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War Memories
Excerpt from War Memories
Like my country, I was forced into the War. Everyone who knew Belgium up to 1914 will agree that it was a peaceful, industrious and hospitable country. Except for the brutal aggression of which it was the victim, it would have, doubtless, been so still. And I also lived a peaceful, busy life, with friends of every nationality. The war lost me some on whom I thought I could count in compensa tion it brought me others whom I least expected. Modern warfare spares neither age, nor sex, nor profession, nor situation; it is this which constitutes its chief horror. For twelve years I have refused all solicitations to publish my experiences, and if I do so now it is because my silence has allowed various fables to circulate, and I am sometimes quite sur prised when I read of adventures which are attributed by imaginative journalists to me and mine. From the beginning of hostilities I wrote down regularly the small happenings of the day. They were hasty notes, written at odd times, giving the facts as we thought to know them then. Much was modified later, of course. I do not write toplease anyone in particular, neither to do harm to anyone; I only try to write the truth as I saw it, as objectively as possible. It is the mass of the ex periences of an epoch which forms notes for future history. Much has been written from the military and political points of view, but less is known of the life of the inhabitant in occupied territory, where often one had no choice between risking imprison ment, or worse, and betraying a cause of whose justice we were all absolutely convinced, or leaving fellow-countrymen and allies in danger for want of help. From the day when our King, voicing the mind of his whole people, showed us that our duty lay in resistance to an unjust aggression, I think a burning desire to help in the cause of right possessed us all. But I imagined at that time that my share would confine itself to nursing the sick and wounded, and helping and consoling my poorer neighbours. I neither sought adventure, nor cared for it; I tried only to do the duty which presented itself, as I saw so many doing around me.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
Like my country, I was forced into the War. Everyone who knew Belgium up to 1914 will agree that it was a peaceful, industrious and hospitable country. Except for the brutal aggression of which it was the victim, it would have, doubtless, been so still. And I also lived a peaceful, busy life, with friends of every nationality. The war lost me some on whom I thought I could count in compensa tion it brought me others whom I least expected. Modern warfare spares neither age, nor sex, nor profession, nor situation; it is this which constitutes its chief horror. For twelve years I have refused all solicitations to publish my experiences, and if I do so now it is because my silence has allowed various fables to circulate, and I am sometimes quite sur prised when I read of adventures which are attributed by imaginative journalists to me and mine. From the beginning of hostilities I wrote down regularly the small happenings of the day. They were hasty notes, written at odd times, giving the facts as we thought to know them then. Much was modified later, of course. I do not write toplease anyone in particular, neither to do harm to anyone; I only try to write the truth as I saw it, as objectively as possible. It is the mass of the ex periences of an epoch which forms notes for future history. Much has been written from the military and political points of view, but less is known of the life of the inhabitant in occupied territory, where often one had no choice between risking imprison ment, or worse, and betraying a cause of whose justice we were all absolutely convinced, or leaving fellow-countrymen and allies in danger for want of help. From the day when our King, voicing the mind of his whole people, showed us that our duty lay in resistance to an unjust aggression, I think a burning desire to help in the cause of right possessed us all. But I imagined at that time that my share would confine itself to nursing the sick and wounded, and helping and consoling my poorer neighbours. I neither sought adventure, nor cared for it; I tried only to do the duty which presented itself, as I saw so many doing around me.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
326 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1932
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 8, 2019
I was fascinated by this little memoir. It is told with clarity and frankness. I learned about more than just historical events - but about the courage of people and the level to which the human spirit can rise. I stumbled onto the story of the de Croy siblings while looking something else up (... there's a nod here somewhere to the great Sidney J Harris!)
I could not put this memoir down. The reason is difficult to express. The memoir is a humble, personal and focused account of the issues surrounding the efforts of the de Croys, their neighbors and the WWI soldiers they smuggled out of Belgium to escape the occupying forces. This band of amazing people included Nurse Edith Cavell, and covers the time just prior to the fleeing of the Belgium Royals through the trial of Miss Cavell and party, and the aftermath. I think I was thrown by ideas regarding the rawness, and disaster of WWI. Naively I had misconstrued the effects of WWI on the masses , and envisioned it as somehow "cleaner" for the average person, what with officers hosting enemy officers and such ... And it is embarrassing to admit that ... As a schoolboy, I had, of course, learned about the horrors of trench warfare, the gas attacks and the awful effects and bitter consequences. But I was unprepared for what the author described as the fate of the Belgians under occupation, the efforts of the people who rose up and risked everything, trying to maintain some vestige of control, a sense of dignity ...and what that drove them to do. Reading this helped me to remember what I was taught and has reminded me of that which I evidently had forgotten, or at least, failed to appreciate/really learn.
The de Croys so fascinated me that I have included them as guests I would invite to a dinner/roundtable discussion. You know, the sort.... who are the 12 people you would most like to have a chance to interview...Although it may not be everyone’s choice as I think both of these wonderful people would be so unassuming as to sit politely listening to everyone else.
I could not put this memoir down. The reason is difficult to express. The memoir is a humble, personal and focused account of the issues surrounding the efforts of the de Croys, their neighbors and the WWI soldiers they smuggled out of Belgium to escape the occupying forces. This band of amazing people included Nurse Edith Cavell, and covers the time just prior to the fleeing of the Belgium Royals through the trial of Miss Cavell and party, and the aftermath. I think I was thrown by ideas regarding the rawness, and disaster of WWI. Naively I had misconstrued the effects of WWI on the masses , and envisioned it as somehow "cleaner" for the average person, what with officers hosting enemy officers and such ... And it is embarrassing to admit that ... As a schoolboy, I had, of course, learned about the horrors of trench warfare, the gas attacks and the awful effects and bitter consequences. But I was unprepared for what the author described as the fate of the Belgians under occupation, the efforts of the people who rose up and risked everything, trying to maintain some vestige of control, a sense of dignity ...and what that drove them to do. Reading this helped me to remember what I was taught and has reminded me of that which I evidently had forgotten, or at least, failed to appreciate/really learn.
The de Croys so fascinated me that I have included them as guests I would invite to a dinner/roundtable discussion. You know, the sort.... who are the 12 people you would most like to have a chance to interview...Although it may not be everyone’s choice as I think both of these wonderful people would be so unassuming as to sit politely listening to everyone else.
Displaying 1 of 1 review