The war memorial: WWI in Betekom

This hardstone war memorial in the shape of an obelisk, a symbol of steadfastness and courage, with a cross placed above it, bears several original inscriptions on its three sides, of which the most poetic is probably this one: ‘Man comes as a flower and flees like a shadow’.
Already on August 18, 1914, the village was in German hands and a German soldier, wounded at the Demer Bridge, was cared for at the St. Joseph's boarding school. After the battle of Aarschot on August 19, 1914, 40,000 German troops marched from Betekom to Brussels. During the first sortie of the Belgian army from the fortress of Antwerp, on August 26, several platoons of Lancers reached the village, but they were not able to withstand the German superiority. About 40 Germans were treated in the boarding school. On September 1, these wounded were captured by the Belgian army. The second sortie from September 9 to 13 was more successful, and nearby Aarschot was temporarily recaptured. When the Belgians had to retreat, the old mill on Molenstraat was set on fire.
Compared to the nearby villages, Betekom fared well during those first days of the war. According to the clandestine paper ‘La Soupe’ from 1915, ‘only’ seven of the 393 houses were set on fire, no civilian was killed in the wartime violence, and eleven of the 2069 inhabitants were captured.
For Betekom, about 70 boys were called up for the Belgian army and 18 volunteers offered themselves. Captain commander Léon Knapen was also born in Betekom. Knapen died a heroic death at the Battle of Orsmaal on August 10, 1914.

Jan Rymenams