In the evening, when most were already abed, it may have been 9 or 9.30, we heard suddenly violent firing. All who could jumped from their beds and endeavoured to get rifles to defend themselves.
The senior soldier present in the field hospital was a battalion drummer (sergeant-major) from Regiment No. 27, who was lying in bed severely wounded. He tried to quiet us by saying that we were under the protection of the Red Cross; no one could hurt us. Those of us who had been able to get rifles crowded to the entrance of the field hospital in order to defend ourselves.
I saw quite clearly two or three persons sitting on the roof of a neighbouring house, who fired at our hospital.
Below at the door, where the guard stood, we heard violent firing. One could distinguish clearly between the pistol firing, carried out by the Belgians, and the rifle fire of our own troops. Meanwhile, one or other of our soldiers came to us and told us to rest quietly; the attack undertaken by the inhabitants had failed. They only said that our sentinels were having a bad time, that they were covered with hot tar, and were suffering great pain.
Finally we went to bed again. We heard throughout the night single pistol shots, which could be clearly distinguished from our rifle shots.
Next morning, between 8 and 9, I had gone into the court. Two other soldiers were near. Suddenly about ten pistol shots were fired on us, which, as I saw clearly, struck the ground quite close to me. The shots had evidently been fired from the opposite roof by pushing back the tiles. On the way to the station, which we took on the same morning, we were repeatedly told by our posts to take care, as more shots had been fired. At the Louvain station it was some hours before the field hospital train went off. During this time several pistol shots fell again at the end of our column, which were evidently intended for the hospital train; a comrade was immediately afterwards carried from the rear part of the column, where he had just been severely wounded in the legs, to the front of the train.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: August Zander.
The witness was then sworn.
Signed as above.