By . Steph Cockroft . In the depths of a bitter winter, during one of the bloodiest wars in history, two warring sides laid down their weapons and took part in one of the most powerful shows of peace in history. On Christmas Day 1914, the sounds of firing rifles faded and British and German soldiers, who had been at war for five months, broke into an impromptu game of football in No Man's Land in Flanders, France. The poignant meeting between the trenches signalled a Christmas truce along the Western Front, which would prove to be only of the only glimpses of chivalry in an otherwise brutal war. Players took part in a reenactment of the iconic football match which took place on Christmas Day 1914 in Flanders, when British and German armies agreed a truce . The impromptu game broke out during the First World War after a German messenger walked across No Man's Land on Christmas Eve to broker a temporary ceasefire . The match, which was a replica on the Christmas Day truce came, took place in blistering temperatures - in direct comparison to the freezing winter which troops faced at the time . After Christmas Day, the war continued for another four years, killing up to ten million people. Now that match has been recreated on Saltburn beach, Teesside, to mark the First World War as the centenary of its start approaches. In starkly different circumstances, . including sweltering temperatures, two teams dressed up in historic wartime gear to reenact a version of the 1914 game. Watched by thousands of spectators, the two teams battled it out on the sand, in tribute to those who lost their lives during the conflict. Truce: A depiction of British and German soldiers playing football in 'No Man's Land' on the battlefield in World War One . The two teams dressed up in vintage army uniforms and played the game, which ended up with a 5-2 win to the 'British' side. There was also a . field of 8,000 poppies laid to create a temporary 'war cemetery' in tribute to the fallen. A Tiger Moth plane also flew overhead, scattering 40,000 poppy petals onto the crowds below. The 1914 game was one of many unofficial ceasefires . that took place along the Western Front around Christmas 1914 during that war. The truce began after a German messenger walked across No Man's Land on Christmas Eve to broker the temporary ceasefire. The event attracted thousands of people down to the beach, where the match was followed by many other activities to commemorate the fallen from the First World War . Two teams dressed up in vintage uniforms to replicate the match, which was also written about in the wartime novel Birdsong, by Sebastian Faulks . Organiser Allan Whiley said the event - which ended up with a 5-2 win to the British team - was arranged to commemorate the futility of war, as the centenary of the start of the Great War approaches . British soldiers then went out and . recovered 69 dead comrades and buried them. The impromptu football match . soon broke out between the two sides when a ball was kicked out from . the British lines into No Man's Land. To commemorate the game, and the war that followed, organisers arranged a complete day of events. When the tide came in, there was a short service by a . church leader from Saltburn as a lone bugler plays The Last Post. Silent Night, which was sung by German soldiers on the day of the truce football match, was also sung in both German and English. The event became well known after it was written about in Sebastian Faulks' war time book, Birdsong. The men, who were split in British and German teams as they were in the trenches, raised a truce flag at the event . A sea of 8,000 poppies were also laid to mark the fallen, while a Tiger Moth plane flew overhead, dropping 40,000 poppy petals to the crowds below . Silent Night, which was sung by German soldiers on the day of the truce match, was also sung in both German and English at the event . Allan Whiley told the Northern Echo: 'If the soldiers had continued playing football instead . of being forced back into battle perhaps a lot of lives would have been . saved not just in the First World War but the second one as well. We . want to commemorate the futility of war. 'We knew we couldn’t do this on Christmas Day, which is when the match . actually happened, so we thought we would hold it nearer the time of the . outbreak of the war.' Proceeds from the event, to be match funded by Barclays, will go to the . East Cleveland branch of the Royal British Legion who will use the funds . to restore Saltburn's War Memorial. Spectators look on from Saltburn pier during a commemoration event . A lone buglar played the Last Post, pictured left, after a short service, which was attended by thousands - young and old alike, pictured right . Thousands of people enjoyed the sun as they went down to the commemoration event .
The football match spontaneously broke out in No Man's Land in Flanders, France on Christmas Day 1914 .
It signalled a truce along the Western Front, as British and German soldier lay down their weapons for one day only .
After that, the war continued for four years, claiming more than ten millions lives .
Now that historic game has been recreated on Saltburn beach, Teesside, to commemorate the Great War .
