PART 4. (PAGE 1 )
AS THE TITLE STATES THIS PART DEALS WITH ,THE IMFAMOUS "MOERBEKE" AFFAIR,
AND CONTINUES WITH THE AFTERMATH OF THE BATTLE FOR ANTWERP
AND INTERNMENT IN HOLLAND.........
ON THE RIGHT IS A REPORT FROM THE TIMES NEWSPAPER FROM THAT TIME
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ON THE RIGHT ARE BOTH SIDES OF LT COMMANDER HANSONS SERVICE CARD
ON THE RIGHT IS AN EXCERPT FROM AN ADMIRALTY REPORT
DATEDTHE 5th OF DECEMBER 1914,
AND MENTIONS MOERBEKE,
AND THE CONFUSION THAT WAS APPARENT IN THAT AREA
THE MOERBEKE AFFAIR.
A LOT HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT FATEFUL DAY,I DONT INTEND TO ADD TO THAT,
SUFFICE FOR A BRIEF PARAGRAPH,
THERE ARE VARIOUS REPORTS , BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY WHAT HAPPENED,
WAS AFTER A STRUGGLE WITH A GERMAN SOLDIER TRYING TO SHOOT LT CMDR HANSENS MEN , AS THEY WERE TRYING TO ESCAPE , HE WAS TAKEN PRISONER,
AND EXECUTED BY " GERMAN FIRING SQUAD " ON THE 10th of NOVEMBER 1914,
EVEN AFTER COMMODORE HENDERSONS INTERVENTION,,
THE REASON GIVEN " WHAT HE DID WAS AGAINSTED GERMAN MILITARY CODE!"
HE IS BURIED AT THE DENDERMONDE COMMUNAL CEMETERY AND EXTENSION
Grave Location: 13
LT COMMANDER HANSONS MURDER SHOWS THE UTTER BARBARITYOF WAR,
HE WAS TRYING TO SAVE HIS MEN ,
AND PAID DEARLY FOR IT.
NOW PEOPLE SAY THAT OUR SIDE WERE LIONS LED BY DONKEYS,
THAT IS NOT TRUE IF IT WAS ? THEN WHEN EARL HAIG DIED,
WHY WAS HIS FUNERIAL ROUTE LINED BY EX SERVICE MEN?
WHAT 21ST CENTURY PEOPLE DONT REALISE IS THAT THE WAY WARS WERE FOUGHT BACK THEN,
BEFORE THE ADVENT OF RELLIABLE MACHINE GUNS , AND MECHANISED INDUSTRIAL WARFARE,
NO GENERAL WANTS TO SEND MEN TO THEIR DEATHS,
AND THE HIGHER UP THE CHAIN OF COMMAND IT DOESNT GET ANY EASYIER,
IT WAS A HEAVY BURDON FOR ANY MAN TO TAKE ON.
I HELD LT COMMANDER HANSONS SERVICE CARD IN MY TREMBLING HANDS,
IT WAS A VERY MOVING EXPERIENCE .
THIS IS PART OF THE REASON I DO MY WEBSITE ,
SO PEOPLE DONT FORGET THEIR SACRIFICES ,
AND REMEMBER THESE BRAVE SOULS...................
THE SELECTION OF IMAGES BELOW SHOW,
THE RABENHAUPT ARMY BARRACKS ,THE LADS WERE BILLITED IN IN GRONINGEN,
BEFORE THE NEW CAMP WAS BUILT,
BEHIND WHAT WAS THEN THE TOWN GAOL.
IT ALSO SHOWS THE LADS IN FRONT OF THE BARRACKS AND THE LOCALS LOOKING AT THEM THROUGH THE RAILINGS,
THEY MUST HAVE WONDERED HOW THEY WOULD TAKE TO INCARSERATION.
THIS IS AN INTERESTING DOCUMENT,
BELOW ,
DATED DECEMBER THE 5th 1914
AND GIVES A CLEARER PICTURE OF HOW AND WHY 1500,
MEN ENDED UP IN INTERNMENT IN HOLLAND
I HAD NEVER SEEN THIS DOCUMENT BEFORE ,
A FEW WEEKS AGO,
ON THE LEFT IS A
PAGE FROM A WW1
PERIOD TRAVEL
GUIDE.
ON THE RIGHT THE OLD GAOL
ENTRANCE AS IT IS TODAY
THE NEXT SET OF IMAGES BELOW ARE RARE THEY SHOW A CHRISTMAS CARD FROM,
O.S W . ANDERSON NUMBER T/3206 COLLINGWOOD BATTALION,
THEY SHOW THE CARD FRONT DATED CHRISTMAS 1914
THE INSIDE OF THE CARD, AND ON THE RIGHT OF THE SAME IMAGE, IT SHOWS THE RABENHAUPT BARRACKS,
THEN THE NEXT 3 IMAGES , THE FIRST SHOWING WILLIAM WITH HIS OPPOS ,
IVE ADDED A YELLOW ARROW TO SHOW HIM ,THE NEXT SHOWS HIM 4TH IN FROM THE LEFT.
KNITTING, WITH HIS OPPOS, IF YOU NEEDED SOCKS AND SCARVES ETC YOU HAD TO MAKE THEM YOURSELF!,
THE LAST IMAGE SHOWS HIM QUITE CLEARLY ON THE LEFT,
THIS SHOWS THEY WERE TREATED WELL AND IN THE EVENT SUFFERED THE SAME PRIVATIONS AS THE DUTCH POPULATION .
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