My Beloved Wife and Children,
At the moment of starting for the place of execution, I tenderly embrace your dear image for the last time. My last kiss, from the bottom of my heart, here for you. Farewell! Long live France!
E. Jacquet.
On March 11th, 1915, a British aviator was forced to land in the town, after having bombed a German telephone station. Hidden by Jacquet, he eventually escaped to Belgium, guided by Melle. Geneviève. A few days later, he again flew over the town and dropped notes reading as follows: "Lieutenant Mapplebeck sends his compliments to the Kommandant of the German Forces in Lille, and regrets that he was unable to make his acquaintance during his recent pleasant stay in the neighbourhood."
The joy of the inhabitants and the rage of the Kommandantur may be better imagined than described in print. Orders were immediately given, and the "Polizei" set to watch. Previously, on March 16th, notices had been posted up all over the town, threatening with death any person who should hide "any member of the enemy forces."
Hostages, including the foremost persons in the town, were imprisoned in the Citadelle, while the liberties of all were severely curtailed. Passes to and from the surrounding villages were stopped, and "lights out" was sounded at 5 p.m.
Being unable to imprison the entire population, the Kommandant deprived them of liberty and air in mid-summer.
Meanwhile Jacquet, who knew that he was suspected, made light of the danger.
Arrested several times under various pretences, all efforts to incriminate him failed. However, a spy was at last found, who undertook to do the business. Passing himself off as a French prisoner, he asked Jacquet and his friends to help him, and then betrayed them to the "Polizei." A new search enabled the Germans to lay hands on 2,000 frs. in gold, but they could not find any incriminating documents (the list of the soldiers in hiding, 200 in number, was in the upholstering of an armchair at Deconinck's house).
