I-akhawunti yokuzibonela nge-Christmas Truce evela kuFrank Richards

"Thina namaJalimane sihlangane maphakathi nezwe elingenamuntu."

UFrank Richards wayeyisosha laseBrithani elathola i- "Christmas Truce". Sijoyina indaba yakhe ekuseni ngoKhisimusi ngo-1914:

“Ngosuku lukaKhisimusi sifake ibhodi ebhalwe ukuthi 'A Merry Christmas'. Isitha sasinamathele esifanayo. Ama-Platoon kwesinye isikhathi ayephuma ayophumula amahora angamashumi amabili nane - bekuwusuku okungenani aphume emseleni futhi akhulule i-monotony kancane - futhi ithimba lami beliphume ngale ndlela izolo ebusuku, kepha abambalwa bethu bahlala ngemuva ukubona ukuthi kuzokwenzekani. Abesilisa bethu ababili base belahla okokusebenza kwabo futhi bagxumela onqenqemeni izandla zabo ngaphezulu kwamakhanda abo. AmaJalimane amabili enze okufanayo futhi aqala ukukhuphuka osebeni lomfula, amadoda ethu amabili ezobahlangabeza. Bahlangana baxhawulana base bephuma sonke emseleni.

Buffalo Bill [Umphathi Wenkampani] wagijimela emseleni futhi wazama ukuwuvimbela, kepha wayesephuzile kakhulu: yonke iNkampani manje yayisiphumile, kanjalo namaJalimane. Kwakumele asamukele lesi simo, ngakho kungekudala yena nezinye izikhulu zenkampani nabo baphuma. Thina namaJalimane sahlangana maphakathi nendawo okungekho muntu kuyo. Amaphoyisa abo nawo manje ayengaphandle. Izikhulu zethu zashintshana ngemikhonzo nazo. Esinye sezikhulu zaseJalimane sathi sifisa ukuba nekhamera ezothatha isithombe, kepha abavunyelwe ukuphatha amakhamera. Kwakunjalo nezikhulu zethu.

Simunce usuku lonke omunye komunye. BabengamaSaxon kanti abanye babo babekwazi ukukhuluma isiNgisi. Ngokubukeka kwabo imisele yabo yayisesimweni esibi njengesethu. Omunye wamadoda abo, okhuluma isiNgisi, ubalule ukuthi ubesebenze eBrighton iminyaka ethile nokuthi ubesondlekile kuze kube sempini ngale mpi elahliwe futhi angajabula uma isiphelile. Simtshele ukuthi akuyena yedwa obedinwe yilokho. Asizange sibavumele emseleni wethu futhi abasivumeli nakowabo.

Umphathi weNkampani waseGerman ubuze uBuffalo Bill ukuthi angayemukela yini imiphongolo kabhiya eminingana futhi amqinisekise ukuthi ngeke badakise amadoda akhe. Babenenqwaba yayo endaweni okwenziwa kuyo utshwala. Wamukele lesi sipho ngokubonga futhi amadoda abo ambalwa agingqa imigqomo sayifaka emseleni wethu. Iphoyisa laseJalimane lathumela omunye wamadoda akhe wabuyela emseleni, owavela ngemuva nje kokuthwala ithileyi elinamabhodlela nezibuko. Izikhulu zombili zombili zishaye izingilazi futhi zadakelana impilo. UBuffalo Bill ubebanikeze ipudding yeplamu ngaphambili nje. La maphoyisa aqonda ukuthi isivumelwano esingekho emthethweni sizophela phakathi kwamabili. Kuthi kusihlwa sibuyele emiseleni yethu.

Amabutho aseBrithani nawaseJalimane zihlangana eNo Mans Land Christmas 1914

… Imiphongolo emibili kabhiya ibiphuziwe, futhi iphoyisa laseJalimane belinembile: ukube bekungenzeka ukuthi indoda ibiphuze leyomigqomo emibili ngabe iqhume ngaphambi kokuba idakwe. Ubhiya waseFrance wawuyizinto ezibolile.

Ngaphambi nje kwamabili sonke sikwazile ukuthi singaqali ukudubula ngaphambi kokuba benze. Ebusuku bekuhlala kunenqwaba yokudubula ngazo zombili izinhlangothi uma kungekho maqembu asebenzayo noma kugadwa ngaphandle. UMnu Richardson, isikhulu esisesisha esanda kungena eBattalion futhi manje owayengumphathi webutho enkampanini yami wabhala inkondlo ebusuku mayelana nomhlangano waseBrithani nowaseBosche endaweni okungekho muntu ngoSuku lukaKhisimusi, asifundela yona . Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa kamuva yanyatheliswa ngo The Times or Iposi lasekuseni, Ngiyakholwa.

Ngesikhathi sonke se-Boxing Day [usuku lwangemva kukaKhisimusi] asikaze sidubule, futhi nabo ngokufanayo, uhlangothi ngalunye lwalubonakala lulinde olunye ukuze lubeke ibhola phambili. Enye yamadoda abo yamemeza yaya esiNgisini yabuza ukuthi sijabulele kanjani ubhiya. Simemeze sabuya samtshela ukuthi babuthakathaka kakhulu kodwa kodwa ukuthi sibonge kakhulu ngakho. Sasixoxa siqhubeka futhi phakathi nosuku lonke.

Sakhululeka ngalobo busuku kusihlwa yibutho lamanye amabutho. Simangele kakhulu njengoba besingakezwa ukuhleba nganoma yikuphi ukukhululeka emini. Sitshele amadoda asikhulule ukuthi sihlale kanjani ezinsukwini ezimbalwa zokugcina nesitha, asitshela ukuthi ngokwalokho abekade bekutshele wonke amasosha aseBrithani asemgqeni, ngaphandle kokukodwa noma okubili, angene nesitha. Babengasebenzi kuphela amahora angama-XNUMX nesishiyagalombili ngemuva kwezinsuku ezingamashumi amabili nesishiyagalombili emiseleni engaphambili. Basitshela nokuthi abantu baseFrance bezwile ukuthi silusebenzise kanjani usuku lukaKhisimusi futhi basho zonke izinhlobo zezinto ezimbi ngoMbutho waseBrithani. ”

References:
Le akhawunti yokuzibonela ivela eRichards, uFrank, Amasosha amadala Akaze Afe (1933); UKeegan, uJohn, Impi Yezwe Yokuqala (1999); USimkins, uPeter, iMpi Yezwe I, iWest Front (1991).