EX-ENEMIES MEET

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 30 January 1939, Page 8

EX-ENEMIES MEET

OCCUPY OLD TRENCHES IN THE CAUSE OF PEACE IBy Air Mail—Special Correspondent 1 LONDON. 7th January. This week nearly 400 ex-servicemen ! from Britain, France and Germany evacuated trenches and dug-outs they had occupied for two weeks on the old ) Arras battle front, which is still pret served. j They have been fraternising and rei viving old memories, and, believing j that it w’ill help on the cause of i peace, they are hoping to make this trench meeting an annual affair. The idea originated last year, when a small party of French and German ex-fighters took over dug-outs m which they had opposed each other during the W’ar. The visitors lived in these shelters exactly as they had done during the war period, and as far as possible their rations were limited to the traditional food of the fighting man in war-time. The only difference was that, with the coming of Christmas morning, the dugouts became centres of revelry in which the occupants shared the Christina:' fare of their respective countries, j This year the experiment was ex* tended by increasing the number of ! French and German participants and taking in a British contingent, numberI infc near a hundred. Although the German Government did not take part officially, all facilities were givein to the selected “pilgrims" in the way of permission to take currency out of the country and to obtain Armv Stores.