Only available on visits to Ypres and Arras
Commencing on the freezing night of Christmas Eve with soldiers from both sides exchanging greetings and carols, the following day saw fraternization in no man’s land, and in some places the unofficial cessation in hostilities lasted for days. Over the years this remarkable event has accumulated a legendary status.
The reality is even more fascinating than the myth, and can only be fully understood on the ground. Walking the region in which the truce took place, you will find traces of December 1914 and become immersed in that world. You will discover that the truce was a much more complex event than the one so often presented in popular culture, for while there was plenty of handshakes and harmonious posing for photographs, the pause also allowed both sides to strengthen their defences, evacuate the wounded, bury the dead and prepare for the resumption of hostilities.
