New WWI Diary, inc. Christmas Truce: for Nowonmai

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New WWI Diary, inc. Christmas Truce: for Nowonmai

Postby Penta » Wed Apr 08, 2009 8:25 am

I'd guess this is the sort of thing that would interest Nowonmai (can someone copy the post for him, so he can read it without compromising his principles?) and maybe a few other military history buffs.

http://www.meetatdawnunarmed.co.uk/index.html

It's the trenches diary of a captain in the Warwicks, the grandfather of Mr P's cousins, published later this month. I haven't read it yet, but it sounds interesting. Here's an article from the Telegraph a while ago, when the existence of the diaries was first announced:

Truce in the trenches: let's meet for cigars

By Aislinn Simpson
Last Updated: 11:59PM GMT 26 Dec 2007

Capt Robert Hamilton arranged the truce with the Germans
Remarkable details of the Christmas truces on the battle fields of the Western Front in 1914 have emerged in a previously unseen diary of a British Army captain.
Truce in the trenches: the captain's diary
Capt Robert Hamilton's account of one of the most poignant events of the Great War describes the initial wariness of his men to trust their enemies and their subsequent delight at discovering that, at least temporarily, they could.
As one of the officers in charge in the 1st Bn the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, he left his trench and met his German equivalent half way between their positions in no-man's land near the Belgian hamlet of St Yvon.
The 48-hour local armistice they negotiated was, according to Capt Hamilton, the inspiration for truces up and down the trenches in which soldiers from both sides sang carols, played football and exchanged small presents of food, cigars and tunic buttons.
His diary - revealed by his grandson more than 90 years after it was written - runs from Aug 5, 1914 to Jan 12, 1915. On Christmas Eve, Capt Hamilton describes receiving a message that "the Germans wanted to talk to us".
In his front line trench, he wrote that he "heard the Germans shouting, 'Are you the Warwicks?' To which our own men replied, 'Come and see'. They said 'You come half way, and we will come half way and bring you some cigars'."
His servant, Pte Gregory, finally ventured out to meet the enemy, and Capt Hamilton agreed to meet a German officer the next day at dawn. On Christmas Day, he wrote: "I found a Saxon officer of the 134th Saxon Corps, who was fully armed. I pointed to his revolver and pouch. He smiled and said, seeing I was unarmed, 'Allright now'.
"We shook hands and said what we could in double dutch, arranged a local armistice for 48 hours and returned to our trenches."
So began the historic truce. Capt Hamilton also played a joke on the Germans, bringing out a colleague with a huge black beard to contradict their claim that the Russians were "washed out".
Afterwards Capt Hamilton went to an improvised concert in his line. He concludes his entry for Dec 25: "A very merry Xmas and a most extra ordinary one, but I doubled the sentries after mid-night".
Robert Hamilton had been sent to the Royal Warwicks from the Norfolk Regiment and promoted to captain on Sept 16, 1914. He wrote: "In the Warwicks one apparently does not ask, one does."
As well as recording the Christmas truce, he describes meeting Bruce Bairnsfather, who created the morale-boosting cartoon character Old Bill. Capt Hamilton saw the New Year in with Bairnsfather, who "dined with us, sang us some of his songs, and showed us some of his sketches".
His neatly typed account of the Christmas truce was among 20 volumes of diaries handed down to his grandson, Andrew Hamilton, of Warwick.
Mr Hamilton said that, like most of those who fought in the First World War, his grandfather, a farmer and landowner from Okehampton, Devon, never spoke of his experiences.
"My grandfather was not critical about the war but he obviously felt for a lot of the soldiers under his command, who were poorly educated and came from different backgrounds," he said. "He felt it was difficult for them."
It was during his daughter's school trip to the Western Front battlefields that Mr Hamilton told Great War tour guide Alan Reed about its existence. He immediately realised its significance.
"This account of that mom entous occasion is something that has never been recorded in the history of the battalion or in the books about the Christmas truce," Mr Reed said.
"Capt Robert Hamilton and all those who took part in the Christmas truce showed what 'ordinary' men could achieve if they were allowed to get on with their lives - a message all too relevant 90 or so years on."
Shes never interfered with me. I have no complaints about her.
Same here.
Mega ditto.
I met her once and I found her to be a nice lady. Not kookey in any way.
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Re: New WWI Diary, inc. Christmas Truce: for Nowonmai

Postby Penta » Wed Apr 08, 2009 11:09 pm

20 people have at least clicked on the post and not one has copied the basics for nowonmai to read. I'm disappointed, people.
Shes never interfered with me. I have no complaints about her.
Same here.
Mega ditto.
I met her once and I found her to be a nice lady. Not kookey in any way.
Penta has always been gracious, kind and very sane in all my interactions with her.
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Re: New WWI Diary, inc. Christmas Truce: for Nowonmai

Postby coldharvest » Thu Apr 09, 2009 8:58 am

Penta wrote:20 people have at least clicked on the post and not one has copied the basics for nowonmai to read. I'm disappointed, people.

