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.