About Haelen

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 3, 21 August 1914, Page 5

About Haelen

BELGIAN CAVALRY WITHSTANI GERMAN ATTACK.

A HAIL OF GULLETS FOR TWC HOURS.

Brussels. August 20. Tfc# G#vs»ftn» attack on Tuesday

developed at 6 o'clock in the morning, when a strong force of cavalry and infantry, supported by artillery and machine guns, attacked with a sevenmile front about Haelen. The Belgian cavalry at Geetbeetz, on the Tirlemont-jyioll railway, offered a determined resistance. They dismounted and occupied trenches, and bravely withstood a hail of bullets for two hours.

CONTESTING THE GROUND INCH BY INCH.

GERMANS BOMBARD DIEST AND TIRLEMONT.

INHABITANTS FLEE IN TERROR.

FRENCH POURED INTO NAMUR ON MONDAY.

(Received 8.15 a.m.) Brussels, August 20

: In the Haelen engagement a party of Germans meanwhile got in behind and shot the. Belgian, horses. The ground was fought inch by inch. Numbers: of, Germans were killed during the relentless forward march. The Belgians also suffered'severely. When the retreat was ordered the Belgian cavalrymen did their best to assist their comrades who had lost their horses. At one point 210 Belgians upheld 2000 Germans.

When the Belgian cavalry retired, the Germans shelled Diest and Tirlemont, pillaged the railway stations, and, bombarded the "towns with their big guns, the inhabitants flying in terror, leaving everything. The cavalry at Tirlemont were particularly brutal, attacking the panic-stricken popidace, shooting and sticking them at random. One woman states: "They shot my husband before my eyes and tramped two of my children to death." The Germans, who are obviously well served by spies, pounced upon Gembloux directly the troops and French cavalry left. . The Germans destroyed the main railway, but were soon driven out.

Throughout Monday the French were pouring into Namur, detraining outside the town. They screened themselves with provision bags against observation by aviators.

(Diest is a small town in the. province of Brabant, Belgium, situated on the Demer, at its junction with the Bever. It has a population of over BUOO. It lies about half-way between Hasselt and Louvain, and is one oi the five fortified places in Belgium. !t contains many breweries). (Tirlemont is a town in Brabant, Belgium, eleven miles south-east of Louvain, with a population of 20,000. It still preserves its enceinte, six miles in circumference. Its principal church, Notre Dame du Lac, begun in the twelfth century, is still unfinished).

THE WAY TO NAMUR.

THE ALLIES' PLANS EMINENTLY SUCCESSFUL.

PROTECTION OF BRUSSELS

GREAT RECEPTION OF ENGLISH BY BELGIANS.

(Received 8.20 a.m.) Brussels, August 20

The way to Namur is blocked, but the Germans were allowed to enter a gap on the north by which they could reach Gembloux.

The genera] impression in Brussels is that the Allies are not making an effort to concentrate upon the defence of Brussels, as the Germans are not in sufficient strength to warrant such an Important change in plans. Belgian 'officers assert that everything is turning out as anticipated. It is officially pointed out that the first task of the Belgian army is to gain time. The object of the present operations is not to cover a certain district or town. Meanwhile, the Belgians are showing wonderful pluck and zeal in improvising fortifications to protect Brussels against raiding parties. Private citizens are assisting he civil guards in entrenching, and have already constructed a big trench with barbed wire defences on either flank.

The Belgians-at the outset of the k \var purchased an enormous number of motor cars, which changed the whole conditions Of transport.

An official note published in 8.-us-

:s'els indicates that while the English JAvere en route the gun carriages were | covered with garlands and were followed by cheering people. The size of the British provision train astonished

the Belgians. The locality of the Bri tish march has not been disclosed.