Merry Christmas (Joyeux Noël) (Joyeux Noël)

Child upon these maps do heed This black stain to be effaced

Omitting it you would proceed Yet better it in red to trace

Later, whatever may come to pass

Promise there to go you must

To fetch the children of Alsace Reaching out their arms to us

May in our fondest France Hope's green saplings branch

And in you, dear child, flower Grow, grow,

France awaits its hour

To rid the map of every trace of Germany, and of the Hun

We must exterminate that race

We must not leave a single one

Heed not their children's cries,

Best slay all now, the women too

Or else some day again they'll rise,

Which if they're dead they cannot do

We have a one and only enemy

Who digs the grave of Germany

Its heart replete with hatred, gall and envy

We have a one and only enemy

The villain raises its murderous hand

Its name you know, it is England

This is it!

War has been declared!

Well, little brother?

Going to spend the war repainting statues?

I've put you on the list too!

In two days, we're all leaving for basic training in Glasgow.

At last, something's happening in our lives!

Well, you coming?

Two more minutes, Mr. Sprink.

I have been ordered to read this message from our beloved Kaiser:

This is a dark hour for Germany.

Our land is besieged

and we must brandish the sword.

I hope that with God's help we shall use it well,

so we may re-sheathe it with dignity.

Two more minutes, Lieutenant!

We're going out!

100 meters to the German trenches.

We've been shelling their machine-gunners,

so we should be alright.

We take their front line, then the farm just behind!

The 134th will relieve us tonight

and we can rest up in the rear.

We'll have back-up from the Scots on our left.

You'll recognize their black caps. Don't worry about them,

pay close heed to what I tell you to do.

I'm like you.

I too want to go home.

So do what you must and we'll all be home for Christmas.

Right.

Come what will.

Fix bayonets!

Load rifles!

Forward!

Up along the sap!

Get down!

Don't stay here little brother...

So one of us survives.

No, William.

Come on, William...

I abandoned him.

Like a coward! I abandoned him.

I let him die, all alone!

You had no choice.

And now, we must pray for him and for all the other casualties.

The reinforcements have arrived.

We're leaving, Dale.

You stay here with the wounded. - Yes, Lieutenant.

I'll see you back at base.

I know you're in the trenches, Father.

It's me.

It's Andrew Duncan.

I'm not far, Padre.

Father, I'm eight,

eight feet...

Father.

The others are too far away, but me...

Father.

You've got to come out and help.

That's it.

Just walk straight ahead and you'll be on top of me.

I knew I could count on you, Father.

Father, what are you doing? This is suicide!

Don't run off like that! Damn you!

Get back! Get back here!

We're ordered to stay in the trench! - Cease fire!

That was a stretcher-bearer. - What?

You shot a stretcher-bearer.

How do you know?

You fired first?

A Scots marauder, Sir!

Think I got him. - Good.

Stay vigilant. At the slightest move, sound the alert.

Yes, Sir!

Sprink!

Come with me.

Yes, Sir!

Attention all!

Deposit the enemy weapons in the Friedrichsstrasse trench!

Go help them. - Right.

Have to rebuild it.

Relax, no one saw me.

Get hurt?

Christ! What happened?

You were barely 15 mins in there.

Reinforcements didn't... - Machine gunners in the sap.

Lost a third of my men in 5 mins.

When you saw the Scots retreat on your left

you gave up on the farm.

So, any word?

I tried the Red Cross, but no go.

No news from the enemy-occupied zone.

The Germans appear to be treating civilians correctly.

Your wife is most likely at her parents' with the baby.

During the shelling, a faulty canon exploded.

Killed the officer and his 5 men outright.

I asked you be drafted in to replace him.

Artillery, a fine corps. You'll move up fast.

No.

Keep your gunner's career, I stay here with my men.

Find another Lieutenant, no shortage.

I'm Major General here, I'll do as I see fit.

You'll do as I say.

I'll let you spend Christmas in your unit.

Then you go to Poitiers for training. That's an order.

If you want your visit to remain secret you'd best leave,

my orderly's coming.

You rest up here for 3 days.

Then, the front line by the Delsaux farm.

The sector should be quiet for Christmas.

Get some rest.

See you before you leave for Poitiers.

Goodnight.

Goodnight, Sir.

Lieutenant, found some blankets for tonight.

What's wrong, Lieutenant?

My wallet! I've lost my wallet.

The wallet with the photo you showed me?

Yes.

What a shame...

But you hardly need photos of your wife's face.

I'd a mishap too.

Look at that, Sir.

Two centimeters higher and I was a goner!

And it still rings!

Unstoppable, just like me! Eh, Lieutenant?

It means placing one every five meters.

Every five meters?

How many is that in all?

About 100,000.

Or 20 trains for Lille via Brussels.

Incredible!

Christmas trees!

It'll take me longer to send these trees to the front than our canons.

Show Miss Sörensen in!

How is he?

Well.

His regiment came under surprise attack four days ago.

But they drove back the enemy.

As regards your proposal...

I'm afraid to say, I cannot accept it.

As a Dane, I feel the gravity of the situation escapes you.

For five months now,

two million of our men have fought unrelenting.

We have neither the time nor the urge to organize recitals.

It took me a while to realize I'd approached the wrong person.

So I contacted the Kronprinz,

who'd be delighted to have a recital at his HQ on Christmas Eve.

I was told you were responsible not just for canons and convoys,

but also the soldiers.

So if you would kindly sign here,

next to the Kronprinz, before informing your men.

You'll only see him one night. What's the point of that?

It'll be much more than one night.

Our minutes are longer than yours.

Mother,

William and I got your package and letter.

Thanks for the mittens and the mufflers.

It's so cold here, they're most welcome.

The thought of you at home nice and warm keeps us going!

Thanks for the cake, too.

I hope we have some left for Christmas Eve.

Your two sons, who love you...

Morning, Father.

3 cases of whisky! That's a lot of ammunition.

I presume I'm invited?

Sir, my men are completely exhausted.

We're all tired, Gordon.

Every single one of us.

I can bring you no relief before three days.

And if the Germans do attack tonight or tomorrow, as they may

you'll just have to deal with it.

Yes Sir.

Our valiant stretcher-bearer.

Who nearly got one of his own men killed in no-man's -land.

A stretcher-bearer is supposed to save lives not endanger them.

I gave orders,

very clear orders that it was forbidden to leave these trenches

in case of a German counter attack.