Much to our satisfaction the whole staff of the Etat-Major departed yesterday for some unknown destination. Their special mission had been to direct the taking of Antwerp. There were three Generals and 80 Officers each of whom had an orderly. Also a large staff of cooks and butchers who killed and cooked stolen cattle, pigs etc. Large cases of stolen wines used to be brought in daily and much to our amusement the orderlies were great at stealing from their masters.
A staff of printers made numerous maps and charts of the surrounding country. The accuracy with which they reproduced every little hamlet was amazing. A map for the taking of Antwerp began at Thildonk and marked every road, village, town, river, railway, canal and fort between here and that city. They also printed bills to be thrown from aircraft, in Flemish imploring the people in Antwerp to listen no longer to perfidious Albion ‘which was betraying the country’. But I do not think there are many Flemish who will understand the term ‘Albion’.
Saturday afternoon Prince Waldemar came in a car bringing with him from the Kaiser a decoration for General Von Beseler who had been particularly charged with the taking of Antwerp. This was bestowed in the Refectory amidst speech-making cheering Hoch! Hoch! Hoch! And champagne drinking that lasted till midnight.
In spite of all this they are greatly cut up at not capturing any troops in Antwerp. Some of the Officers told us that it was a sore disappointment for the ‘tip-tops’. (This English expression is used frequently by the Germans to indicate the ‘chiefs’.) Before leaving on Sunday Von Beselaer called on Reverend Mother General whom he greatly respected, and on being asked by her if all was now over, he replied slowly, “Well we have taken neither King Albert nor his Army, and we know nothing of their whereabouts.” “But” he added grimly “they shall not escape us long.” Evidently they feel very uneasy about the Belgian army which has frequently dodged them and will do so again I hope.
The Germans now speak of attacking England directly; they tell us that from Calais they can bombard Dover, and destroy the ships in the Channel. We console ourselves by believing that they will not reach Ostend nor Calais as easily as they imagine. They boast that England will soon become a German colony. Some of the Officers said they would send us postcards from London.
Tildonk Diary 