The quarters were not occupied on this day, because the company was trench-digging at the station during the whole night.
On the following day I had requisitioned vegetables, straw, etc., at Linden and Kessel-Loo, the latter a suburb of Louvain. The various farmers fulfilled my requirements in the kindest way. In the evening I returned from the requisitioning. On the way, in the suburb Kessel-Loo, male civilians, who had assembled in imposing numbers, intimated to me that the English had succeeded in breaking through near Louvain. On inquiring for the messenger who had brought this news I heard that priests had related it. I also remember actually to have seen three priests at the eastern exit of the village at about 7 o'clock p.m. They went through the streets singly, and here and there made communications to the people. As I heard the firing of cannon at no very great distance, I hurried to reach the main station at Louvain. I arrived there at about 8 o'clock p.m. At about 9 o'clock I suddenly saw, near the station, a rocket go up. At the same moment I heard violent gun-fire. In order to inform myself regarding the firing, and to have a better view, I went to a "G"-car of the company transport, which was about 30 metres distant from the station square. From the open peep-hole of the "G"-car I obtained a good outlook over the station square and towards the road that connects Louvain with Kessel-Loo. I saw quite clearly firing upon the railway train from the roof of the third house of the street opposite to the train entering Louvain. I also remarked firing towards the station square from a window on the third floor of an hotel. From a window of the Hôtel "Maria Theresa" firing upon the station square took place. During the firing, the station square and the adjacent streets, which I was able to overlook, were filled with our troops. The firing could only be intended for our troops. Our men replied to the firing. I myself fired at a window of the second floor of the fifth house of the road that is parallel to the train, from which a civilian, whom I could clearly see, was firing.
After our side had received the signal to stop firing, I went to the station square; this may have been at about 10.30. A General there had instructed the field-gendarmes to search the houses from which firing had taken place for arms and ammunition. On my report of what I had seen, a search was also made in the third and fifth houses of the street parallel to the train. In both houses suspected persons with guns and suitable ammunition were found. One of these persons who was examined at the station had cartridges which fitted the guns in his pocket.