Signed: Hilmer.
Hilmer was sworn.
3. Soldier Heinrich Westerkamp, company of wounded, Reserve Battalion, Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 75.
At noon, on August 25th, I had arrived at Louvain with the 2nd Battalion, Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 75. Whilst we were being provisioned from the field-kitchens in that part of the town which is near the suburb of Herent we were struck by the number of young strong people who were in the street and putting their heads together. At Herent I was transferred to the baggage because of foot-trouble whilst my battalion marched on. I was about to draw water from a well when suddenly the baggage was being fired on from all sides. The baggage had already turned about, and as the horses could not be stopped we returned to Louvain at full speed. But there, too, all was not safe, as we heard from stragglers; we wanted to drive past the station into the nearest village in order to spend the night there. We got, however, only about 50 metres beyond the station, and had to halt there because a wheel had come off a cart. Hardly had the carts stopped on the perfectly dark road when we were violently fired at from the houses near us, as well as from those on the other side of the railway and from the bushes on the railway embankment. The man beside me on the cart immediately received a shot in the foot. We dismounted and tried to make ourselves safe. At that moment a civilian came running up towards me from a house, pointing a revolver at me. I immediately shot the person down. A hand-grenade exploded immediately after this, about 7 to 8 metres away from me, and smashed a horse. Three of us now sought cover in the recess of a house, from which we succeeded in reaching a goods-shed. At this time—about 9 p.m.—the 3rd Battalion arrived, which we joined. During the night the detonations never ceased, and the houses round the station were burning. From the Hôtel du Nord a machine-gun had even been fired, as could be distinctly heard from the regular shots. On the following morning I ascertained that five horses of the baggage transport had been killed. I remained in front of the station building until noon on August 26th, and I here saw that about forty persons were examined by an officer and about half of them were shot. Two clergymen were also brought forward, one of whom declared himself a German, and said that he had not fired. I heard subsequently, however, that a Browning pistol was found on him. I also saw a man of Regiment No. 162 or 163 carried past on a stretcher. He whimpered terribly, and I heard that whilst doing patrol duty in the town several inhabitants fell upon him and cut off the scrotum. Later on I heard that the man had died of his wound. A Belgian who addressed me in German declared that the whole misfortune could have been avoided if the clergy did not from the pulpit praise those who fire upon German troops. At noon on the same day we followed the company with the baggage after having previously received fresh horses. We only found a heap of ruins where the village of Herent had stood. About three days later I met Lieutenant Foerster (now of the 4th Company, Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 75). He told me that German soldiers had had the genital members cut off and put into the mouth, and that the latter had then been sewn up.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: Westerkamp.
The witness was sworn according to regulations.
Signed: Ahrens, Lieutenant and Judicial Officer.
Signed: Heinhorst, Non-commissioned Officer.
D. App. 38.
Altona, March 1st, 1915.