On March 7th, I received a leave pass to visit Brussels and Antwerp, spread over a period of four days. With Lt. George Richardson (20th) I caught the Charleroi tram and half an hour later was at the Railway station where we waited for about an hour for the train to start. The Australian Army had by now developed into an army of tourists and as I waited for my train to leave I could not refrain from contrasting the scene on the platforms with some other memorable railway gatherings I had witnessed during the war. Every soldier seemed to be happy and contented and so full of the desire to see as much as possible before leaving Belgium that if it were possible to remove the uniforms from the crowd, one would scarcely note any indications of the recent struggle through which we had all only just emerged.
The train at last moved out of Charleroi in rather indifferent weather and a few hours later, after a somewhat slow journey we arrived at Brussels and proceeded to the Hotel Metropole, a magnificently appointed building which had been used by the Germans as an Army Headquarters during the greater part of the war. We had only six days leave, so of course we had no time to minutely examine the beauties of this magnificent city and had to be content, as usual, with a hurried superficial hind of visit. After a splendid nights rest and a meal, we proceeded, at a somewhat early hour next day, to explore the city and to examine the various sights and buildings which had been recommended to us. A short walk brought us to the Bourse or Stock Exchange, a similar place of gambling in stocks, etc. to that of any other great city and much like the Bourse at Paris in appearance. It, of course, was not in use at the period, as there was very little in the way of business being done in Belgium during the months that followed the war ending.
We then continued our walk, until we came to the one-time Market Square, now surrounded by many notable buildings. One of these, the Kings House was built by the Emperor Charles V in 1525, and contained a museum of historical curiosities and antiquities dealing with the history of Brussels. The janitor informed us that amongst other incidents connected with this building was that on one occasion it was occupied by the Counts Egmont and Hoorn, prior to their execution by the Duke of Avarez. In another part of Brussels a monument has been erected to these two national heroes, the site being the garden of Petit Sablon.
Near the Kings House was the Houses of the Brewers, built during the Louis XIV period and which is surmounted by the statue of the Prince of Lorraine. The houses are occupied nowadays as offices and are highly decorated and gilded. Occupying another side of the square is the Hotel do Ville or Town hall, said to be one of the finest specimens of Gothic art in existence. It is filled with fine old tapestries and relics, etc. and proved a most interesting building to visit. Situated within a few minutes’ walk is the lovely Cathedral of Saint Gudule, the construction of which was begun in the year 1220 and was not completed until 1653. The shape is of a Latin Cross and it possesses three naves. The Towers are still unfinished and are 225 ft. high, reached by 229 steps whilst they contain three bells, one of which, “Salvator”, weighs 7 tons. It is also famous for its magnificent wood carved pulpit. Then we saw another fine Church of Notre Dame, near the garden of Petit Sablon on the site of the ancient Chapel of the Great Oath. In this church, mass is said to the sound of Hunting Horns.
We returned to our restaurant for meals and slept at the Metropole and next day carried on our inspection of the stock sights of the beautiful Paris like city. Thus we made straight for the imposing and enormous building overlooking Brussels, known as the Palace of Justice. It was like the pyramids, overlooking the surrounding deserts, and we spent over two hours in drinking in the wonderful sight. It is such an enormous building, this palace of Justice that it occupies an area of over 6 acres. Its cupolas are 300 ft. in height, the architecture is of Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Assyrian and Renaissance styles, and the building cost over 52,000,000 francs to build. It has 7 halls, 245 rooms and 8 distinct law courts. We were only allowed to inspect the Criminal and Supreme Courts however.
Our informants told us that during the occupation, the building had been used as billets for the troops. We paid a visit to the Art Gallery near the Royal palace, and there viewed Brussels best pictures and other works of art, which are portrayed and exhibited in magnificent style within. The Royal palaces and Gardens of the nation are magnificent specimens of Belgian taste in art also, and were viewed as we passed along.
During the remainder of our visit to Brussels we visited the Theatre, at the Opera House (where the play was called “Rigoletto” but as it was sung throughout in Italian, we were none the wiser) and many other public buildings. We also walked through the Botanical Gardens containing the famous Italian Gardens, Glass hot houses full of rare tropical plants and orchids, and the Japanese Pagoda House.
The remainder of our time we expended in walking amongst the crowds along the beautiful Boulevards, taking refreshments in the various cafes of grand if doubtful reputation and in endeavouring to obtain an impression of Brussels from every angle. It has been said that Brussels is a second Paris, but it can never be that, although it is built on similar lines. It is a most beautiful city nevertheless and possesses many beauties unsurpassed throughout the world.
