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
In the end and in despair I accepted an aspirin tablet which he had
pressed on me a hundred times, and although I do not know whether
it was owing to that, or in spite of it, it was a fact that I felt
somewhat better.
After touring quite a long while through this labyrinth, we got at
last back to the main road from Namur to Dinant, near Anhec. Here
immediately we saw proofs of war, drawn from widespread destruction.
The railway bridge across the Meuse near Houx, so picturesquely
situated at the foot of a high rock, had been blown up.
Bouvigne, a hamlet near Dinant, had suffered fearfully from the
bombardment of that town. Trees were splintered by the shells, the
church was nearly a total wreck from the same cause, and two houses by
the road had been riddled by bullets into a sieve, and also damaged
by shells. On the whole scene of war I have not seen one house
carrying so many bullets in it; their holes made the doors look like
wire-netting. In these houses the French had barricaded themselves,
brought mitrailleuses to them, and defended them until the last. None
of those heroes left them alive. My colleague took many snapshots of
this remarkable spot, while I collected bullets, fragments of shell,
and similar mementos of this warfield.
In order to give the reader some idea of the fearful things that
happened at Dinant, I insert here some quotations from the reports
drawn up by the Belgian Inquiry Committee about the Violations of
International Law, of which I can affirm the truth word for word,
because they are identical with the information that I got myself at
Dinant.
"The destruction took place from August 21st to the 25th.
"On August 15th a fierce fight took place between the French troops
on the left bank of the Meuse and the Germans who approached from
the east. The Germans were defeated, put to flight, and chased by
the French, who crossed the river. On that day the town was not
damaged much. Some houses were destroyed by German howitzers, which
were undoubtedly aimed at the French regiments on the left bank.
One Red Cross helper who lived at Dinant was killed by a German
bullet when he was taking up one of the wounded.
"The next day all remained quiet, the French keeping the
surrounding places occupied; not one fight took place between the
two armies and nothing happened which might be looked upon as a
hostile action by the populations, and there were no German troops
near Dinant.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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