Christmas Eve 1914

This short movie is about Christmas Eve during the First World War on the British-German front. IT is inspired on real life events. Beautiful and gripping.

I was once lucky enough to hear a similar story first hand. Hans Schilte was a Dutchman who fought for the American army.  A remarkable man, with a fantastic life. And he could tell as the best. When he started, everyone hung on his lips and it was like you were there yourself.  Too bad his memoirs were never written down.

This story, he told us,  was also very gripping and so beautiful.

Hans fought in World War II (His experiences on D-day were used for the landing scenes of the movie Saving private Ryan).

In December 1944 Hans was stationed in the Ardennes. It was snowing and cold and the Ardennes Offensive was in full swing. That Christmas Eve, Hans and his companions celebrated Christmas with some German soldiers. They fraternized, toasted to Christmas, ate their meagre rations together and sang carols.

In my memory Hans told it somewhat different, but maybe this story, which I found online, was about that night.  It could be. Hans indeed spoke French (learned in France from where he fled to America at the beginning of the war). And I guess the name Harry was a bit more comfortable in the U.S. Army during the war with Germany.

Hans said that this magic evening was one of his most beautiful memories. However having to say goodbye to the Germans,  knowing that you will probably shoot at them the next day, made it also one of the sourest. The enemy had been given a face and a name and was now a friend.