SIEGE OF ANTWERP

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 122, 19 November 1914, Page 4

SIEGE OF ANTWERP

NEW ZEALANDERS IN ACTION ALL SAFE. (rROM OUE OWN CORREBPONDINT.', LONDON, 14th October. Amongst the naval brigade which was sent to Belgium to assist the Belgians in the final throes of the siege of Antwerp were three New Zealanders, all of whom are safe. Major G. S. Richardson, of of the New Zealand Staff Corps, who has been at the War Office since the departure of Colonel Robin for New Zealand, was recently appointed D.A.A. and Q.M.G. t£> the new Naval Division which Mr. Churchill is preparing for service on the Continent. A fortnight ago he received orders to go to Belgium in connection with the proposal to send a strong detachment of the division to Antwerp. He was there throughout the siege and the retirement to Ostend, and he arrived in London again with the main body on Sunday. Lieut. B. C. Freyberg, the adventurous young WelUngtonian who was serving with Villa in Mexico when the war broke out and was given a commission almost as soon as he reached England, was also a member of the force, and has returned well to England. The third New Zealander was Mr. Arthur Richardson, a son of Mr. F. C. Richardson, formerly of Auckland. Mr. Richardson only joined the force a few weeks ago, and he got sudden orders to leave for the front. He was one of those who were unfortunate enough to bo pushed into Dutch territory by the advance of the Germans on the line of communications north of Lokeren, and he will presumably be interned by the kindly Dutch until the end of the war. He telegraphed to his father from Dordrecht that he was safe and sound. The despatch of the expedition to Antwerp, which looks like an impulse of generosity towards the Belgians, is already being widely criticised as an injudicious step. It is said that the force was not strong enough or well enough trained or early enough in the field to do any real service, and critics frankly accuse Mr. Churchill of interference. It is understood that the First Lord spent a day or two in Osbend and Antwerp last week. STORY OF THE BOMBARDMENT. NEW ZEALANDERS' HURRIED FLIGHT. Mr. Alexander Barr, of Christchurch, with Mrs. Barr and their two children, succeeded last Thursday in escaping from Antweip, and after many exciting adventures they have safely settled in London with Mr. Frederick Moore, the well-known pianist, who belongs to Duneclin. Mr. Barr tells me that he was born in Oamaru, but that he resided for several years in Dunedin. He was until recently chief officer of the s.s. Maori, but came to England early this year on leave, in order to return next spring with the new liner which is being built at Glasgow for the Union Steamship Company's mail service from Vancouver — a sister ship \to the Niagara. Mrs. Barr, who is an English lady, was brought up in Antwerp, where her parents have resided for many years. At the beginning of August Mr. and Mrs. Barr went over to Antwerp with their children, for a holiday. With the arrival of the Zeppelins over Antwerp some weeks ago Mrs. Barr's parents came away, but the New Zealand family decided to remain and stay through the anticipated six-months' siege. At that time there was no apprehension that things would happen as they have. Residents had all been instructed to lay in large supplies of food. This was done, with the unforeseen sequel that the Germans are walking into houses whose cellars are full of coal and wood, to say nothing of wine, sacks of potatoes, tinned meat, bags of flour, ample to carry all householders over the expected siege. BRITISH MARINES ARRIVE. On Saturday, 3rd October — the day on which Mr. Winston Churchill is reported to have visited Antwerp — the Belgians^ Mr. Barr says, had begun to " feel pretty sick." There were rumours of surrendering the town, the Consuls ■were said to be leaving, and panic began to reign. ' But everything changed on the following day-^-Sunday. On this day the British Marines arrived in Antwerp, travelling by London motor omnibuses, and the people felt secure. They gave the British a most enthusiastic welcome. At that time the inhabitants had no idea that' the Germans had already pierced the outer ring of forts. It was stated later in Antwerp that the big naVal guns, which were expected overland "from Dunkirk, failed for some reason or other oo arrive, consequently the British, forces were weakened. Meanwhile, the Germans acted exceedingly rapidly. No sooner had the enemy crossed the .Nethe than "all was up." It is said that the concrete bases needed tor the mounting of the big guns were all ready for the reception of these long-range machines. Firing was concentrated first on one particular fort, and then on another. Before long there was a gap thirteen miles in width, which was all the enemy needed to pour into the city with ease, tafely out of the range of the other forte. Up to 3rd October, life 111 Antwerp ha-d been quite normal. Food was cheap and the town Ava*> full of provisions. True, there was c great deal of poverty, for all shipping on the Scheldt had stopped weeks before, and many .vere thrown out ot work. Belgians who had previously flocked into Antwerp on account ot^its expected safe refuge began to trek to the» % coast and to Holland, hophig sooner or later to get away by steamer, possibly to England. It was a vpileoutv eight to see this motley procession of perhaps a quarter of a million Belgians fleeing as beet they could for safety, carrying with them just what little they could. The end came with dramatic suddenness, and Antwerp fell in eight days. THE BOMBARDMENT. This staited at midnight on Wednesday, 7th October. Mr. Barr said that the two children were in bed and were sleeping soundly, having become quite accustomed to the noiße of the guns. He and his wife were lying down, sleep being quite impossible for them. Suddenly they heard a peculiar screeming noise, followed by a terrific explosiou. Mr. Barr ran outside and saw other shells falling. Instantly he made up his mind to quit, and to walk twenty-five miles to the Dutch frontier. The two children were roused and dressed, and the family was accompanied in its flight by a young French woman who had been married to a French soldier two weeks before the war began, and whom they had befriended. Everything had to be lelt behind. All they could take were two eiderdown quilta, a parrot, and a dog in a basket. The house was left as it s,toocl. furniture and all. "What I most regretted leaving for the Germans." said Mr. Uarr. "was the supply of wine in the cellar. We had live hundred bottles fitoivcl tlifi'e. I had a great <lcMir to Miia-li oveiy bottlt, lint tlieie \vut> iio Units io* thai. ALju, my wife luul

