Part 22
From this statement of mine, which I can conscientiously swear to, it can be clearly seen that on the night of August 25th to 26th, and also on the forenoon of August 26th, the inhabitants fired repeatedly and frequently upon German officers and German soldiers without any cause, that is to say, without a German officer or a German soldier having first fired upon the inhabitants.
Finally, I wish to add that during those days I saw myself a 1st Surgeon, a Captain, and a Landsturm soldier wounded by small-shot, the two former in the face; I treated the Landsturm soldier myself; he had shot-wounds in the forehead, on the right hand, and the right thigh. I also treated a fourth wounded, a Landsturm soldier with shot-wounds in the thigh.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: Dr. GEORG BERGHAUSEN.
The witness was then sworn.
Signed: Dr. IVERS. Signed: RAMBEAU.
D. App. 10.
Court of the Government-General at Brussels.
Present: Dr. IVERS, Judge of Military Law. Secretary, RAMBEAU.
LOUVAIN, _September 17th, 1914_. Station Buildings.
Non-commissioned Officer Friedrich Hüllermeier, 1st Company, 2nd Mobile Landsturm Infantry Battalion Neuss, made the following statement:
As to Person: My name is Friedrich Hüllermeier, born at Hardenberg, near Neviges (district of Düsseldorf), on November 13th, 1874; Protestant.
As to Case: On Monday, August 24th, 1914, our company, coming from Neuss, arrived at Louvain, the 1st Company having gone as far as Louvain by rail. I was attached to the baggage, consisting of three carts, three drivers, six men, and four cyclists. We arrived at Louvain at about 9.30 p.m. The night passed quietly at Louvain. On August 25th everything in Louvain was quiet until 5 o'clock p.m. Our carts and baggage, with the necessary guard, stood in front of the hotels in the station square. At 5.30 the baggage leader, Non-commissioned Officer Cardinco, came and gave orders to fetch the horses at once from the avenue and side-street, and to make them ready for marching. We stood harnessed. At about 8 o'clock our company, with 1st Lieutenant v. Sandt at its head, returned from the north-west exit of Louvain and drew up between our baggage. The company had been barely five minutes near the baggage when suddenly and unexpectedly we were terribly fired at from the surrounding houses, from windows, attics, and particularly from the roofs. Beside me stood the servant of Colonel Schweder, Corporal Fehnes. He received a wound in the head and several in the arm, and was carried from the place seriously injured. I also saw four of our horses hit by shots from the windows. I saw that many shots were fired on us from the Hôtel de l'Industrie, the hotel where our officers were staying. Several soldiers of our company are said to have been grievously injured. I add, that the inhabitants fired too high. This was our good fortune, for, in the terrible fire directed upon us from all the houses in the station square most of the German officers and soldiers would have been killed or seriously wounded. At the command of Colonel Schweder the company was then led close to the station building. We stood close to the station for about a quarter of an hour, and then I saw that the houses at the station--except the Hôtel "Maria Theresa"--were blazing. The Hôtel "Maria Theresa" had not been set on fire because, as I heard only later on, the German military store of benzine was near it. But I saw clearly that several volleys had been fired from the windows and the roof of this hotel, which were aimed directly at the officers and men in front of the station. Besides my company, about 120 to 150 soldiers from a regiment just detrained stood at the station. Only, now, since the volleys had been fired from the house Hôtel "Maria Theresa," we also fired at this house and set it alight. Not a single shot was fired either by our soldiers, standing near the baggage, or by my company, which returned about 8 o'clock from the north-west exit of Louvain, and which was partly standing between our baggage and partly lying down a little distance away. Only after we German officers and soldiers had been fired at from almost all the houses round the station did we receive orders to reply to the fire. I can swear to this.
The witness, after his statement had been read over to him, was admonished that his statement must be perfectly true, since he would have to swear to it. The witness declared:
I have only spoken what is quite true, and I can swear to it to the best of my knowledge.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: FRIEDRICH HÜLLERMEIER.
The witness was then sworn.
Signed: Dr. IVERS. Signed: RAMBEAU.
Court of the Government-General of Belgium.
