Sender: 7th Company, Infantry Regiment No. 178.
Date: _February 15th, 1915_.
Time: _11 a.m._
To the 2nd Battalion.
On August 23rd, 1914, towards 9.45 a.m., the 7th Company--placed at the
disposal of the 3rd Battalion, which was fighting in Leffe--marched
into this place. While I rode on to report the arrival of my company to
the Commander of the 3rd Battalion, 178th Regiment, the company halted
on the lower road leading to the Meuse, under cover from the opposite
heights of the Meuse, which were occupied by the enemy.
During this brief halt the company was assailed by a murderous
rifle-fire which came from a house with closed windows and bolted door.
One man (Private Uhlemann) was badly wounded in the right instep,
another (Private Neumann) was slightly wounded by three shots in the
arm and hand; all the wounds came from small shot; the firing could
only have been done by civilians.
The company then occupied the heights south of Leffe on the east bank
of the Meuse. From here could be plainly seen how, from the windows
of various houses, and stealing about round the houses and in the
gardens and yards, civilians quickly popped up and fired on the German
soldiers. The company had lain on the heights by the Meuse about 4
hours, and had made these observations chiefly during the first 1-1/2
hours (10.30 to 12 midday). The last facts I can bear witness to myself.
Signed: JOHN, Captain and Chief Company.
1st Battalion, Infantry Regiment No. 178.
_February 19th, 1915._
_Deposition._
Captain John, questioned, made the following statements, additional to
his preceding report:
Before the 7th Company was placed at the disposal of the 3rd Battalion
in Leffe on the morning of August 23rd, the company received the
order from the Battalion Commander, Major Koch, to send out, from the
halting-place of the battalion, about 500 metres east of Leffe, a
detachment to La Papeterie, in order to clear this group of houses of
armed civilians who had fired on marching troops and mounted officers
(Captain Wilke), and to shoot the guilty civilians. For this purpose
the detachment of Lieutenant of Reserve Wendt (who fell later) was
detailed to me. When the detachment rejoined the company later on the
heights south of Leffe, Lieutenant of Reserve Wendt reported to me
that, in accordance with the order received, he had had some men shot
whom he had caught in the act; they were armed with Browning pistols.
I was wounded myself on August 23rd towards 2.30 by a French rifle
bullet which came from the west bank of the Meuse.