Postcards from the Edge : The Siege of Antwerp

Belgian Postcards

'Rallying Around the Flag'

Belgian Troops Take a German Trench by Storm

Two Views of the Fighting At Sempst. (also see 'Fighting in Flanders' 3)

Explosion on the Quays at Antwerp. Civilians as well as Belgian and British soldiers escaped across the river Scheldt by means of a pontoon bridge. Access to this bridge of boats was to the left of the castle in the background of this postcard. Though a dramatic rendering, no large groups of refugees were shelled and the portrayed street was not hit by German shells either.

A View of Antwerp-Hoboken. During the siege, both Germans and Belgians sent 'wildcat' trains loaded with either explosives or heavy bulk goods into each other's lines. The aim was to cause extensive damage to raillines and if possible to enemy troops or entrenchments. The Germans for instance tried to destroy the oil storage tanks at Hoboken. The photo above shows that the locomotive derailed in the village center and caused widespread damage to civilian homes. The oil tanks, not far from here, were later bombed by German aircraft and finally deliberately drained and set on fire by the retreating Belgians.