| Accession Number | E05059 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Glass original half plate negative |
| Maker |
Unknown Australian Official Photographer |
| Date made | 12 April 1919 |
| Conflict |
Period 1910-1919 First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Dinant, Belgium. Three unidentified Australian soldiers visiting the spot where over one hundred ...
Description
Dinant, Belgium. Three unidentified Australian soldiers visiting the spot where over one hundred Belgian citizens were shot by a German firing squad on 23 August 1914. On this date over 600 men, women and children were shot by German troops following claims that civilians had fired on German soldiers. The German army also sacked the town destroying hundreds of buildings. A tablet on a wall reads 'Martyrs de la Liberte, 100 Dinantais parmi lesquels, 46 femmes et enfants sont morts, Ici le 23 Aout 1914, Fusilles Par les Hordes Saxonnes'. The sign claims that 46 women and children were amongst those shot by German forces. The soldier on the far right is a member of the 12th Machine Gun Company and the soldier in the centre is a member of the 50th Battalion.