December 26th 1914
Get up 7.40 had to be called as the officer was waiting for his breakfast, I am surprised to see the Germans and our fellows still walking on top, it’s too ridiculous for words, we are all mixing up again, 8.40 one of our officers tells them to get back to their trenches as our artillery are going to shell them at 9am, some of them say “We will get in your trenches we will be safer”…
…I forgot to say that both sides took advantage of the holiday to bury the dead, some of the bodies had been there more than a month.
Diary of Private W Tapp, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, November 1914- January 1915
Imperial war Museum Archives