They tied them by
the arms to their horses and galloped off. The bodies of the poor lads
were found a few miles away--their knees were "literally crushed"; one
had his throat cut and both had several bullets in their heads. At
Sermaize, a labourer, named Brocard, and his son, were arrested. His
wife and daughter-in-law, mad with terror, threw themselves into a
neighbouring stream. The old man broke away, and ran to try and save
them. The Germans dragged him away.... Four days later Brocard and the
son, on being liberated, returned home, and after a search, found the
bodies. The two women, while still in the water, had been shot several
times through the head. A parish priest named Dergent was taken to
Aerschot, stripped, and tied to a cross in front of the church; his
fingers and toes were crushed and broken with the butt-end of a rifle.
The inhabitants were made to pass in front of him and were each
compelled to urinate on him in turn; then he was shot and his body
thrown into the canal.[10]
At Herimenil, during the pillage, the inhabitants were shut up in a
church, and kept there for four days without food. When Madame Winger,
23 years of age, and her three young servants, one girl and two boys,
were too slow in leaving her farm to go to the church, the captain
ordered his men to fire on them. Four more dead bodies!
The Germans arrived at Monchy-Humieres. A group of inhabitants watched
them marching past. No provocation whatever was offered, but an officer
thought that he heard someone utter the word "Prussians.
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