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 Person: My name is Paul Rohr; born on August 28th, 1892, at
Galbitz, near Cönnern; Protestant.
As to Case: The following deposition, which he had made before
Lieutenant Reyner on October 31st, 1914, was read over to witness:
"Whilst taking some straw for camp purposes from a barn near Brussels
we found two otherwise unwounded German Uhlans hidden under the straw.
Both had their eyes poked out. The case, as I know, has already been
reported to my battalion commander, Kirchner."
He thereupon declared: I affirm this deposition to-day, and add the
following detail: The occurrence took place in a village near Brussels
at about the end of August this year. The two German Uhlans I found
lying dead under the straw in the barn were absolutely unwounded, with
the exception of their torn-out eyes, and there exists no doubt in my
mind that the wounds inflicted, when their eyes were destroyed, were
the sole cause of their death.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: PAUL ROHR.
After the witness had been admonished as to the importance of the oath,
he was duly sworn.
Signed: Dr. SCHILLING. Signed: HORNIG.
App. 66.
MILITARY EXAMINATION of Captain Troeger, Reserve Infantry Regiment No.
204.
Ministry of War.
Military place of examination concerning violations of the Laws of War.
Present:
Kriegsgerichtzrat, Dr. LINDE, Judge.
PFITZNER, Secretary.
BERLIN, _November 24th, 1914_.
There appeared as witness Captain Troeger, Reserve Infantry Regiment
No. 204, who stated:
As to Person: My name is Hans Troeger; 45 years old; Protestant.
As to Case: On the march from Ghent to Thourout, two volunteers of
Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 203, who had collapsed from exhaustion,
were mutilated by Belgian villagers, their ears and noses were cut off,
their stomachs slit open, and one of them had his skull fractured by
the heel of a boot. This fact was made known to us amongst others by
the commanding officer of the company, Captain zur Nieden, to whose
company the two volunteers belonged.
The following is another case, which took place at Cessen-Kappel:
Non-commissioned Officer Schnitzer, 5th Company, Reserve Regiment
No. 204, reported to me on October 26th or 27th that he had found
a mutilated Prussian dragoon at Cessen-Kappel whose ears and nose
had been cut off, and his stomach slit open by villagers. The said
non-commissioned officer thereupon searched the farms in question with
a detachment of his men, and found a few armed inhabitants, who were
shot at once.
On our march through Belgium from Ghent onwards we were constantly
fired on by the inhabitants from houses and church towers.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: TROEGER.
The witness was sworn.
Proceedings concluded.
Signed: Dr. LINDE. Signed: PFITZNER.
APPENDIX A.--AERSCHOT
App. A.
War Office.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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