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First Battle of Ypres
Once Germany had advanced through Belgium, a “Race to the Sea” started, which ended in Ypres. Since Germany had already captured Antwerp, British and Belgian forces retreated to Ypres, which gave Germany the opportunity to attack. Both sides had many casualties in the month-long battle. On November 22, 1914, the battle came to a forced end due to the winter. -
Christmas Truce
On Christmas Eve, German soldiers emerged from their trenches and began singing Christmas carols. Then, a German yelled at the British to come out of their trenches so everyone could celebrate the holiday together. The forces met in the middle of No Man’s Land, and they exchanged cigarettes and wine. They even had an informal soccer match, and it was a happy time for both sides. After this, the war continued and the forces were enemies once more. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
When a German U-Boat torpedoed the Lusitania, killing 128 Americans, the United States was forced to choose a side of the war. The Lusitania was a passenger ship that was modified for use in the war, so there were civilians on board during the attack. This attack also caused anti-German beliefs to rise in the United States, which made life difficult for German Americans. In the end, President Wilson decided not to declare war, but that would soon change. -
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Battle of Somme
The Battle of Somme started when the British were trying to invade more of Germany. It was the first battle to use tanks, but they weren’t very successful since development wasn’t completely finished. Even though the tanks helped the British make small advancements, they couldn’t make up for the thousands of casualties caused by the battle. Over the course of 141 days, the British only advanced 7 miles. In the end, the Allied forces won the battle, although they suffered tremendous casualties. -
New Year's Celebrations
Allan and some of his friends were able to celebrate New Year’s while serving in France, and it was a happy time. It was the first time in a while that it wasn’t raining, so it made the celebrations a lot more fun. His brother, Andrew, was also serving in France at the time, and they were able to see each other multiple times. Allan had been having visions of the war ending in a month or two, but he decided that they were probably untrue, and the war wouldn’t be ending anytime soon. -
Arrived at New Camp
After spending time at one camp, Allan and the rest of his troops were relocated to a new place. The area where they were staying was the most beautiful place he had ever been to, and there were vast open fields as far as you could see. Unfortunately, the first night at the new camp was cold, but they were soon given a better place to sleep. Allan said that he felt like a “new man” after sleeping on a bed for the first time in a very long time. -
Signing of the Armistice
The signing of the Armistice was an agreement between Germany and the Allied forces, and marked the end of World War 1. The armistice meant that both sides would agree to stop fighting, and it was the quickest way to end the war at the time. It was clear that Germany was losing the war, and it didn’t make sense to keep losing soldiers if the outcome was apparent. Plus, both sides were tired of fighting and were ready for the war to end. -
Service Chevrons
In December, Forbes Allan, along with many others, was authorized to wear Service Chevrons. The overseas chevrons were created by Britain to award soldiers for each year spent overseas. Since Allan begin his service in 1917, this was the first year that he was able to earn one of these awards. There were many other soldiers that earned theirs at the same time as him, and a couple were even able to earn their 2-year chevrons. -
Christmas Celebrations
Since last writing his father, Allan was able to find his brother, Andrew, once again. He discovered that he was located only a few kilometers from where Allan had gotten off his train, so he immediately went to visit him. Andrew was shocked to see his brother since he never got visitors. They were able to have a fun day together and celebrate Christmas as much as they could. After Andrew had left, everyone else had Christmas celebrations of their own. -
Honorably Discharged
Forbes Allan received his honorable discharge from the military after serving for almost two years. He served in the first enlistment period and didn’t have any previous experience. Luckily, he didn’t have any horrible injuries during his time in the war and was in good health at the time of discharge. He was known for his excellent character and determination.