Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Frederick James Davies: Details of WWI Christmas truce revealed in British soldier's letters

The Welsh private served on the front line and shared 'cigs, jam and corn beef' with Germans at Christmas in 1914 

Katie Grant
Thursday 24 December 2015 01:03 GMT
Comments
Frederick James Davies, a private in the 2nd Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Frederick James Davies, a private in the 2nd Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers (PA)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Going into battle?

Frederick James Davies served on the front line in the First World War but he was interested in keeping the peace – at Christmas, at least. The late soldier’s remarkable experience of sharing "cigs, jam and corn beef" with Germans in the Christmas truce of 1914 has come to light in a newly revealed collection of letters.

Who was he?

Mr Davies, who was born in Lampeter, Wales, in 1886, and joined the army in 1908, was a private in the 2nd Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He described meeting German soldiers across no man's land on Christmas Day 1914 in a letter he wrote to his mother from the front.

Where has the letter been all this time?

It was among a collection found by Mr Davies's granddaughter, Jane Oliver, after the death of her mother, who was his eldest daughter, and recently donated to the Imperial War Museums. Soldiers serving in northern France in 1914 left their trenches along some parts of the front line on the first Christmas Day of the First World War to meet the enemy in no man's land and exchange gifts - with some famously even playing football.

How did Mr Davies describe the historic occasion?

The young soldier told his mother he and had a "good chat with the Germans on Xmas day". Mr Davies wrote: "We shook hands with them. We gave them cigs, jam and corn beef.” He added: “They also gave us cigars but they didn't have much food. I think they are hard up for it. They were fed up with the war."

Did he survive the war?

Yes, but only just. Mr Davies was invalided out of the army in 1915 after a trench caved in on him, shattering his spine and leaving him permanently affected and unable to work properly. He married in 1919 and had three children before his death, aged 61. His youngest daughter, Audrey Trenchard, now 86, said he had never spoken about his experiences and it was “wonderful” to read his letters.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in