The German Army in Belgium, the White Book of May 1915Germany. Auswärtiges Amt
History
The German Army in Belgium, the White Book of May 1915
Germany. Auswärtiges Amt
World War, 1914-1918 -- Atrocities; World War, 1914-1918 -- Belgium
There appeared by order as witness, Assistant-Surgeon Dr.med.
Köckeritz, who, after the importance of the oath had been pointed out
to him and he had been warned to speak the truth, made the following
statement:
As to Person: My name is Albin Werner Köckeritz. I am Assistant-Surgeon
of Reserve, Dr.med.; 28 years old; Protestant.
As to Case: During the night-fighting of August 21st to 22nd, I was in
Dinant. I did not see any cruelties committed by our troops against
the inhabitants, who fired with shot-guns and buck-shot from their
windows. In the further fighting round Dinant also, at the close of
which we moved into Dinant, I saw no misusage whatever of the civilian
population.
That the bodies of inhabitants, who had been shot for taking part in
fighting, were mutilated, is untrue. I saw, however, in a side-valley
a German cavalryman, who had apparently been shot down, lying charred
upon a grating and fastened with wire. This was in the vicinity of the
Field Dressing Station put up by the 22nd and 3rd Battalion, Rifle
(Fusilier) Regiment No. 108 and the 1st Field Artillery Regiment No. 12
and stationed west of Dinant.
The firing, which came from the hospital denoted by a Red Cross flag,
lighted up for a long way the opposite bank of the Meuse.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: Dr. KÖCKERITZ.
The witness was thereupon sworn.
Signed: DACHSEL. Signed: STEIGER.
C. App. 68.
(Guards) Grenadier Regiment No. 100, Officer of Court III.
Present:
Lieutenant of Reserve BANDEL, as Officer of the Court.
Acting-Sergeant-Major RANKE, as Clerk of the Military Court.
GUIGNICOURT, _January 9th, 1915_.
By order there appeared as witness:
Non-commissioned Officer Martin, 10th Company (Guards) Grenadier
Regiment No. 100, who, after having been warned to speak the truth,
made the following statement:
As to Person: My name is Otto Kurt Martin, 22 years old; Protestant.
As to Case: Concerning the article "The incredible atrocities of the
German soldiers," Martin made the following statement:
Inhabitants of the town of Dinant were only shot after it had been
conclusively established that they had treacherously fired at us from
the houses. Moreover, there was firing from houses which displayed the
Red Cross. I did not see any mutilated inhabitants. I likewise do not
know of any cruelties or crimes by our troops. I did not see that our
troops were treated by a Belgian doctor. On the contrary, I noticed
that wounded inhabitants were treated by German doctors and bandaged by
our military non-commissioned officers. I know nothing of the remainder
of the incidents mentioned in the article. I have nothing further to
add.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: KURT MARTIN.
The witness was thereupon sworn.
Signed: BANDEL, Lieutenant and Officer of the Court.
Signed: RANKE, Acting-Sergeant-Major and Clerk of the Military Court.
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