So we passed pleasantly four days of our leave and then hurriedly decided to visit Antwerp for a day or so. He caught the Antwerp train at the Gare du Nord at 9 am and arrived at Antwerp at 10.15, passing over the low lying country on route where vegetables were largely grown for the London market. We were much impressed with the magnificent railway station which is shown off to advantage by a park-like open space immediately in front. The city is wonderfully clean, with wide regular streets and boulevards, and boasts a first class tram service, looks very prosperous and contains many beautiful and important national and public buildings. We paid an “American Tourist” kind of visit to the Art Gallery, Hotel de Ville, Cathedral of St. Joseph with its one incomplete tower and magnificent carved confessional boxes and pulpit.
The population is half Flemish, but easily mixed with, and very friendly. Living was cheaper than in Brussels and we put up at the Hotel Victoria in the Avenue de Keyser. With our limited time we generally had a good look around and saw as much as we could then caught the 1.15 tram back to Brussels next day and returned to the Metropole. Hearing of a tourist trip which had been organised to visit the field of the Battle of Waterloo not far from Brussels, we decided to stretch the point and join the party, so remained another night at the Hotel for the purpose.
Next morning, accordingly, we boarded the electric tram car at 9 am and after a journey of eight kilometres out into the country, we changed into a steam train which completed the remainder of the journey and we at last came to the village of Waterloo. This was really composed of a collection of several eating houses and estaminets, together with the historical features themselves. Our guide commenced by taking us to the enormous mound surmounted by a statue of a lion which commands the Battlefield. This the party climbed to a height of 150 ft. by 226 steps and obtained a grand view of the surrounding district including Brussels, eleven miles distant. The mound has been built by digging up the earth nearby to the depth of 6 ft. This earth was then passed from hand to hand in baskets, by women and was then dumped in a heap until after 2 years, the mound was completed. It is surmounted by a railing and crowned by a statue of a Lion, cast from captured guns. The mound also marks the spot where the Prince of Orange was wounded during the Battle of Waterloo, and was known as the British monument. The Lion at the summit is 15 ft. long, 15 ft. high and weighs 70,000 lbs. and has no inscription except the date of the Battle of Waterloo June 18th,1815.
At the base of this monument is the cyclorama containing a very realistic picture of the Battle in progress, made to look more natural by the use of battle field debris, wax models, red paint etc. After visiting the Cyclorama our guide led us round the field and explained the remaining detail to us. Thus we saw the Farm of Hail-Saint, the hotel of Belle Alliance, famous for the meeting of Wellington and Blucher after the Victory, Hougoumont Farm Well and Chapel where 10,000 men fought for possession and where hundreds of dead and wounded were thrown down the well.
Passing further on we were interested in the Farm of Mont St. Jean, used as Wellington’s Headquarters, also as a hospital. We then briefly glanced at several other monuments to the French and Germans and then had lunch at a nearby estaminet.
At 3 pm a motor lorry belonging to the 2nd div tourist party left for Charleroi so I took the opportunity of returning by it to my quarters, passing the scene of the battle of Quatre Bras and the country over which the French were pursued en route. I arrived back at Montigny-le-Tilleul after a weeks absence, having seen a great deal of interest and having spent an enjoyable and educational holiday.
Another week went by during which the snow had thawed and made things very slushy and disagreeable and during which time we just fooled away the time in lounging about the Mess Room, playing cards, paying visits to Charleroi and in visiting the sights and football matches, and so on.
Seeing that I was fed up with the monotony Colonel Forbes detailed me to take charge of the 2nd Divisional Piquet stationed in the centre of Charleroi. It turned out that the piquet was composed of men from all 2nd div battalion, to the number of 40 men, 2 corporals and 2 sergeants, with one officer. This composed the Second Divisional Piquet but the first, second, fourth and fifth Divisions all supplied a similar piquet of equal strength, the whole being under a Captain of Infantry. In Charleroi, the A.P.M. Staff of Military Police also were stationed and it was the duty of our piquet to assist them by supplying men for patrolling the streets at night, raiding low houses, raiding estaminets at the appointed hour, etc. etc. and in generally assisting to keep order in Charleroi and suppressing looting, etc. There was very little to do at night and nothing at all to do during the day time, until dusk.
The non-commissioned ranks of the piquet were billeted in a large three storied building not far from the Belgian Cavalry Barracks, where they were quite comfortably situated with beds, fireplaces, tables and chairs, etc. The Officers occupied another house in the same street, wherein also was the Hess Room, where we had our meals and used it also as our headquarters. Rations, etc. were drawn for the piquet from the railway supply dump at Charleroi Railway Station, and as we were liberally supplied, we had no complaints as regards supplies. In addition, we were liberally supplied with comforts from the Australian Comforts Depot, from which source we obtained for the picquet, such items as cigarettes, playing cards, articles of clothing, confectionery, etc. etc.
