My late FiL was also there (one of the well known truces, the one with the football, involved the 2nd Argylls) but as a professional soldier, he always denied that it happened.
It was the last truce between professional soldiers before Britain started compulsory enlistment. I see it as the last (the very last) remains of the 'Truce of God' which would have been well known to the Scot's mediaeval and my early modern armies. You didn't fight at harvest and you didn't fight at Easter or Christmas.
The French didn't allow the truce nor the Russians. You don't make truce with invaders.
Interestingly,it was the British officers who said yea or nay. On some fronts when the Germans came over the order was 'ten rounds rapid' and it was invariably obeyed.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: Dec. 27th, 2019 01:57 pm (UTC)It was the last truce between professional soldiers before Britain started compulsory enlistment. I see it as the last (the very last) remains of the 'Truce of God' which would have been well known to the Scot's mediaeval and my early modern armies. You didn't fight at harvest and you didn't fight at Easter or Christmas.
The French didn't allow the truce nor the Russians. You don't make truce with invaders.
Interestingly,it was the British officers who said yea or nay. On some fronts when the Germans came over the order was 'ten rounds rapid' and it was invariably obeyed.
We need to unpack the legends.