He has gone to the measure of turning your posts off......I assume he feels he has a right to do this, so why do you wish to deprive him of his rights?

why do you hate freedom?
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Re: New WWI Diary, inc. Christmas Truce: for Nowonmai

Postby Penta » Thu Apr 09, 2009 9:09 am

All very fine, except that he often takes advantage of other people's quotes from my posts to give him the chance to comment. I posted this specifically because I thought he'd be interested.

I'll stop being the kind, generous and thoughful person I am then, shall I?
Shes never interfered with me. I have no complaints about her.
Same here.
Mega ditto.
I met her once and I found her to be a nice lady. Not kookey in any way.
Penta has always been gracious, kind and very sane in all my interactions with her.
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Re: New WWI Diary, inc. Christmas Truce: for Nowonmai

Postby coldharvest » Thu Apr 09, 2009 9:19 am

Penta wrote:All very fine, except that he often takes advantage of other people's quotes from my posts to give him the chance to comment. I posted this specifically because I thought he'd be interested.

I'll stop being the kind, generous and thoughful person I am then, shall I?

if it ain't broke then don't fix it.
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Re: New WWI Diary, inc. Christmas Truce: for Nowonmai

Postby Penta » Thu Apr 09, 2009 10:19 am

I'll take that in the spirit I hope it's meant. ;)
Shes never interfered with me. I have no complaints about her.
Same here.
Mega ditto.
I met her once and I found her to be a nice lady. Not kookey in any way.
Penta has always been gracious, kind and very sane in all my interactions with her.
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Re: New WWI Diary, inc. Christmas Truce: for Nowonmai

Postby coldharvest » Thu Apr 09, 2009 11:22 am

Penta wrote:I'll take that in the spirit I hope it's meant. ;)

You know it.
I know the law. And I have spent my entire life in its flagrant disregard.
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Re: New WWI Diary, inc. Christmas Truce: for Nowonmai

Postby rickshaw92 » Thu Apr 09, 2009 11:24 am

Yo N man, Barroness Penta wants ya to see somthin.


Penta wrote:I'd guess this is the sort of thing that would interest Nowonmai (can someone copy the post for him, so he can read it without compromising his principles?) and maybe a few other military history buffs.

http://www.meetatdawnunarmed.co.uk/index.html

It's the trenches diary of a captain in the Warwicks, the grandfather of Mr P's cousins, published later this month. I haven't read it yet, but it sounds interesting. Here's an article from the Telegraph a while ago, when the existence of the diaries was first announced:

