The Special Forestry Platoon (Peloton Spécial Forestier), nicknamed the woodchoppers of the Orne (Dutch: houthakkers van de Orne), was a non-combat penal military unit of the Belgian Army during World War I. As its name suggests, the unit specialized in forestry, specifically woodchopping, conducted as a form of penal labour.
The unit, stationed in Orne, Normandy, France, consisted of 10 Flemish soldiers who were placed in the unit in 1918 as punishment for their active or passive involvement in the Flemish Movement. Fearing that the soldiers would desert to the Central Powers if they were sent to the front line, they were instead kept in France to work as woodchoppers.[1] The soldiers worked for 12 hours a day in harsh living conditions.[1][2][3] They were paid 1 Belgian franc per day.[4]
The 10 soldiers were Paul Davidts (oldest of the 10[3][5][6] and spokesperson of the group,[7] lawyer and later acquitted by court-martial,[8] Lode Beets, Pol Bogaert (from Mechelen),[7] Alfons De Schepper,[2] Karel-Lodewijk De Schepper,[7] Pieter Dox (from Lier),[6][9] Ward Hermans (writer, from Turnhout),[7][10][11] Maurits Geerardyn,[1] Clement Ledegen, and Frans Vannyvel.[12] The attitude of the 10 soldiers was described as one of defeatism.
^ abcNWS, VRT (2018-07-15). "Omstreden 11 juli-vieringen in bezet België". vrtnws.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-05-21.
^ ab"Dr. J. Goossenaertskring reikt voor het eerst Alfons De Schepperprijs uit". Het Nieuwsblad (in Flemish). 2014-07-07. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
^ abTom Simoens, CHTP-BEG - n° 23 / 2011, article in Dutch Van arrangeren tot renseigneren. Smaad en geweld Van militairen Tegen hun oversten tijdens de eerste wereldoorlog
^Vandeweyer, Luc (1 January 1998). "De houthakkers van de Orne: Douteux au point de vue patriotique ?". WT. Tijdschrift over de Geschiedenis van de Vlaamse Beweging. 57 (4): 237–254. doi:10.21825/wt.v57i4.13040.
^"Davidts, Paul - NEVB Online". nevb.be. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
^ abKrant 't Pallieterke, 18 juli 1986, article in Dutch
^ abcdDidden, Kris (1 January 1997). "De Houthakkers van de Orne". WT. Tijdschrift over de Geschiedenis van de Vlaamse Beweging. 56 (4): 195–219. doi:10.21825/wt.v56i4.13075.
^DBNL. "Hoofdstuk VII. De tweede Raad van Vlaanderen, De Vlaamsche Beweging van 1905 tot 1930, Maurits Basse". DBNL (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-05-21.
^De Zaeger, Piet (1995). Lira Elegans 5. Liers genootschap voor geschiedenis. pp. 22–23.
^DBNL. "4 Het Vlaams Nationaal Verbond (VNV), België in de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Deel 5, Maurice de Wilde". DBNL (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-05-21.
^"Hermans, Ward – Schrijversgewijs" (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-05-21.
^"Fout". anet.be. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
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