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: 10 November, 2024
Listeners
Listening to
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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