Market Harborough, Leicestershire: Memories of the Christmas Truce

Available for over a year

Something extraordinary happened on Christmas Day 1914 in the middle of bitter fighting in the trenches of World War One. There was a brief truce between English and German soldiers on the front lines. They sang carols to each other and even exchanged presents of cigarettes, cigars and badges. There was also the chance to retrieve bodies of fellow soldiers who had fallen in no man’s land. The truce was never repeated. A tape recording of a soldier called Arthur Tugwell recounting what happened during the truce in the trenches has lain for over 40 years in a University Of Leicester archive. His name is the only thing known about him until now. BBC Journalist Bridget Blair has found out that Arthur was underage when he enlisted and traced his grandson Tim who has Arthur’s diaries, maps, photos and other memorabilia. Location: Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 9DQ Image shows Arthur Tugwell, courtesy of Tim Tugwell