The German Army in Belgium, the White Book of May 1915 — John Shaqi
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
3. Corporal of Reserve Fruth, 9th Company, Infantry Regiment No. 73.
As to Person: My name is Friedrich. I am 26 years old; Protestant;
hairdresser.
As to Case: On August 5th, 1914, I found myself near the campaign
baggage of the company. In the afternoon we reached Esneux, where we
halted in the village street. The inhabitants were very friendly to us,
and the people came out of the houses and gave us food and cigarettes
without taking payment.
Towards evening we left this place and marched in the direction of
Liège. We then noticed that the people looked at us from the windows
and laughed ironically. About a kilometre in rear of Esneux we had to
halt. Suddenly fire was opened upon us from some ground near us on our
left, whereupon we received the order to turn back. Up to the present
only single shots had been fired at us, but as soon as we regained the
village a hot fire was opened from the houses. Shots came from almost
every house; it was impossible to select any in particular. From the
sound of the shots one could recognise that the guns were of different
patterns. Several of us were wounded, one horse was shot dead, another
was wounded. We searched the houses and found guns of various kinds. I
did not see any of military pattern.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: FRUTH.
The witness was sworn.
4. Acting-Sergeant-Major Horn, 7th Company, Infantry Regiment No. 73.
As to Person: My name is Friedrich Horn. I am 28 years old; Protestant.
As to Case: On the 6th August this year I was in charge of the
baggage of the 2nd Battalion of my regiment. When I arrived in the
neighbourhood of Poulseur I sent forward three men of the cyclist
company of the 10th Jäger Battalion, who had joined us as stragglers,
as a cyclist patrol, towards the village ahead, in order to see if
the battalion was already there. However, one man of the patrol soon
returned with the news that he had lost both the others; they had
apparently fallen, as the patrol had been fired at from houses in
Poulseur. When I reached Poulseur with the baggage, I and my men also
came under fire. I placed the two foremost waggons across the road for
defence, and led my men forward. We also made preparations in a house
for our own defence. Then things became quiet. After a short interval
the firing broke out again, so that we were compelled also on our
side to fire into the houses. The sound of the assailants' shots was
altogether different from that from our rifles. There were no enemy
troops in the place; it could therefore be only civilians who had
fired. Several cavalry patrols also declared that they had been fired
at by civilians.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: HORN.
The witness was sworn.
5. As witness, Corporal Niebeln, 7th Company, Infantry Regiment No. 73.
As to Person: My name is Ernst. I am 25 years old; Lutheran; by calling
a merchant in Hanover.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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