Present: President, STEMPEL. Secretary, STEMPER.
MALINES, _November 19th, 1914_.
There appears on citation the witness mentioned below, who, after the object of the examination had been made known to him, was examined as follows:
As to Person: Friedrich Hüllermeier, aged 40; non-commissioned officer, 1st Company, 2nd Landsturm Battalion Neuss, at present in Malines.
As to Case: On the afternoon of August 25th the alarm was raised in Louvain because there was a battle in the neighbourhood. I had instructions to be ready at the station to march with our baggage-carts (the baggage of the Staff and our company). I saw nothing of a light signal or a green light near the station. But towards the evening my attention had been aroused by a very large number of young people in civilian clothes--compared to the number previously--who moved about in the streets, and also went into some of the houses. Towards the evening I also saw some figures glide past the windows of the surrounding houses, and I noticed curtains at the open windows being pulled together. Suddenly, after 8 o'clock p.m., we were fired at from all sides as if by word of command. Many of us were wounded; some of us were seriously injured. My horse was shot in the head. We were ordered to lie down, and we fired upon the houses. Previous to this firing there was perfect quiet, and we were on the best terms with the inhabitants. Comrades, particularly such as had stood guard at the station, assured me in the most credible manner that on that evening, and prior to the sudden firing, they had seen light signals go up, especially red and green lights. I declare on my oath that I saw myself how we were fired at from the surrounding houses, particularly from the windows and attic dormers; I also clearly noticed many shots from the Hôtel de l'Industrie and whole volleys from the windows and the roof of the Hôtel "Maria Theresa."
I maintain my statement, made on September 17th, 1914, which has been read over to me.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: Non-commissioned Officer HÜLLERMEIER.
The witness affirmed the correctness of his statement with reference to his previous oath.
Proceedings closed.
Signed: STEMPEL. Signed: STEMPER.
D. App. 11.
Court of the Government-General at Brussels.
Present: Dr. IVERS, Judge of Military Law. Secretary, RAMBEAU.
LOUVAIN, _September 17th, 1914_. Station Buildings.
Landsturm-soldier Wilhelm Krebbers, 1st Company, 2nd Mobile Landsturm Infantry Battalion Neuss, made the following statement:
As to Person: My name is Wilhelm Krebbers, born in Crefeld, October 10th, 1873; Catholic.
As to Case: I can testify with certainty that the German officers and we German soldiers only fired on the houses after the inhabitants had previously made a murderous attack upon us Germans by firing many shots and whole volleys from the windows and especially the roofs of all houses near the station.
I was baggage leader. After the firing was finished, my baggage-cart and horses had disappeared. It was not until about 12.30 at night that I met in the Rue de la Station two soldiers of a strange regiment with my cart and my horses. I got on the cart and drove to the station. When I passed the Hôtel "Maria Theresa" several volleys were fired from the windows and the roof upon my cart. The horses bolted and only stopped behind the station at a wall.
The statement was read over to the witness, and he was admonished to speak only the truth, since he would have to swear to it. He then declared:
I have spoken the perfect truth, and can swear to it with a clear conscience.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: WILH. KREBBERS.
The witness was then sworn.
Signed: IVERS. Signed: RAMBEAU.
D. App. 12.
Court of the Government-General at Brussels.
Present: Dr. IVERS, Judge of Military Law. Secretary, RAMBEAU.
LOUVAIN, _September 17th, 1914_. Station Buildings.
Sergeant-Major Schmiele, 1st Company, 2nd Mobile Landsturm Infantry Battalion Neuss, made the following statement:
As to Person: My name is Arnold Schmiele, born on May 5th, 1882, at Berlin; Protestant.
As to Case: I am Sergeant-Major, 1st Company, 2nd Mobile Landsturm Infantry Battalion Neuss, and am under the immediate command of 1st Lieutenant v. Sandt.
