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
As to Case: On the morning of August 6th found myself with seven
comrades separated from my detachment. In order to get cover we had
to creep through the gardens of a village lying just beyond Herve in
Belgium. We suddenly saw five Belgian soldiers, who held up their
arms and offered to surrender. They called to us, and when we reached
them we noticed that they had with them two German soldiers of the
10th Hussars in handcuffs. One of them brought to our notice that a
third hussar was hanging dead in the tree. We observed that the ears
and nose of the corpse had been cut off. The two hussars told us
also that the five Belgians, who were there, had hung and mutilated
their comrade. The Belgians were just on the point of slaughtering or
mutilating these two also, had we not arrived on the scene. We disarmed
the Belgians, took them prisoners, and handed them over to a party of
five Uhlans, who were already taking several Belgian prisoners away
with them. We, too, then joined the Uhlans in order to regain our
company, and, while passing through the village, were fired at from
the cellars and windows. The name of the village I do not know, but
it lies between Herve and a large coalpit shaft in the direction of
Liège. I myself was wounded in the street-fighting at Liège. On the day
before this occurrence our company had an outpost fight to the right
of Herve, in the course of which an Einjähriger of the 5th Company,
Infantry Regiment No. 165, was wounded and left behind. When we passed
this spot again on the following morning we found the body of the
Einjähriger lying under a garden fence; both his eyes had been gouged
out. We were all convinced that this had been done by villagers.
On about August 7th, as we were advancing towards Liège, we saw a
German infantry-man; I believe he belonged to Infantry Regiment No. 27.
He showed no marks of any shot wound, but was dead, and all his private
parts had been cut away.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: GUSTAV VOIGT.
2. Reservist Fritz Marks.
As to Person: My name is Fritz Marks. I am 23 years old; Protestant;
by calling a factory worker; Reservist of the 2nd Company, Infantry
Regiment No. 165.
As to Case: On August 5th our battalion marched through a village near
Herve in Belgium. A man of the 5th Company came to meet us with the
words, "What brutality! Now they have gouged out the eyes of one of our
Einjähriger." He pointed to the place where the Einjähriger lay. We all
had to go to the place, and saw the Einjähriger lying dead by a garden
fence, with his eyes put out. We were convinced that this was the work
of the villagers. Next day, when we again passed through the village,
we were fired at from cellar gratings and windows, so that orders were
received to disarm the villagers and make them prisoners. We forced our
way into the houses and carried out the order. As, in spite of this,
the firing did not cease, six guilty Belgian peasants were shot by
order of an officer.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account