WHOLESALE PILLAGE
“Aug. 8, 1914. Gouvy (Belgium).—There, the Belgians having fired on some German soldiers, we started at once pillaging the merchandise warehouse. Several cases—eggs, shirts, and everything that could be eaten was carried off. The safe was forced and the gold distributed among the men. As to the securities, they were torn up.”
“The enemy occupied the village of Bièvre and the edge of the wood behind it. The third company advanced in first line. We carried the village, and then pillaged and burned almost all the houses.”
“The first village we burned was Parux (Meurthe-et-Moselle). After this the dance began, throughout the villages, one after the other; over the fields and pastures we went on our bicycles up to the ditches at the edge of the road, and there sat down to eat our cherries.”
“Our first fight was at Haybes (Belgium) on the 24th of August. The second battalion entered the village, ransacked the houses, pillaged them, and burned those from which shots had been fired.”
“They do not behave as soldiers, but rather as highwaymen, bandits and brigands, and are a dishonor to our regiment and to our army.”
“No discipline, . . . the Pioneers are well nigh worthless; as to the artillery, it is a band of robbers.”
“Aug. 12, 1914, in Belgium.—One can get an idea of the fury of our soldiers in seeing the destroyed villages. Not one house left untouched. Everything eatable is requisitioned by the unofficered soldiers. Several heaps of men and women put to execution. Young pigs are running about looking for their mothers.”