Letter sheds new light on iconic Christmas Truce of 1914

In the note, General Sir Walter Congreve spoke of how news of the football match between British and German troops spread like wildfire through the trenches.

Soldiers sharing cigars, singing and walking about together in No Man's Land are some of the scenes described in the letter, penned on the day, which has been uncovered by Staffordshire County Council's archives service.

Sir Walter, a Victoria Cross recipient for his gallantry during the Second Boer War, wrote of the extraordinary circumstances around the truce.

The general, of Castle Church in Stafford, who led the 18 Infantry Brigade, was positioned at British headquarters near Neuve Chapelle in Northern France.

In his letter, he recalls how it was the Germans who had called for a day's truce. One of his men responded by bravely raising his head above the parapet, followed by others from both sides.

Officers and men met in the middle ground , known as No Man's Land, where they shook hands and exchanged cigarettes and cigars.

A British captain is said to have talked with the German colonel and 'smoked a cigar with the best shot in the German army', a lad of no more than 18 years old.

In the letter, Congreve also talked of his reluctance to join in the truce himself, for fear of the Germans not being able to resist a shot at him because of his high rank.

Anthony Richards, head of documents and sound at the Imperial War Museum, said there were various accounts of the Christmas truce story 'and this is a particularly interesting addition.'

"Congreve's description broadly matches those incidents known to have occurred at that time, with both sides fraternising in No Man's Land between the trenches.

"A particularly nice feature of the letter is Congreve's reluctance to witness the Truce for himself, fearing the temptation for the enemy to have a shot at him."

Joss Musgrove Knibb, spokeswoman for the Staffordshire Regiment Museum and author of a book on the Great War, called First Lines, said: "This letter adds to the comparatively small but incredibly important national cache of letters written during the days of the Christmas Truce.

"It is a treasure, made all the more remarkable that it has only come to light a century after the events it describes."

The Christmas truce is believed to have been in place from Christmas Eve for around 48 hours, although in some sections of the line it is reported to have lasted much longer. The 1st North Staffords were in the Rue du Bois area in a section of trench known as 'Dead Man's Alley' from December 11 to December 31.

General Congreve, who was 52 at the time, was father to Major Billy La Touche Congreve who was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously for his actions tending to his injured men under heavy artillery fire. They are one of only three father and son pairs to be awarded the honour.