About this period Charleroi was infested with bands of thieves and pilferers of all descriptions, from the ordinary petty thief to the organised band of robbers which looted railway supply trains and Army Ration dumps, Also a good deal of assaulting with robbery, sand bagging and hold-ups etc. went on so that the Military and Civil Police had quite a busy time of it. Raids were frequently organised in which the Divisional piquets assisted. On one occasion I was present when an estaminet was searched and goods to the value of hundreds of pounds were seized, including rolls of Army blankets, basketfuls of cigarettes and clothing. Another time a motor lorry driven by a Belgian was held up by the piquet and military police, and it was found to be loaded with sides of bacon and sugar which had been obtained from ration trains. Motor lorries were frequently stopped and seized which contained whisky and beer in cases, motor tyres, blankets, sox, rations and so on which were originally intended for the use of the troops, but which had been first of all stolen from trains and dumps and then sold by the soldiery to the civilians. This kind of thing was going on at a wholesale rate and everyone was on the make, while some glaring instances revealed the fact that certain individuals and bands of troops were making large sums of money as a result of the organised pilfering. In fact it was reported that a band of three, including the personnel of a coal train, plus a Railway transport officer had made the large sum of 50,000 francs by illegally selling coal to the civilian inhabitants of Tourcoing.
A kind of “paddys markets” was frequently held along the canal side at a secluded spot and it was at this spot that the “small fry” traded away such small items as a pair of boots, sox, cigarettes and other light and easily carried contraband. Our piquets raided this market scene on more than one occasion, but beyond making it dangerous for people to congregate at the spot and apart from effecting a few arrests, very little real good was done, and the market was still carried on at other places. It was interesting to note the prices the various articles brought, e.g. cigarettes 1 franc per packet, sox 7 francs, per pair, boots about 40 francs, blankets 20 francs to 40 francs according to the quality and so forth. It was no uncommon sight either to see a child walking about with a suit made out of an Army blanket, brand and all, or civilians smoking Army cigarettes, wearing army boots and sox, etc.
It was only the most glaring cases of receiving that were dealt with by the piquet, however, as the minor cases such as children wearing suits made from army blankets were overlooked out of sympathy tor the poverty of the civilians and for what they had suffered.
Any soldiers who were caught by the police and the piquet needless to say were very severely dealt with and terms of imprisonment, stoppage of leave and pay were the main punishments while several were simply “disowned” by their units and were left to get back to Australia as well as they were able, which meant a good deal if considered in the light of L.S.D. Some bands of robbers or pilferers, as they were called, were certainly remarkably well organised, each one having a leader with lieutenants to assist and to take charge should the leader be caught. They were sometimes large also, and one band known as the “forty thieves” was known to have quite that number of members and operated throughout the length and breadth of the country with headquarters sometimes in Charleroi or Brussels, and moving about as things got too hot for them. They communicated by code, had accomplices in high places, were assisted by civilians of the “underworld” type and seemed to have the benefit of a wonderful “intelligence” system which informed the leaders of anything that was detrimental to their interests.
So that it will be seen that these organisations were difficult to contend with and they taxed the brains and ingenuity of the Army C.I. Dept to the limit to cope with their activities. Our piquet officers had authority to enter any place of amusement, such as cafes or picture shows, dancing halls, etc. so that it can be readily surmised that we found a deal of necessity to visit such places.
On the whole, the troops were well enough behaved and there was little or no rioting or drunkenness to speak of and except for the trading away of army property for profit, the ordinary tourist kind of life went on as usual.
I received two batches of Australian mail during the month of March which was always acceptable. On March 30th the 4th draft, including Lts. Richardson, Gilholme, Potter, Blake, Winkworth and Shepherd, together with 100 of 20th men left Charleroi for England and as similar drafts were constantly leaving every week, the surrounding districts were becoming more and more depleted of troops as time went on.
Hearing that it was possible, if properly managed, to get to Cologne, I thereupon set about endeavouring to do so. I approached Major Fisher who was in charge of the piquet and he gave me the necessary leave and pass to enable me to travel by the Cologne Express. On April 3rd, accompanied by Lt. Forrest of the 5th div Piquet, I caught the Cologne Express at Charleroi after a little trouble and travelling via Liege and Namur eventually crossed the border and passing through the German city of Duren at last reached Cologne on the Rhine at 4.30 pm.
On arrival, we were required to report to the Town Mayor at the Dom Hotel, situated a few hundred yards from the Railway Station, and were given a ticket entitling us to the use of a room (free of charge to me) at the Reichoff Hotel near the Cathedral and it was here that we slept whilst at Cologne. Food being somewhat scarce and rationed we of necessity lived at the Evidge Hotel not far distant and which had been taken over for the purpose.
