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The Ypres Times.
THE GERMANS IN YPRES.
By Sister Marguerite, of the Convent St. Marie, Ypres.
On October 7th, 1914, the Feast of Our Lady of Victories, about eleven o'clock in the morning,
we heard the rumbling of cannon in the direction of the hamlet of Hooghe. A battle seemed to be
taking place. Just after dinner, about half-past one, further cannonading was heard near the Lille
Gate the people dwelling in this quarter swarmed into the Grand' Place. Two or three shells fell
close to the Convent of the Black Nuns, and on the house of M. Banckaert.
The pupils in our school, numbering more than 400, were just then on the point of entering their
classes, but the next instant all were struggling to escape by the doors, and the air was filled by their
cries of terror.
After eight or nine shrapnel shells had exploded, all became silent again. This silence lasted for
a few minutes, and then some German soldiers were seen crossing the Grand' Place towards the Lille
Gate, from whence they quickly returned, followed by several hundred German cyclists. We learnt
that M. Henri Vandamme had been killed by a bullet which penetrated the window of his house while
he was playing with his little grand-daughter of six years old. Shells fell on the city in the place named
Steenen Haan," in the Rue de Confines one fell in the Rue de Canon, but without damage another
burst through a window on the first floor of the house, No. 2, Rue de Grimminck, and made an enormous
hole in the wall behind a third fell on St. Peter's church, but only causing two small holes in the roof.
It is astonishing that nobody was struck by the quantities of bullets which flew in all directions from
the exploding shells. In one of our schoolrooms the children amused themselves picking up these bullets.
The Germans passed that night in Ypres and its neighbourhood. One estimated their number at
about 20,000 men. They brought with them many munitions of war and, it was said, 1,200 mitrailleuses,
600 cannon, and thirty travelling kitchens. It was rumoured also that this force was the remainder
of the army of the Prince von Heisel, which had been beaten at Verdun, and which had counted 70,000
men. During their stay these enemy pillagers wrought considerable damage to the city, and especially
directed their attentions to the jewellers' shops, as well as the drapers and wine merchants.
Twenty Germans, with a sergeant and a corporal took up their lodging, with thirty horses, in the
building of the Congregation des Jeunes Gens. There they left these words scribbled on the large black
board The Germans fear God, and nothing else in the world besides. Deutschland fiber alles 1
Sometimes they behaved with moderation, but where, as in the case of a squad in the Rue des
Aveugles, it was unhappily far otherwise.
On Saturday, the 10th, a citizen named Joseph Debrouwer was set upon and slain in cold blood.
A lawyer, M. Butaye, concealed behind a tree, witnessed this tragedy.
From the moment of the arrival of the Germans in Ypres the various church belfries were com
manded to be silent. The German commander requested occupation of the city for three days, and to
ensure compliance the burgomaster, the aldermen and some of the leading citizens were taken hostage.
The city was forced to pay at once 70,000 francs, but it turned out that there were only 65,000 francs
in the treasury.
At the end of three days the enemy was gone, save for numerous scouts and spies who hung about
the environs.
On the 13th the English army entered Ypres, and on the following day 250 English soldiers and 60
horses lodged in our convent. French soldiers also came, and in a few days Ypres was filled with soldiers
and fugitives, men and women, old folks and infants, fatigued, harassed, flying from one spot to another
seeking some refuge. How they excited our pity. And O how they represented the desolation and the
ruin of our poor country, yesterday so happy, so prosperous.
WAR SHIELDS FOR MODERN WARRIORS.
Heraldry for many centuries has preserved, by means of a beautiful
convention, the badges worn by the warriors of the Middle Ages. But the
pride with which the descendants of ancient families display their armorial
coats should be as nothing to the pride with which the families of our soldiers
should show their insignia, the badges and ribbons which they won and wore,
and which form an imperishable language in which their deeds are enshrined.
All the numberless signs and tokens, crests and badges, forms and colours
used by the Army, Navy and Air Service are essentially heraldic in character,
and as such can be combined to produce shields of great beautyshields, too,
which are easily intelligible to service men.
In the illustration the Arms of a Captain, R.E., the upper part of the
shield is divided into three partswhite, purple and white, the colours of the
Military Cross the lower part represents the 1914-15 Star-red, white and
blue with wavy lines the three stars for his rank are placed on the coloured
divisions, his two service chevrons on the white parts of the M.C. ribbon.
Then, too, in the lower portion of the shield is shown the patriarchal cross
from the arms of Ypres, telling of service in the Salient."
The Secretary of the Ypres League will be glad to give particulars to
those who write enclosing two penny stamps for postage.