Edward Roe in Ploegsteert - 25 December, 1914

from Diary of an old contemptible : private Edward Roe, East Lancashire Regiment, from Mons to Baghdad, 1914-1919, page 74:

Christmas Day: At midnight firing ceased as if by mutual consent. As I stood on the fire step, gazing out into no-man’s-land with the point of a spare bayonet underneath my chin in case I might doze, I prayed to God (if there was a God?) in his infinite goodness and mercy to end this slaughter and misery and bring peace and goodwill to all mankind. Someone has started playing ‘Home Sweet Home’ on a mouth organ, away down the trench on my right. Another fellow starts ‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’ on my left. They join in chorus - the mockery of it all. At 5.00 am word has passed…   more >>
cite as

Edward Roe, and Peter Downham (ed.), Diary of an old contemptible : private Edward Roe, East Lancashire Regiment, from Mons to Baghdad, 1914-1919 (Barnsley, 2004), p. 74. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1402485727202 accessed: 28 March, 2024

location of experience: Ploegsteert

Listeners

Edward Roe
labourer, Soldier
1886-1952

Listening to

hide composers
Home, sweet home
written by Sir Henry Rowley Bishop, John Howard Payne
Keep the Home Fires Burning

Experience Information

Date/Time 25 December, 1914
Medium live
Listening Environment in the company of others, outdoors

Notes

Edward Roe was a professional soldier who enlisted in 1905. He served with the East Lancashire Regiment, went onto the Active Reserve list in March 1914, and was recalled to active service at the outbreak of war in August 1914.


Originally submitted by hgb3 on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 12:22:07 +0100