Christmas 1913 and 1914
Told through the Letters Home of a Box Serviceman
Alan Payne
May 2014
The story of the Christmas Truce 1914 and
the letters that a Box young soldier sent to his parents at the outbreak of war
Picture and letters courtesy Anna Grayson and Wiltshire History Centre
Told through the Letters Home of a Box Serviceman
Alan Payne
May 2014
The story of the Christmas Truce 1914 and
the letters that a Box young soldier sent to his parents at the outbreak of war
Picture and letters courtesy Anna Grayson and Wiltshire History Centre
Edwardian Life
In 1913 there was no hint that the England's Edwardian Age was about to end. After Queen Victoria's death in 1901, her son Edward VII came to the throne and brought new fashions and style to replace the dourness of Victoria's later years. Art Nouveau brought elegance in design, typography and architecture. The stories of JM Barrie in Peter Pan (1902), Kenneth Grahame in Wind in the Willows (1908) and Beatrix Potter in The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902) depict a world of safety and comfort for children.
It was a period of comparative peace and plenty. Despite the failure of the Women's Suffrage movement and the inability of the Labour Party to make significant political gains, there was some improvement in the lives of ordinary people. The 1909 Liberal government had introduced Old Age Pensions of 5 shillings per week .
Festivities 1913
We often hold up the Edwardian Christmas as our idealised festivity. Many families had Christmas trees in their homes which were decorated with home-made decorations, holly and mistletoe. Some houses had electric light but most had candles. There were Christmas cards (often arriving on Christmas Day itself). Father Christmas was a popular figure and there were a few presents for children (such as sweets, oranges, and raisins; sometimes a pocket knife for boys and a doll for girls).
Traditionally people ate chicken or goose for their Christmas dinner, stuffed with chestnuts, and pork and apple stuffing. There was Christmas cake and Christmas pudding (called plum pudding as immortalised in the nursery rhyme Little Jack Horner). Without television and radio, entertainment was limited (and church attendance was usual) but there were parlour games with playing cards, Charades and Blind Man's Buff.
In 1913 there was no hint that the England's Edwardian Age was about to end. After Queen Victoria's death in 1901, her son Edward VII came to the throne and brought new fashions and style to replace the dourness of Victoria's later years. Art Nouveau brought elegance in design, typography and architecture. The stories of JM Barrie in Peter Pan (1902), Kenneth Grahame in Wind in the Willows (1908) and Beatrix Potter in The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902) depict a world of safety and comfort for children.
It was a period of comparative peace and plenty. Despite the failure of the Women's Suffrage movement and the inability of the Labour Party to make significant political gains, there was some improvement in the lives of ordinary people. The 1909 Liberal government had introduced Old Age Pensions of 5 shillings per week .
Festivities 1913
We often hold up the Edwardian Christmas as our idealised festivity. Many families had Christmas trees in their homes which were decorated with home-made decorations, holly and mistletoe. Some houses had electric light but most had candles. There were Christmas cards (often arriving on Christmas Day itself). Father Christmas was a popular figure and there were a few presents for children (such as sweets, oranges, and raisins; sometimes a pocket knife for boys and a doll for girls).
Traditionally people ate chicken or goose for their Christmas dinner, stuffed with chestnuts, and pork and apple stuffing. There was Christmas cake and Christmas pudding (called plum pudding as immortalised in the nursery rhyme Little Jack Horner). Without television and radio, entertainment was limited (and church attendance was usual) but there were parlour games with playing cards, Charades and Blind Man's Buff.
Christmas at War and the Truce pf 1914
When the war began people thought it would only last a few months. They believed that their lifestyles would return to the way it was before the war and normality would be restored. But nothing was ever the same afterwards. The role of women, the economy in Britain and the advance of technology changed the world that they knew.
The famous Christmas truce of 1914 was the ordinary soldier's attempt to normalise life. As such the events of that day reflected life as ordinary people remembered it and wanted it to be. This video shows the events of December 26th 1914 and has become fixed in our folk memory. You can compare it with the fascinating letters that a young Box man, Cecil Lambert, wrote home to his parents at Christmas time in the first year of the war. His letters show him to be a soldier doing his duty but still a very young boy missing his family at Christmas time.
When the war began people thought it would only last a few months. They believed that their lifestyles would return to the way it was before the war and normality would be restored. But nothing was ever the same afterwards. The role of women, the economy in Britain and the advance of technology changed the world that they knew.
The famous Christmas truce of 1914 was the ordinary soldier's attempt to normalise life. As such the events of that day reflected life as ordinary people remembered it and wanted it to be. This video shows the events of December 26th 1914 and has become fixed in our folk memory. You can compare it with the fascinating letters that a young Box man, Cecil Lambert, wrote home to his parents at Christmas time in the first year of the war. His letters show him to be a soldier doing his duty but still a very young boy missing his family at Christmas time.
