The German Fury in Belgium: Experiences of a Netherland Journalist during four months with the German Army in BelgiumMokveld, L. (Lambertus)
History
The German Fury in Belgium: Experiences of a Netherland Journalist during four months with the German Army in Belgium
Mokveld, L. (Lambertus)
Belgium -- History -- German occupation, 1914-1918; World War, 1914-1918 -- Atrocities
"'I saw how two to three hundred German soldiers, part of them
slightly wounded, who were well able to walk, partly soldiers of
the Landen garrison, who crowded about the open doors of one of the
last wagons, raging and jeering against three seriously wounded
British soldiers, about whom their French fellow-passengers told me
that they had had nothing to eat for five days. The wounded were
called "swine," were spit at, and some rifles were aimed at them.
When I told a sergeant that it was a disgusting scene, he answered:
"These British swine, they get paid for their filthy work." He
alluded to the pay which the British volunteers receive because
they enlist as mercenaries, Britain having no compulsory general
military service. Before I witnessed this awful thing at Landen,
Germans in the train had already told me that they simply killed
any British whom they made prisoners. Others said that such a thing
did not happen in their division, but one man contended that by his
company already twenty-six had been killed. I did not believe them,
and thought that they were better than they pretended to be.
"'2. The soup had been offered to the British, but two refused to
take it, says the German Government. Yes, it was offered these
wretched people, but, as I have said already, the German soldiers
kept the steaming soup before them, shouting at them: "You want to
eat, you swine!--you swine! you ought to be killed! This is what
you may have!" And as they said the latter they aimed their rifles
at the unfortunate men, whilst others who were not armed lifted up
their fists and threatened them, or spat at them.
"'In my report about the occurrence I had not even exposed in all
its harshness the treatment dealt out to the French soldiers. For
they too were not offered plates of soup, but only the mugs were
filled, forming part of their equipment. And there were many who
put out these mugs as if supplicating to have them filled once
more; as that was not done they constantly put the empty mug to
their mouth to try and lick off any remaining drops that might have
stuck to its side. Some Germans said: "Yes, the French may have
something, for they are soldiers, but those three there, well, they
are paid swine."
"'3. I published the facts and insisted upon an impartial inquiry,
in order to prevent, if possible, that only guilty soldiers should
be heard should a complaint about the occurrence be lodged with the
highest military authority.
"'Instead of facing such an impartial inquiry with an examination
of all available witnesses and punishment of the guilty, the German
government finds the courage only to call me, a month after the
event, "a liar," and the whole story a fairy-tale!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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