spont a good part of the evening making some special tomato soup. This, too, had to be left. It was on the kitchen range when we came away— all ready for the onemy. All we could take away was a loaf of bread, a tin of salmon, and some batter in a glass dish. Justenough to sustain us till we could reach the Dutch border. For two days I had occupied my time chopping up firewood ! And now to think that the Germans most likely are living in that house, comfortably installed in our beds,, and feeding well on our provisions ! However, we were thankful to get away at all." On the outskirts of Antwerp they had to cross the railway line, and some officials near by told them that if they cared to wait a little while a train would be passing. They decided to avail themselves of his unexpected offer, and presently a queerly-made-up train put in an appearance, a sort of goods train, made up by the railway people for their own use. The party :of five eventually got into a carnage, and there they remained foi' two hours before a move was made. | "This wait," Mr. Barr said, "was the worst experience of all. During the whole of those two hours were going right over the txain, "and though it was a weirdly magnificent sight to see them bursting in the south portion of the town, yet the train was too near the falling shells to be pleasant. I was in agony lest one should fall short of its destination and alight on our engine, or that it might fall on the railway bridge that spans the river, making it impossible for the train to get away at all. At whatever" part one leaves Antwerp there is a bridge to cross. Finally, to our intense relief, we got away at 3 a.m. on Thursday. Looking back, the bursting shells over the city made a magnificent picture, but a terrible one." Reaching the Dutch frontier, the New Zealanders changed trains, and travelled via Rosendaal to Flushing, arriving there at 1 o'clock. Being able to leave Antwerp immediately the shelling began, they escaped the great rush which occurred at daybreak. But even so, they found Flushing congested and full of refugees. It was a w^ld scramble to obtain steamship .tickets, and no passengers were allowed who could not pay their fares. It was 8 a.m. on Saturday morning before they could leave Flushing. That same evening they* got into Folkestone, and there all the passengers received the kindest and most generous treatment at the 'headquarters of the Belgian Refugees' Distress Committee. Sunday was spent in Folkestone, and on Monday morning the travellers came up to London, where they were met by Mr. F. Moore, and taken by him to his houfie at Uxbridge. FAITH IN BRITAIN. Mr. Barr Aays that the Belgians have the most perfect faith iv the ability of Britain to see tlieir" country through its troubles. Although they have lost everything and are homeless, yet their cheery optimism is something remarkable to witness, and their main comforting thought ib that England 'is their real friend. By the taking of Antwerp the Ger* mans have become possessed of a well' provisioned city, including thousands of head ,of cattle. ' ' ' For some little time pa«t all straiigere resident in Antwerp have been closely watched, particularly if it was thought that a man might be a representative of any newspaper, and the authorities seem to have been a- little suspicious of Mr. Barr in this connection. One day he wanted to go to Malines and to- Termonde, after the sack, to see what was to be eeen, and Ji& wenfc to the Com* mander-in-Chief to get a pa«s. Many questions were asked, and everything seemed all right till the enquiry came : Do you think of writing anything for any newspaper? "No," replied Mr. Barr; "at least not now. Perhaps when the war U &v«j 1 maj eeud something to our papers in New Zealand, but certainly not now." That was enough. He did not get his permit !