Some of the
inhabitants were burned to death.
The civilians were utilized on Saturday, Sept. 26, as a screen. During
their retreat the Germans fired twelve houses in Rue des Trois Clefs,
and three civilians, whose names are given, were shot dead in that
street after the firing of the houses. On the following day a heap of
nine dead civilians were lying in the Rue de l'Argent.
Similar outrages occurred at Erpe, a village a few miles from Alost,
about the same date. The village was deliberately burned. The houses
were plundered and some civilians were murdered.
Civilians were apparently used as a screen at Erpe, but they were
prisoners taken from Alost and not dwellers in that village.
DIARIES OF GERMAN SOLDIERS.
This disregard for the lives of civilians is strikingly shown in
extracts from German soldiers' diaries, of which the following are
representative examples.
Barthel, who was a Sergeant and standard bearer of the Second Company of
the First Guards Regiment of Foot, and who during the campaign received
the Iron Cross, says, under date Aug. 10, 1914:
"A transport of 300 Belgians came through Duisburg in the
morning.
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