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.