Christmas World War

Evie and Thomas experience a very different war. Frustrated by life as a privileged young lady, Evie longs to play a greater part in the conflict - but how? - and as Thomas struggles with the unimaginable realities of war, he also faces personal battles back home, where War Office regulations on press reporting cause trouble at his father's newspaper business. Through their letters Evie and Thomas share their greatest hopes and fears - and grow ever fonder from afar. Can love flourish amid the horror of the First World War, or will fate intervene?

Hawaii, 1941. War clouds with Japan are gathering and the islands of Hawaii have become battlegrounds of spies, intelligence agents, and military officials - with the island's residents caught between them. Toiling in the shadows are Douglas Wada, the only Japanese American agent in naval intelligence, and Takeo Yoshikawa, a Japanese spy sent to Pearl Harbor to gather information on the U.S. fleet.

Just weeks before Christmas, severe wintry weather damages the church hall hosting the Christmas Boutique - an annual sale of handcrafted gifts and baked goods that supports the county food pantry. Determined to save the fundraiser, Sylvia Bergstrom Compson offers to hold the event at Elm Creek Manor, her ancestral family estate and summertime home to Elm Creek Quilt Camp.

The captivating true story of the British girl who survived a Nazi internment camp.This sweet, innocent young lady lived through the German occupation of the British Islands and her subsequent deportation to a German internment camp along with her brother, father, and her mother. One Orange For Christmas takes you through the struggles and hardships the Channel Islanders experienced for more than five years from 1940 to 1945, and the final three years when over 2000 British citizens were deported to German camps

December 1942 saw the bloodiest Christmas in the history of mankind. Men were killing each other in greater numbers than ever before. The Holocaust continued, and innocent civilians were murdered by the thousands throughout the evil Nazi empire, even as the perpetrators celebrated the birth of Christ. Millions stationed in far-off lands amid the greatest conflict in human history feared this was their last Christmas in freedom, or their last Christmas alive. At the same time as the slaughter continued unabated, throughout the world there were random acts of kindness.

Katherine is a powerful family drama set against the haunting backdrop of 1944—the final Christmas of World War II. It is the story of a woman’s unyielding strength in the face of fear, grief, and uncertainty. In a world darkened by war, Katherine is a luminous portrait of love, resilience, and the quiet heroism of motherhood. Thirty-four-year-old Katherine Wilburn is the heart of her family, a woman battling to keep her household intact while the world outside threatens to tear it apart. With her eldest son, Donald, fighting on the war-torn fields of France, Katherine clings ...

Singing seems like a weird thing for military men to do together in the modern age of TikTok dances and faux manliness, but it used to be very common, especially when alcoholic beverages were made available. These song books were handed out to Marines during World War II. The images contained herein are from the book given to my grandfather in 1944. As a matter of fact, you’ll see his signature at the top of one of the pages. The Fighting Fourth Marine Division fought in countless battles in World War II and beyond. I was privileged to serve in the same division 50 years to the month ...

On Christmas Eve 1914, a group of German soldiers laid down their arms, lit lanterns, and started to sing Christmas carols. The British troops in nearby trenches responded by singing songs of their own. The next day, men from both sides met in No Man's Land. They shook hands, took photos, and exchanged food and souvenirs. Some even played improvised football games, kicking around empty bully-beef cans and using helmets for goalposts. Both sides also saw the lull in fighting as a chance to bury the bodies of their comrades.

Siblings forge new paths and find love in three stories filled with the wonder of Christmas. Turn back the clock to a different time and listen to Bing Crosby sing of sleigh bells in the snow as the realities of America’s involvement in the Second World War change the lives of the Turner family in Lafayette, Indiana. The Turner family believes in God’s providence during such a tumultuous time. Can they absorb the miracle of Christ’s birth and His plan for a future?

11 Days in December tells the unforgettable story of one of the grimmest points of World War II and its Christmas Eve turn toward victory. In December 1944, the Allied forces thought their campaign for securing Europe was in its final stages. But Germany had one last great surprise attack still planned, leading to some of the most intense fighting in World War II: the Battle of the Bulge.