By . Steph Cockroft . In the depths of a bitter winter, during one of the bloodiest wars in history, two warring sides laid down their weapons and took part in one of the most powerful shows of peace in history. On Christmas Day 1914, the sounds of firing rifles faded and British and German soldiers, who had been at war for five months, broke into an impromptu game of football in No Man's Land in Flanders, France. The poignant meeting between the trenches signalled a Christmas truce along the Western Front, which would prove to be only of the only glimpses of chivalry in an otherwise brutal war. Players took part in a reenactment of the iconic football match which took place on Christmas Day 1914 in Flanders, when British and German armies agreed a truce . The impromptu game broke out during the First World War after a German messenger walked across No Man's Land on Christmas Eve to broker a temporary ceasefire . The match, which was a replica on the Christmas Day truce came, took place in blistering temperatures - in direct comparison to the freezing winter which troops faced at the time . After Christmas Day, the war continued for another four years, killing up to ten million people. Now that match has been recreated on Saltburn beach, Teesside, to mark the First World War as the centenary of its start approaches. In starkly different circumstances, . including sweltering temperatures, two teams dressed up in historic wartime gear to reenact a version of the 1914 game. Watched by thousands of spectators, the two teams battled it out on the sand, in tribute to those who lost their lives during the conflict. Truce: A depiction of British and German soldiers playing football in 'No Man's Land' on the battlefield in World War One . The two teams dressed up in vintage army uniforms and played the game, which ended up with a 5-2 win to the 'British' side. There was also a . field of 8,000 poppies laid to create a temporary 'war cemetery' in tribute to the fallen. A Tiger Moth plane also flew overhead, scattering 40,000 poppy petals onto the crowds below. The 1914 game was one of many unofficial ceasefires . that took place along the Western Front around Christmas 1914 during that war. The truce began after a German messenger walked across No Man's Land on Christmas Eve to broker the temporary ceasefire. The event attracted thousands of people down to the beach, where the match was followed by many other activities to commemorate the fallen from the First World War . Two teams dressed up in vintage uniforms to replicate the match, which was also written about in the wartime novel Birdsong, by Sebastian Faulks . Organiser Allan Whiley said the event - which ended up with a 5-2 win to the British team - was arranged to commemorate the futility of war, as the centenary of the start of the Great War approaches . British soldiers then went out and . recovered 69 dead comrades and buried them. The impromptu football match . soon broke out between the two sides when a ball was kicked out from . the British lines into No Man's Land. To commemorate the game, and the war that followed, organisers arranged a complete day of events. When the tide came in, there was a short service by a . church leader from Saltburn as a lone bugler plays The Last Post. Silent Night, which was sung by German soldiers on the day of the truce football match, was also sung in both German and English. The event became well known after it was written about in Sebastian Faulks' war time book, Birdsong. The men, who were split in British and German teams as they were in the trenches, raised a truce flag at the event . A sea of 8,000 poppies were also laid to mark the fallen, while a Tiger Moth plane flew overhead, dropping 40,000 poppy petals to the crowds below . Silent Night, which was sung by German soldiers on the day of the truce match, was also sung in both German and English at the event . Allan Whiley told the Northern Echo: 'If the soldiers had continued playing football instead . of being forced back into battle perhaps a lot of lives would have been . saved not just in the First World War but the second one as well. We . want to commemorate the futility of war. 'We knew we couldn’t do this on Christmas Day, which is when the match . actually happened, so we thought we would hold it nearer the time of the . outbreak of the war.' Proceeds from the event, to be match funded by Barclays, will go to the . East Cleveland branch of the Royal British Legion who will use the funds . to restore Saltburn's War Memorial. Spectators look on from Saltburn pier during a commemoration event . A lone buglar played the Last Post, pictured left, after a short service, which was attended by thousands - young and old alike, pictured right . Thousands of people enjoyed the sun as they went down to the commemoration event .
in No Man's Land in Flanders, France. The Christmas truce along the Western Front, which match which took place on Christmas Day 1914 in Flanders, when British and German armies agreed a continued for another four years, killing up to ten million people. Now that match has been recreated on Saltburn beach, Teesside, to mark The impromptu football match . soon broke out commemorate the game, and the war that followed,