When I had heard the first two or three shots of the inhabitants from the houses opposite the station--it was about 8 o'clock p.m., shortly after dark--I noticed coming in a south-westerly direction a swarm of small bluish balls of light that descended on us without making any noise and were then extinguished. I immediately drew the attention of the soldiers near me to this; five to six soldiers had, so they told me, made the same observation as I had done. In my opinion, this rocket was to be the sign for the inhabitants to begin firing at once upon the German soldiers; in any case, it is certain that immediately after the appearance of the rocket in the sky, the inhabitants fired from their houses. I saw that we German soldiers were fired on from two houses in the station square directly from the roof and from the attic windows.
I can swear according to the truth that in the station square where my company lay, the inhabitants were the first to fire on us from the houses, and that it was only then, after the Belgians had commenced the firing, that we Germans fired on the houses in the station square.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: ARNOLD SCHMIELE.
The witness was then sworn.
Signed: Dr. IVERS. Signed: RAMBEAU.
D. App. 13.
Court of the Government-General at Brussels.
Present: Dr. IVERS, Judge of Military Law. Secretary, RAMBEAU.
LOUVAIN, _September 18th, 1914_.
Landsturm-soldier Küppers, Landsturm Battalion Neuss, made the following statement:
As to Person: My name is Hubert Küppers, born at Güchen, district of Grevenbroich, on April 11th, 1877; Catholic.
As to Case: I am a soldier of the 1st Company, Landsturm Infantry Battalion Neuss.
On August 25th I was, in the evening between 7 and 9 o'clock, sentinel in front of the main entrance to the station building at Louvain. At about 8 o'clock the leader of our company arrived with his company in the station square. One part of the company drew up between our baggage-carts in the station square, another part lay down on the ground a few paces from us. The company had only been in the station square for about five minutes when I saw a green rocket go up, going in the direction above the Hôtel "Maria Theresa" at the station square. I saw how the rocket became extinguished above the Monument in the station square and a number of bright, many-coloured little balls fell down, which all went out in the air before they touched the ground.
Hardly had the green rocket and the small balls become extinguished when, on the opposite side of the town, and also in the direction towards the station, a red rocket became visible. After a few minutes the red rocket also became extinguished, and immediately afterwards a number of luminous little balls, blue, red, and green, from the rocket fell down and were extinguished before touching the ground. Only a few seconds later a murderous fire was opened upon the German soldiers from the windows and attics of nearly all the houses in the station square. I am certain that the two rockets were a sign to the Belgians for commencing the fire upon the German soldiers. At 9 o'clock I was relieved. I immediately reported to Non-commissioned Officer Grünewald, on duty in the guardroom, that at about 8 o'clock I had seen two rockets go up, one from the left of the town and the other from the right--the first, a green one, followed immediately by a red one, from both of which fell a quantity of luminous, many-coloured, small balls.
After the witness had been earnestly exhorted to speak the truth, he made the following statement:
I am ready to swear conscientiously to the incident of the two rockets just as I have described it.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: HUBERT KÜPPERS.
The witness was then sworn.
Signed: Dr. IVERS. Signed: RAMBEAU.
D. App. 14.
Court of the Government-General at Brussels.
Present: Dr. IVERS, Judge of Military Law. Secretary, RAMBEAU.
LOUVAIN, _September 18th, 1914_.
Non-commissioned Officer Engemann, Landsturm Battalion Neuss, made the following statement:
As to Person: My name is Hugo Engemann, born at Barmen on June 13th, 1876; Catholic.
As to Case: I am a non-commissioned officer of the 1st Company, Landsturm Battalion Neuss, and on August 25th I was on duty at signal-box 2. The guard is posted at some 800 metres' distance from the station at Louvain. I sat in front of the guard-house and noticed in the twilight, immediately after 8 o'clock, a red rocket in the sky. In my opinion it rose above the main railway station at Louvain. Immediately afterwards I heard loud firing from the town.
I can swear to my statement with a clear conscience.
Signed: HUGO ENGEMANN.
The witness was then sworn.
Signed: Dr. IVERS. Signed: RAMBEAU.
D. App. 15.
MALINES, _November 19th, 1914_.
Court of the General-Government of Belgium.
Present: President, STEMPEL. Secretary, STEMPER.
On citation there appears the witness mentioned below, who, after the object of the examination has been made known, was examined as follows:
As to Person: My name is Frederic Messelke, aged 42; corporal, 2nd Landsturm Battalion Neuss, 1st Company, at present in Malines.
