fatigue party of forty men to clear mud away tomorrow.
