2. Lieutenant of the Reserve Duckwitz, Reserve Field Artillery Regiment No. 18.
As to Person: My name is Richard Duckwitz, aged 28; Protestant.
As to Case: I belonged to the light ammunition column, which arrived on August 25th, 1914, about 8 o'clock p.m., at the goods station of Louvain. Soon after my arrival I was commanded by the leader of the column to ride to Bueken and to report to the Commandant of the 18th Reserve Division the arrival of the column. I rode along a broad boulevard that leads along on the outer edge of Louvain. The street was perfectly quiet. When I subsequently came to smaller streets, I met infantry marching along rifle in hand. They called to me to dismount because firing from the houses was taking place. I met infantry who told me that I could not proceed because our infantry was firing with machine-guns into the town from the other side. One could hear the firing. When it became more quiet after a few minutes I rode on and reached Bueken, part of which was burning. After having made my report, I was told to ride back and to tell the column to come up at once. On the return journey I missed the boulevard and got into the town. I rode along a broad street and overtook a troop of twenty to thirty gendarmes on foot, revolver in hand. With them were several officers, a priest in white cassock, and a few civilians surrounded by a division of soldiers. The priest called out a few words in French now and again; I heard subsequently that he called out to the people to put lights in the houses. I also saw that light was burning in some houses; the street itself was dark. As I could not proceed I returned to Herent, where I remained during the night.
On the following morning, at about 4 o'clock, I rode back to Louvain. I found the boulevard, and arrived at the station at about 6 o'clock. The houses surrounding the station were partly burned down, partly still burning. In front of the station was the General in Command with several officers. After making my report to the leader of my column we soon marched off and left Louvain unmolested via the boulevard mentioned above.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: Duckwitz.
The witness was sworn.
Proceedings took place as above.
Signed: v. Kauffberg. Signed: Rappe.
TRANSCRIBERS NOTE
I have found two inconsistencies in the spelling of names;
Lieutenant Balterman/Battermann
and
Rifleman Vorwieger/Vorwieder
I have been unable to ascertain the correct spellings, so have left the names unchanged.