As to Case: On August 25th I marched with my company in close order through Louvain to the station there. In the preceding action the Belgians had been pressed back. On our return the town was quiet, nor did we hear any shots on our return march. The troops in Louvain did not mistake us for Belgian troops trying to enter the town. Above the station I saw suddenly, at about 8 o'clock p.m., a blaze of light as of a rocket. On the appearance of this light we were suddenly fired upon from every quarter. At the command of our Feldwebelleutnant we fired on the houses. The shooting continued for some time. I immediately told my comrades that the signal light mentioned above was evidently a rocket.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: FRITZ MESSELKE.
After the importance of the oath had been pointed out to him, the witness was duly sworn.
Signed: STEMPEL. Signed: STEMPER.
D. App. 16.
MALINES, _November 19th, 1914_.
Court of the General Belgian Government.
Present: President, STEMPEL. Secretary, STEMPER.
There appears as witness Corporal Heinrich Weinen, and is examined as follows:
As to Person: My name is Heinrich Weinen, aged 38; corporal, 1st Company, 2nd Mobile Landsturm Battalion Neuss, at present in Malines.
As to Case: On August 25th I saw from the station square a light signal suddenly given. Upon this signal we were fired at on all sides from the windows of the surrounding houses. The rooms, from which the shots came, were dark. I did not see any figures at the windows; I only saw the flash of the shots; the flashes from the objects pointed from the windows, which I took to be revolvers, were reflected from the houses upon the street. The bullets struck the square close to us and burst about our heads too.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: HEINRICH WEINEN.
After the importance of the oath had been pointed out to him, the witness was duly sworn.
Signed: STEMPEL. Signed: STEMPER.
D. App. 17.
MALINES, _November 19th, 1914_.
Court of the General Belgian Government.
Present: President, STEMPEL. Secretary, STEMPER.
There appears on citation Musketeer Wilhelm Mainz as witness, and is examined as follows:
As to Person: My name is Wilhelm Mainz, aged 39; musketeer, 1st Company, 2nd Landsturm Battalion Neuss, at present in Malines.
As to Case: On August 25th, in the evening, I was on guard at the signal cabin, about 1000 metres from the railway station at Louvain. Once, on turning round--it was between 8 and 9 o'clock--I saw clearly two bright rockets rising near the station. After the ascent of these rockets, I heard all at once in the town, and more especially near the station, violent firing.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: WILHELM MAINZ.
After the importance of the oath had been pointed out to him, the witness was duly sworn.
Signed: STEMPEL. Signed: STEMPER.
D. App. 18.
LOUVAIN, _November 16th, 1914_. STATIONSSTRASSE, 118.
Court of the General Belgian Government.
Present: President, STEMPEL. Secretary, STEMPER.
On citation there appears as witness Corporal Erwin Bastian, who is examined as follows:
As to Person: My name is Erwin Bastian, aged 28, at present engaged at the Commandant's office at Louvain.
As to Case: On August 22nd I came here with 1st Lieutenant Thelemann, and was billeted upon a wine merchant, W. Philipper, opposite the infantry barracks, with two more comrades. Up to August 25th the relations between the local inhabitants and the soldiers were throughout good, so that the men went partly without arms. On this evening we retired to rest about 8.30; half an hour later we heard isolated shots in the street. From what seemed to me the unusual sound of these shots, I believe I can say with certainty that the shots did not emanate from our weapons. We dressed ourselves at once. From the window of my quarters I noticed several horses, especially officers' horses, galloping through the streets riderless and coming from Tirlemont. I also saw baggage horses without riders galloping past, presumably from the baggage column, which was then stationed in the market square here. Later we went to the infantry barracks, and there reported ourselves. When the shooting increased, we made our way out under the command of a non-commissioned officer to the Tirlemont street, but soon returned again to barracks. Our section had not been firing. On the way I saw dead horses lying in the street. Riderless horses also galloped past us. In the barracks we occupied the windows. From there I saw the flashes of different shots; according to the illumination they caused, they had been fired from the surrounding houses, perhaps at the height of the roof in the direction of the street. I heard the bullets from these shots fall in the street; I had the impression that they came from small bore rifles. It was dark in the street; there was no light; the electric lighting, which on the previous day was in order, had been destroyed during the night.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: ERWIN BASTIAN.
