On August 26th, at about 1 o'clock in the afternoon, we were to be sent off by rail. The signal for starting had already been given when the train was heavily fired at from the houses near the station. One could hear the rattling of the bullets. Everybody who could do so had to load. Not till half an hour later were we able to proceed, the firing lasted so long. The train was only a hospital train, and was marked as such with the red cross.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed:Schmidt.
The witness was sworn.
Signed: Dr.van Gember.Signed:Lempfrid.
D. App. 48.
Present:President, Dr.Czarnikow.Secretary,Thiele.
Allemant in France,December 18th, 1914.
There appeared as witness Lieutenant Brandt of the Reserve, Infantry Regiment von Alvensleben (6th Brandenburg) No. 52, who, after the importance of the oath had been pointed out to him, was examined as follows:
As to Person: My name is Kurt Brandt, aged 32; Protestant; book-keeper in the printing works of J. Schmidt at Markneukirchen, Saxony.
As to Case: I can only repeat the statements which I made in my report to my regiment on September 27th.
The report was then read to the witness, and he then declared the following: The report is the one just mentioned by me. I repeat its contents. The letter of the Belgian Government mentioned therein and the list of members of the Garde Civique found, I handed to the regiment on the following day. Lieutenant Dunkel of the Reserve will confirm the correctness of my statements; he was then also at Louvain, and led a train of the Army Telegraph Section 1.
During the firing, field gendarmes handed over to me about five civilians who bore no badge or uniform. The gendarmes reported that they had taken the persons with arms in their hands, and they also produced the arms. I did not examine the prisoners, but had them taken to the Commandant.
The owner of the hotel mentioned by me, who appeared in the morning from within the hotel when it was already quite burned down, was handed over by me to the General Staff Officer of the IX. Reserve Army Corps, a captain, whose name I do not know. It was the same officer who had given me instructions to destroy the two hotels. The civilian was examined by the officer and shot about half an hour later. At about the same time two priests were shot; when I saw them, they had already been apprehended. On inquiry, an orderly officer of the Commander General told me that they had distributed ammunition among the civilians.
Major Hildebrand, mentioned in my report, had expressly pointed out that he and his people had been fired on particularly from the houses opposite the station.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed:Kurt Brandt.
The witness was sworn.
Proceedings closed.
Signed:Czarnikow. Signed:Thiele.
Sender:Brandt(Kurt), Lieutenant of Reserve.
Place of dispatch: Wood near Fort Condé.
Date: 27.9, 4 p.m.
Report.
To Infantry Regiment No. 52.
On the 24th ult. I arrived as protection to our Army Telegraph Section with a platoon of the 11th Company, Infantry Regiment No. 52, at Louvain, and took up our quarters in the Court of Justice; we were exceptionally well received by the inhabitants. On the following day troop trains arrived continually with troops of the IX. Reserve Army Corps who marched off in the direction of Antwerp, because a sortie was reported from that city. Only one company and my platoon remained behind with the baggage. This and the thunder of the cannon which could be heard in the town seemed to furnish an opportune moment for the inhabitants to carry out the attack upon our troops which they had no doubt planned and prepared. At about 9 o'clock there commenced a violent firing upon our soldiers from the houses, especially directed upon the newly arriving trains. Major Hildebrand, leader of a not yet detrained battalion, Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 31, an old regimental comrade of mine, also suffered from this fire.
The fire was opened in the whole town in so surprising and uniform a fashion that preparations for it must surely have been made. In my opinion, the Belgian Garde Civique took part in it. This assumption of mine was confirmed by a document of the Belgian Government taken on the 23rd of August from the Burgomaster of Winghe-St. Georges, from which can be seen that the Garde Civique was to be mobilised. The distinctive signs mentioned in the letter (band and rosette) could not be found, because ostensibly they were to be distributed from Louvain, as the place belonged to this district. Lists of members for the last three years were also found. It was impossible to make arrests because, according to the statement of the Burgomaster, almost the whole population had fled; I suspect, however, that the male population had been "drawn" into Louvain where these "troops" were to assemble. In the course of the evening, troops were brought back into the town, and at about 12 o'clock the firing ceased at last. On the command of the General Staff of the IX. Reserve Army Corps I then joined the other troops in the station square, and was suddenly ordered to destroy and set on fire two hotels from which firing had taken place during the whole time, and to fetch out the occupants. The principal culprits, however, evidently found an outlet in time over the roofs, for only the proprietor came out at about 5 a.m., and very soon he received his reward, as well as two priests who had distributed munition to the civilians. On the following morning we continued our march in the direction of Brussels, and on the way we were again violently fired at from different houses.
