The German Terror in Belgium: An Historical Record — John Shaqi
The German Terror in Belgium: An Historical RecordToynbee, Arnold
History
The German Terror in Belgium: An Historical Record
Toynbee, Arnold
Belgium -- History -- German occupation, 1914-1918; World War, 1914-1918 -- Atrocities
At _St. André_[11] 4 civilians were killed and 14 houses burnt.
_Julémont_,[12] the next village, was completely plundered and burnt.
Only 2 houses remained standing, and 12 people were killed. Advancing
along this road, the Germans arrived at _Blégny_[13] on Aug. 5th.
Several inhabitants of Blégny were murdered that afternoon, among
them M. Smets, a professor of gunsmithry (the villagers worked for
the small-arms manufacturers of Liége). M. Smets was killed in his
house, where his wife was in child-bed. The corpse was thrown into
the street, the mother and new-born baby were dragged out after it.
That night the population of Blégny was herded together in the village
institute; their houses were set on fire. Next morning--the 6th--the
women were released and the men driven forward by the German infantry
towards Barchon fort. The Curé of Blégny, the Abbé Labeye, was among
the number, and there were 296 of them in all. In front of Barchon
they were placed in rows of four, but the fort would not fire upon
this living screen, and they were marched away across country towards
Battice, where five were shot before the eyes of the rest, and the curé
kicked, spat upon, and pricked with bayonets. They were again driven
forward as a screen against a Belgian patrol, and were kept in the open
all night. Next morning 4 more were shot--two who had been wounded by
the Belgian fire, and one who had heart disease and was too feeble to
go on. The fourth was an old man of 78. The Germans tortured these
victims by placing lighted cigarettes in their nostrils and ears. After
this second execution on the 7th, the remainder were set free....
On the 10th Aug. the curé writes in his diary:
“There are now 38 houses burnt, and 23 damaged.
“Thursday the 13th: a few houses pillaged, two young men taken away.
“Friday, the 14th: a few houses pillaged.
“Friday night: the village of Barchon is burnt and the curé taken
prisoner....”
The curé’s last notes for a sermon have survived: “My brothers, perhaps
we shall again see happy days....” But on the 16th, before the sermon
was delivered, the curé was shot. He was shot against the church
wall, with M. Ruwet, the Burgomaster, and two brothers, one of them
a revolver manufacturer who had handed over his stock to the German
authorities (from whom he received two passes) and had been working
for the Red Cross. After the execution the church was burnt down. The
nuns of Blégny were shot at by Germans in a motor-car when they came
out that day to bury the bodies. From the 5th to the 16th Aug., about
30 people were killed in the commune of Blégny-Trembleur, and 45 houses
burnt in all.
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