Truce in the trenches: let's meet for cigars

By Aislinn Simpson
Last Updated: 11:59PM GMT 26 Dec 2007

Capt Robert Hamilton arranged the truce with the Germans
Remarkable details of the Christmas truces on the battle fields of the Western Front in 1914 have emerged in a previously unseen diary of a British Army captain.
Truce in the trenches: the captain's diary
Capt Robert Hamilton's account of one of the most poignant events of the Great War describes the initial wariness of his men to trust their enemies and their subsequent delight at discovering that, at least temporarily, they could.
As one of the officers in charge in the 1st Bn the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, he left his trench and met his German equivalent half way between their positions in no-man's land near the Belgian hamlet of St Yvon.
The 48-hour local armistice they negotiated was, according to Capt Hamilton, the inspiration for truces up and down the trenches in which soldiers from both sides sang carols, played football and exchanged small presents of food, cigars and tunic buttons.
His diary - revealed by his grandson more than 90 years after it was written - runs from Aug 5, 1914 to Jan 12, 1915. On Christmas Eve, Capt Hamilton describes receiving a message that "the Germans wanted to talk to us".
In his front line trench, he wrote that he "heard the Germans shouting, 'Are you the Warwicks?' To which our own men replied, 'Come and see'. They said 'You come half way, and we will come half way and bring you some cigars'."
His servant, Pte Gregory, finally ventured out to meet the enemy, and Capt Hamilton agreed to meet a German officer the next day at dawn. On Christmas Day, he wrote: "I found a Saxon officer of the 134th Saxon Corps, who was fully armed. I pointed to his revolver and pouch. He smiled and said, seeing I was unarmed, 'Allright now'.
"We shook hands and said what we could in double dutch, arranged a local armistice for 48 hours and returned to our trenches."
So began the historic truce. Capt Hamilton also played a joke on the Germans, bringing out a colleague with a huge black beard to contradict their claim that the Russians were "washed out".
Afterwards Capt Hamilton went to an improvised concert in his line. He concludes his entry for Dec 25: "A very merry Xmas and a most extra ordinary one, but I doubled the sentries after mid-night".
Robert Hamilton had been sent to the Royal Warwicks from the Norfolk Regiment and promoted to captain on Sept 16, 1914. He wrote: "In the Warwicks one apparently does not ask, one does."
As well as recording the Christmas truce, he describes meeting Bruce Bairnsfather, who created the morale-boosting cartoon character Old Bill. Capt Hamilton saw the New Year in with Bairnsfather, who "dined with us, sang us some of his songs, and showed us some of his sketches".
His neatly typed account of the Christmas truce was among 20 volumes of diaries handed down to his grandson, Andrew Hamilton, of Warwick.
Mr Hamilton said that, like most of those who fought in the First World War, his grandfather, a farmer and landowner from Okehampton, Devon, never spoke of his experiences.
"My grandfather was not critical about the war but he obviously felt for a lot of the soldiers under his command, who were poorly educated and came from different backgrounds," he said. "He felt it was difficult for them."
It was during his daughter's school trip to the Western Front battlefields that Mr Hamilton told Great War tour guide Alan Reed about its existence. He immediately realised its significance.
"This account of that mom entous occasion is something that has never been recorded in the history of the battalion or in the books about the Christmas truce," Mr Reed said.
"Capt Robert Hamilton and all those who took part in the Christmas truce showed what 'ordinary' men could achieve if they were allowed to get on with their lives - a message all too relevant 90 or so years on."
Im reallly fuclimg pissed but fespite that I can still hit a tarfet at 1000m plus. mayVRVe bnot tonight but it qint beyond the wit if man. Nowhammy.
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Re: New WWI Diary, inc. Christmas Truce: for Nowonmai

Postby Penta » Thu Apr 09, 2009 11:32 am

Thank you, Mr Shaw.
Shes never interfered with me. I have no complaints about her.
Same here.
Mega ditto.
I met her once and I found her to be a nice lady. Not kookey in any way.
Penta has always been gracious, kind and very sane in all my interactions with her.
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Re: New WWI Diary, inc. Christmas Truce: for Nowonmai

Postby flipflop » Thu Apr 09, 2009 3:12 pm

What a weird thread

Cheers
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Re: New WWI Diary, inc. Christmas Truce: for Nowonmai

Postby Ultra Swain » Thu Apr 09, 2009 4:56 pm

Penta wrote:All very fine, except that he often takes advantage of other people's quotes from my posts to give him the chance to comment. I posted this specifically because I thought he'd be interested.

I'll stop being the kind, generous and thoughful person I am then, shall I?

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Geez,am I NOT ALLOWED TO BE INTENSE FOR JUST 10 FUCKING SECONDS??!!!!!!!
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Re: New WWI Diary, inc. Christmas Truce: for Nowonmai

Postby Penta » Thu Apr 09, 2009 5:18 pm

We all have our crosses to bear? You've made your cross, now carry it?
Shes never interfered with me. I have no complaints about her.
Same here.
Mega ditto.
I met her once and I found her to be a nice lady. Not kookey in any way.
Penta has always been gracious, kind and very sane in all my interactions with her.
User avatar
Penta
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Re: New WWI Diary, inc. Christmas Truce: for Nowonmai

Postby Jumper » Fri Apr 10, 2009 1:48 am

I read your post Penta, thought about passing it on to Nowonmai, and then decided against it. I was distracted by something far more important.

Instead, I have decided to start up the Epic Boobs Motivational Poster tangent post from hell. I could not help myself, and I hope you understand.


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A blog about the security contracting industry.
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