STUDENTS in the New Forest gathered yesterday to mark the First World War Christmas truce with a game of football.

The youngsters, from Moyles Court School in Ringwood, donned wartime coats and caps and gathered on the pitch alongside former pupils and teachers in two teams representing Britain and Germany.

Like the soldiers who left the trenches in Christmas 1914 to enjoy games of football in no man’s land – a brief moment of humanity at the beginning of what was then the bloodiest war in history – the teams met, shook hands and exchanged chocolate bars before the game began.

 

“We have spent a lot of time over the past few months reflecting on the First World War, and marking the 100th anniversary commemoration this year,” said headteacher Richard Milner-Smith, who played for the ‘British’ team.

“We have talked a lot about how horrific the war was, and its events, and this was a chance for the students to see there were real people involved – who would not have been much older than them.

“The whole school came out to watch the match, it was a lovely afternoon.”

The match finished 1-1, and afterwards the teams joined in a rendition of ‘Silent Night’ in German and English.

The now-legendary truce took place on Christmas Eve 1914, beginning as soldiers shouted messages between the trenches and sang carols.

On Christmas Day they exchanged gifts, took photographs and played football, while others took the opportunity to recover bodies from no man’s land.