I reported by telegram what I had ascertained regarding the Garde Civique to the Commandant of the town of Louvain on the same day (the 23rd), so that he might be able to take counter-measures; I know nothing further of the result. But like all the others who have lived through the attack I am firmly convinced that the matter had been previously arranged by the authorities.
Signed:Kurt Brandt, Lieutenant of the Reserve,9th Company,Infantry Regiment No. 52.
D. App. 49.
Court of the 18th Reserve Division.
Present:President,v. Kauffberg.Secretary,Rappe.
Avricourt,January 8th, 1915.
There appeared as witnesses the persons mentioned below, who, after the importance of the oath had been pointed out to them, were, in the absence of the witnesses to be heard subsequently, examined as follows:
1. Captain Schaefer, Reserve Field Artillery Regiment No. 18.
As to Person: My name is Walther Schaefer, aged 40; Protestant.
As to Case: I was leader of the light ammunition column, 2nd Reserve Field Artillery Regiment No. 18, and arrived with my column at the station in Louvain on August 25th, 1914, at about 8 p.m. The train was so long that only half of it could be brought up to the station platform. When the first half of the train had been unloaded, and I was remaining with about 100 horses in the goods station, a murderous gun-fire suddenly commenced. The firing evidently came from the roofs and windows of the rows of houses to the east and west of the station. It lasted from twenty minutes to half an hour. In the meantime, a train with infantry arrived. I heard subsequently that the infantry replied to this fire from the carriages.
When the firing had ceased I drew my horses under cover in a goods shed. We had barely arrived there when we were violently fired at from the direction of the church tower. I had the impression that the shots came from above; it was related generally that a machine-gun had been placed in position on the church tower. The firing lasted at first only for a short time, but was repeated at brief intervals, and continued intermittently for a few hours. I cannot state the period more accurately.
I was also in the sheds of the stations. A General Staff Officer of the IX. Reserve Corps was busy there and helped me to get the second half of my train unloaded; this was about 1 o'clock at night. At 2 o'clock I marched off in the direction of Herent-Bueken.
The General commanding the IX. Reserve Corps and Captain Vieregge were during the night in the square in front of the station.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed:Schaefer.
The witness was sworn.
2. Lieutenant of the Reserve Duckwitz, Reserve Field Artillery Regiment No. 18.
As to Person: My name is Richard Duckwitz, aged 28; Protestant.
As to Case: I belonged to the light ammunition column, which arrived on August 25th, 1914, about 8 o'clock p.m., at the goods station of Louvain. Soon after my arrival I was commanded by the leader of the column to ride to Bueken and to report to the Commandant of the 18th Reserve Division the arrival of the column. I rode along a broad boulevard that leads along on the outer edge of Louvain. The street was perfectly quiet. When I subsequently came to smaller streets, I met infantry marching along rifle in hand. They called to me to dismount because firing from the houses was taking place. I met infantry who told me that I could not proceed because our infantry was firing with machine-guns into the town from the other side. One could hear the firing. When it became more quiet after a few minutes I rode on and reached Bueken, part of which was burning. After having made my report, I was told to ride back and to tell the column to come up at once. On the return journey I missed the boulevard and got into the town. I rode along a broad street and overtook a troop of twenty to thirty gendarmes on foot, revolver in hand. With them were several officers, a priest in white cassock, and a few civilians surrounded by a division of soldiers. The priest called out a few words in French now and again; I heard subsequently that he called out to the people to put lights in the houses. I also saw that light was burning in some houses; the street itself was dark. As I could not proceed I returned to Herent, where I remained during the night.
On the following morning, at about 4 o'clock, I rode back to Louvain. I found the boulevard, and arrived at the station at about 6 o'clock. The houses surrounding the station were partly burned down, partly still burning. In front of the station was the General in Command with several officers. After making my report to the leader of my column we soon marched off and left Louvain unmolestedviathe boulevard mentioned above.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed:Duckwitz.
The witness was sworn.
Proceedings took place as above.
Signed:v. Kauffberg. Signed:Rappe.
TRANSCRIBERS NOTEI have found two inconsistencies in the spelling of names;Lieutenant Balterman/BattermannandRifleman Vorwieger/VorwiederI have been unable to ascertain the correct spellings, so have left the names unchanged.
TRANSCRIBERS NOTEI have found two inconsistencies in the spelling of names;Lieutenant Balterman/BattermannandRifleman Vorwieger/VorwiederI have been unable to ascertain the correct spellings, so have left the names unchanged.
HEADLEY BROS., ASHFORD, KENT & 18 DEVONSHIRE ST., E.C.2.