Here we had dinner at 7 pm and obtained a three course meal and were waited on by German waiters and ate to the accompaniment of an orchestra composed of German musicians. The dining room was filled with American, British, Canadian and Australian Officers belonging to the army of occupation. Next day we took the train, which follows the Rhine bank, to the University town of Bonn. This town was occupied by the British and is famous for its beautiful buildings and for being the seat of learning similar to what Oxford and Cambridge are to England.
We studied the various places and objects of interest, watched our young British troops mount guard, with much impressive ceremony on the Bridge over the Rhine and generally had a good look round for half a day. We then caught our train, which travelled at a great rate back to Cologne and returned to our hotel for the night. Early next morning, we travelled first class (free) per train for a distance of about 50 miles down the Rhine to the city of Coblenz. This city was under the control of the American Army of Occupation. Here, we found that Americans did not “occupy” the town in the same sense that the British occupied Cologne. There was nothing of the wonderful British discipline at Coblenz as the Americans fraternised with the German civilians, who soon took advantage of it, they paid their tram and train fares, did not enforce saluting by Germans in uniform and generally speaking, gave the impression to a military critic of general slovenliness. Coblenz is a pretty town and very large, most of the buildings being painted white. The streets are wide and straight, and it was a one time favourite resort of the Kaiser who had there built a palace to live in. when visiting Coblenz.
The town is commanded by a fortress built on a high hill on the opposite bank of the Rhine, reached by a pontoon bridge or a ferry boat. We visited this fortress which was then occupied by a regiment of Americans and on reaching the summit of the hill obtained a magnificent view up and down the Rhine and surrounding country for miles. As we gazed down at the Rhine, as it passed the fortress it was crowded with ferry boats, punts, tugboats and small naval patrol boats, which were all either struggling up stream against the current of 8 miles per hour or were rapidly going with the current, or were endeavouring to cross the river diagonally in an effort to reach their proper halting places.
Directly opposite on the far bank is an enormous equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I, 30 ft. high made of bronze and mounted on a 20 ft. stonework pedestal. The statue appears to command the Rhine and of course looked very imposing. The river at Coblenz is bridged by two bridges, one a cantilever and the other is the famous Bridge of Boats or Pontoon Bridge which had originally been built as an experiment and which had been so successful that it was allowed to remain. The Rhine is truly magnificent and runs rapidly through a valley with high green hills rising steeply from either bank. On the hillsides are vineyards, orchards and cultivated plots of ground, whilst numerous beautiful buildings, monuments and castles surmount the summits as far as the eye dam see. Along the banks for miles on either side are promenades planted with trees and dotted with landing stages, etc. The Rhine has been compared to our Hawkesbury but to my mind, the Rhine is by far the most beautiful sight.
We were only able to remain one day at Coblenz, but we saw a good deal of the place and were able to at least gain an impression of the general aspects of the City. We took our meals at the invitation of the American Officers at the Hotel Monopole, where we also had afternoon tea. In all Officers Messes and Clubs, German waiters were employed. After visiting several shops, at all of which English was spoken, as well as French, and having purchased cheaply, several articles which we required, we caught the 4.15 train back to Cologne and were soon racing along the bank of the Rhine passing several small villages on the way and arrived at Cologne 1 ½ hours later.
We found the German population well dressed, well booted and well fed, despite reports to the contrary. There were very few demobilised soldiers, as they had been cleared out, as far as possible into the unoccupied areas. All Officers in uniform were required to salute British Officers in Cologne, so that they had plenty to keep them occupied and they were very punctilious about it too. In Coblenz under the Americans, they did not bother. In Germany at this period a mark was worth 4 1/2d. in English money and ½ franc in French money, and as I carried English, French and Belgian money, I was obliged to be quite an expert mathematician when doing any buying or making a payment.
The best thing to see in Cologne is the famous Cathedral which is claimed to be the finest sample of Gothic construction in the world so the inhabitants of Cologne (Köln) are extremely proud of it. The Hohenzollern Bridge over the Rhine, is also a magnificent and ponderous structure as also are several other bridges along the Rhine. All the bridges are guarded day and night by British Tommies and a toll tax is charged to civilians who use them to cross to the other side which shows that they are not yet paid for. At both ends of the Hohenzollern Bridge are statues of the Kaiser and in fact nearly all the statues and parks, streets, etc. are in honour of or in memory of the Kaiser or some other member of a Royal or ruling family.
My main impressions of Cologne after making a further tour of inspection via walks in streets, rides in train, cars, etc. were the solidly constructed and comfortable trams and trains which travelled rapidly, the civility almost to servility of the people the wonderful cleanliness, the narrowness of many of the main thoroughfares. The want of variety in the architecture of the buildings, the vastness of the Cathedral, the motley crowds, the good beer and the general quietness or orderliness of what one would expect to be the contrary in an enemy country.