After the importance of the oath had been pointed out to the witness, he was duly sworn.
Signed: STEMPEL. Signed: STEMPER.
D. App. 19.
LOUVAIN, _December 16th, 1914_. STATIONSSTRASSE, 118.
Court of the General Belgian Government.
Present: President, STEMPEL. Secretary, STEMPER.
There appears on citation as witness Musketeer Robert Dreher, and is examined as follows:
As to Person: My name is Robert Dreher, aged 23; musketeer, 11th Company, Infantry Regiment No. 48, at present engaged at the Commander's office at Louvain.
As to Case: I arrived here on August 20th, and have remained here since that date. I was in the infantry barracks here, suffering with bad feet. On the evening of August 25th, at about 9 o'clock, I heard shots in the street. I therefore marched with several men under the command of a non-commissioned officer. In the Rue de Tirlemont shots were fired upon us from right and left of the houses of this street, and, as I could clearly see in the illuminating flashes of the firing, by people dressed as civilians. The shots came from the windows and roofs; the bullets struck the street. It was clear from the sound of the shots that they did not come from German weapons. We entered the houses from which the shots had come and brought out five to six civilians, all of whom still held revolvers in their hands. These persons were later on shot at the railway station. I did not notice any previous signal lights; riderless horses galloped past us, as well as baggage-carts and horses, without drivers. On the morning of August 26th I saw on the railway-station square many civilians shot, more than 100, among whom were five clergymen, because they had shot upon German soldiers, or because arms had been found with them. On August 27th I was in the town with a comrade. I was shot at, without being injured, from behind the hedges of a garden. It was in the afternoon; I was unable to see the person who had fired the shot. On civilians who had been shot we subsequently found distinguishing marks, from which I conclude that they were Belgian soldiers.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: Musketeer DREHER.
After the importance of the oath had been pointed out to the witness, he was duly sworn.
Signed: STEMPEL. Signed: STEMPER.
D. App. 20.
LOUVAIN, _November 16th, 1914_. STATIONSSTRASSE, 118.
Court of the General Belgian Government.
Present: President, STEMPEL. Secretary, STEMPER.
On citation there appears as witness Corporal Willi Kröber, who is examined as follows:
As to Person: My name is Willi Kröber, aged 24; corporal, 8th Leib-Grenadier Regiment, at present in Louvain at the Commandant's office.
As to Case: I have been here since the 21st of August, in the infantry barracks, Rue de Tirlemont, with bad feet. On August 25th, at about 9 o'clock in the evening, we here heard shots which, according to the sound, came from revolvers, but not German ones. We had to form up in the court. A sergeant-major distributed cartridges among us, whereupon I marched off with about twenty men. In the Rue de Tirlemont we were vigorously fired at from houses to the right of the barracks and from houses near the military hospital, the shots being fired from small rifles. We entered a restaurant, from which shots had been fired on us, and we found that the owner had about 100 Browning cartridges. He was taken prisoner and shot. In the public square I saw in the above-mentioned night two dead baggage horses and several German soldiers lying dead in the street. By the light of the shots it could be clearly seen that we were being shot at from the houses of the Rue Tirlemont. We also heard the bullets from these shots strike the street. On our return to barracks I still heard many shots in the distance. On August 26th I did not go out. On August 27th, in the afternoon about 5 o'clock, I went with five men under the command of a non-commissioned officer from the town hall to the market-place. In this square we were shot at with revolvers from the roofs of several houses; the bullets fell near us.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: WILLI KRÖBER.
After the importance of the oath had been pointed out to the witness, he was duly sworn.
Signed: STEMPEL. Signed: STEMPER.
D. App. 21.
MALINES, _November 18th, 1914_.
Court of the General Belgian Government.
Present: President, STEMPEL. Secretary, STEMPER.
There appears on request as a witness Assistant Medical Officer Keuten, who declares: