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
"'4. With regard to the arms of the German soldiers, it is true
that the wounded men had none with them, but I have distinctly
stated that the crowd consisted of soldiers who belonged to the
lightly wounded and of soldiers belonging to the Landen garrison.
These latter had been told off to guard the station and the
platforms and maintain order. It is possible that they had also to
prevent the wounded from moving about on the platforms, but in that
case they did not stick to their task, because everybody was free
to go where he liked, and I myself did the same. That these guards
did not guard anything at all at the moment is proved by the fact
that the above-mentioned civilian was able to come near the riot,
although he had to pass a number of platforms. That the soldiers
belonged to the Landen garrison and had to do sentry-go is proved
by the fact that they had their bayonets on their rifles.
"'Finally, the contention that no riot could have taken place
because the soldiers were fed in the dining-hall is entirely
incorrect. That dining-hall was nothing but a shed entirely open
at the front, in which there were a few seats. There the slightly
wounded soldiers were fed first, and when they had supplied
those, food was taken to the seriously wounded, who had to stop
in the train, as also to myself and my little companion. The
slightly wounded and the soldiers of the guard walked off with
the distributors of the soup along the train in order to have a
chat with their comrades in it. In that way they also came to the
British when the wagon-door had been opened. It will be evident
that I observed closely and retained in my memory all that had
happened there and in the neighbourhood.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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