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
At midday on August 23rd I rode through the village of St. Vincent as
dispatch-rider. As I rode past a house which flew a Red Cross flag, I
came under a vigorous fire from this house and others lying near it,
and here again I was quite convinced the assailants were civilians. My
horse received a bullet through its ear as well as a glancing shot. I
myself was uninjured.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: ERNST WOLFF.
Signed: LASSMANN, 1st Lieutenant and Court Officer.
App. 21.
MILITARY COURT EXAMINATION of Captain of Reserve Adolf Pachur, Field
Artillery Regiment No. 6.
BINARVILLE, _September 25th, 1914_.
Court of Field Artillery Regiment No. 6.
Before the under-mentioned Court officer appeared as witness Captain of
Reserve Adolf Pachur, Catholic, 40 years of age, unmarried. After being
informed of the object of his examination and warned to speak the truth
in his deposition, he made the following statement:
On August 22nd the Light Munitions Column, 1st detachment, Field
Artillery Regiment No. 6, was fired upon by Francs-tireurs on its march
through Tintigny. As the village had a long time since been cleared of
the enemy by our infantry, and our firing line already lay some 2 to 3
kilometres beyond the village, the firing in question could have come
only from francs-tireurs.
The same position occurred on the 23rd of August at St. Vincent. When
the Light Munitions Column were ordered to halt in the village they
were several times, with brief intervals, under hot fire from houses,
gardens, bushes, and trees. It was noticed that the first shots were
principally on every occasion from one and the same house, and were
followed by a general fusillade. One civilian escaping from a house was
shot dead by the officers and men of the column. A sergeant-major of
infantry who, with a detachment, had been given the duty of clearing
the village of francs-tireurs subsequently established the fact that
this man was armed with a revolver.
According to the reports I received, the men of the column were
questioned about their leader, _i.e._ myself, by the proprietor of a
café. This person treated our soldiers with extreme friendliness, but
secured no information. Shortly afterwards I saw how we were being
fired at from this very house which was pointed out to me.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: PACHUR.
The proceedings were as above stated.
Signed: BARON VON STEINAEKER, Lieutenant and Court Officer.
App. 22.
STATEMENT and MILITARY COURT EXAMINATION of Lieutenant of Reserve
Felsmann of the Light Munitions Column, 1st detachment, Field
Artillery Regiment No. 6.
LANÇON, _September 23rd, 1914_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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