Cecil Lambert Arrives in France
Letter 23rd December
1st Wessex Field Company RE
27th Division
British Expeditionary Force
23-12-14
Dear Dad and Mother
We arrived safely after a smooth passage and luckily I did not suffer from sea sickness. Orders have been given that we are not to say where we are, or in fact, to write anything that might be useful to the enemy. If we did it would only be censored, so you must not worry if you do not hear much of our doings.
Five coats have been issued out to us, so we did not ought to suffer from the cold. We look like a lot of Teddy bears running about.
The long marches played up my feet a little but apart from that I am in the pink.
This will be a funny Xmas for us I expect but you can be sure that wherever we are we shall enjoy ourselves. Please do not let my being away mar your happiness. I only hope you will be able to have a most enjoyable time. I shall not have time to write to anyone else, so perhaps you will remember me to all.
I will close now. With best wishes for a happy Xmas and best of love to you all.
Your affectionate son
Cecil
PS I should like to give Mother some of my money to give the kiddies a few presents. C
Letter 23rd December
1st Wessex Field Company RE
27th Division
British Expeditionary Force
23-12-14
Dear Dad and Mother
We arrived safely after a smooth passage and luckily I did not suffer from sea sickness. Orders have been given that we are not to say where we are, or in fact, to write anything that might be useful to the enemy. If we did it would only be censored, so you must not worry if you do not hear much of our doings.
Five coats have been issued out to us, so we did not ought to suffer from the cold. We look like a lot of Teddy bears running about.
The long marches played up my feet a little but apart from that I am in the pink.
This will be a funny Xmas for us I expect but you can be sure that wherever we are we shall enjoy ourselves. Please do not let my being away mar your happiness. I only hope you will be able to have a most enjoyable time. I shall not have time to write to anyone else, so perhaps you will remember me to all.
I will close now. With best wishes for a happy Xmas and best of love to you all.
Your affectionate son
Cecil
PS I should like to give Mother some of my money to give the kiddies a few presents. C
Christmas Day 1914
897 Sapper CL
1st Wessex Field Company RE
27th Division
British Expeditionary Force
Xmas Day 1914
Dear Father and Mother
This has been the strangest Xmas I have ever spent but I have never had the honour before of receiving a Christmas card from the King. You will find it enclosed, please put it away and take care of it for me.
On our arrival we marched to a rest camp, about two miles out of the town and had an hour or two's sleep. The following day we marched back to the station and, after loading, started on a railway journey which lasted 24 hours. We were put in cattle trucks with about 36 in each. So it was pretty crowded. Xmas Eve was spent in unloading and the early hours of Xmas morning found us marching the eight miles from the station to the village where we are now.
We are sleeping in a large barn near a farm house and are quite comfortable. It is an experience which I never thought I should have but it is one which I shall be able to look back on with pride.
I am taking a few notes as we go along and they may be interesting in the future. I forgot to mention that when on board the wireless operator shared his room with three of us and let us try on the receiver. He was very good.
Have you had any more news of Bert? I think this address will find me alright but don't worry if you fail to get an answer to a letter because it may go astray. Please don't forget the number 897. It is rather important.
How did you spend Xmas this year? Rather dull I expect wasn't it? Never mind, we will enjoy the next altogether I hope and make up for it.
We have no cause to grumble about the grub it is quite good, far better than I expected under the circumstances.
I will ring off now.
With best of love to all.
Your affectionate son
Cecil
ACH Lambert
897 Sapper CL
1st Wessex Field Company RE
27th Division
British Expeditionary Force
Xmas Day 1914
Dear Father and Mother
This has been the strangest Xmas I have ever spent but I have never had the honour before of receiving a Christmas card from the King. You will find it enclosed, please put it away and take care of it for me.
On our arrival we marched to a rest camp, about two miles out of the town and had an hour or two's sleep. The following day we marched back to the station and, after loading, started on a railway journey which lasted 24 hours. We were put in cattle trucks with about 36 in each. So it was pretty crowded. Xmas Eve was spent in unloading and the early hours of Xmas morning found us marching the eight miles from the station to the village where we are now.
We are sleeping in a large barn near a farm house and are quite comfortable. It is an experience which I never thought I should have but it is one which I shall be able to look back on with pride.
I am taking a few notes as we go along and they may be interesting in the future. I forgot to mention that when on board the wireless operator shared his room with three of us and let us try on the receiver. He was very good.
Have you had any more news of Bert? I think this address will find me alright but don't worry if you fail to get an answer to a letter because it may go astray. Please don't forget the number 897. It is rather important.
How did you spend Xmas this year? Rather dull I expect wasn't it? Never mind, we will enjoy the next altogether I hope and make up for it.
We have no cause to grumble about the grub it is quite good, far better than I expected under the circumstances.
I will ring off now.
With best of love to all.
Your affectionate son
Cecil
ACH Lambert