Harry Thatcher runs away from home after a fight with his father. His brother is in the army, and so Harry finds a new home with the cavalry as a bugler. A year later, Britain is at war, and Harry’s regiment is advancing on the Germans through France and Belgium. In a clash of steel on steel, they meet the German First Army at Mons, and Harry has his first taste of the reality of modern warfare. Outnumbered, the British Army is forced to retreat, and Harry and his friend, Douglas Thomson, get separated from their regiment after a disastrous cavalry charge. Along with a downed airman, ...

After her fiancé dies in the sinking of the Royal Oak, Mary finds herself stationed in Orkney, still battling her grief. With Iris and Sally by her side, she is gradually overcoming her loss and is surprised to be helped by the irascible Joe. Joe is a signalman aboard the Kelpie and his cheeky Morse code messages to Mary while she's on shift bring her cheer and exasperation in equal measure. With Christmas round the corner, Mary is opening herself back up to the festive spirit—and to love.

After failing to help evacuee siblings whom she witnesses being separated, May wishes she’d had the confidence to speak up. When Jess suggests a pantomime to boost morale on the station, May is desperate to help - but is held back by her own insecurities. With her low self-esteem also affecting her relationship with Squadron Leader Peter Travis, May is fed up with being her own worst enemy and decides to take charge of her destiny. But the past she ran from, plus a crisis with one of the evacuees, throw May into the midst of a drama that will test all of her newfound confidence.

It’s Christmas Eve 1944 and the Battle of the Bulge is raging across the snowy Ardennes Forest. Even in these bitter conditions, two soldiers manage to exchange gifts, but there is a bittersweet twist. Inspired by O. Henry’s classic short story, The Gift of the Magi. Important note: This story can be read at the author’s website

In the beginning months of World War I, a very strange thing happened. After the fierce trench warfare of November and December, on Christmas Eve, 1914, the fighting spontaneously stopped. Men on both sides laid down their arms and came to celebrate Christmas with each other. They shared food parcels across the lines, sang carols together, and erected Christmas trees with candles. They buried the dead, exchanged presents, and even played soccer together.

The Believe In Christmas Collection: A Christmas Miracle An early 1800's Novelette by Carole Brown Can a rich, but troubled, married couple find happiness again through one little homeless, precocious lad? Will a real miracle save Christmas this year? Christmas Angels A WWII Short Story by Carole Brown Abigail had always been a strong young woman, but living in a boarding house, with a baby girl, and no way to give her daughter a real Christmas what is she to do? Without money and worried sick over her husband who is a missing-in-action soldier, her hope is gone. But...her Christmas Angels ...

Some things just don’t mix. Christmas and world wars being two of them.It’s December 23, 1940, but Nora’s focus is anywhere except on the coming holiday. How can she think of taking a war-scarred child home for Christmas—only to bring him back again to the nightmare of London in a couple of weeks? Surely, it’s wiser—and kinder—to keep her silent little boy where he is now. Even if it means forgoing her own Christmas to achieve it. Frank Willis isn’t exactly making her decision easy, though. If Nora’s not going home for Christmas, Frank at least wants a reason why. Nora ...

‘Tony’s wife wasn’t cold before tongues started wagging about me and him,' Anna complained. 'If only I could . . . ’ ‘What?’ Megan picked up Ann’s bag. ‘Shout the truth from the rooftops.’ ‘Do that,' Megan warned, 'you’ll lose your job and there’ll be two more widows scrubbing the Graig workhouse yard and three more children taken into Maesycoed orphanage. Forget the gossips. Think of the dinner we’ll have tomorrow.’

In this detailed study, Terri Blom Crocker provides the first comprehensive analysis of both scholarly and popular portrayals of the Christmas Truce from 1914 to present. This new examination shows how a variety of works have both explored and enshrined this outbreak of peace amid overwhelming violence. The vast majority of these accounts depict the soldiers as acting in defiance of their superiors. Crocker, however, analyzes official accounts as well as private letters that reveal widespread support among officers for the détentes.

Norma Hayes has always tried to make Christmas special for her family, but 1944 will make that more difficult with money being tight and wartime rationing making everything hard to come by. Aware of his mother's hardships and the worry from having her eldest son at war, Norma's second son, Dennis, is determined to buy his mother a special gift this Christmas: a lavender blue dress he hopes will bring her comfort.