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 down the trench that the Hampshires and the Germans were out fraternizing in no-man’s-land. ‘Impossible, who’s leg are you pulling?’ ‘If you don’t believe me, go down and see for yourself. And there they were, sure enough, British and German warriors in no-man’s-land, unarmed, talking to each other and exchanging souvenirs. There is a Christ after all. << less