The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-08-21
DEsERTER;. NOW a CAPTAIN.
Albert Claesscus, a Belgian. Hater OF
Huns, Has Remarkable Record.

Albert Claessens, who was court
martialed by the officials of the South
eastern department for desertion from
the United States army shortly after
the invasion Of Belgium in order to
join the Belgian forces, is now in
France with the United States army,
holding the commission Of a captain.
The story will be remembered by
many that read it in the local papers.
After the United States declared war
against Germany, Claessens deserted
from the Belgian army and came back
to the United States as a stowaway,
having heard that deserters such as
he would not be prosecuted. He de-
Evered himself to the federal author
tiles, and was courtmartialed. He
was pardoned and later given a COM
mission.
The story of his experiences in the
two armies is told in the following
from the Savannah Morning News:
Capt. Claessens, who is a native of
Belgium, was in the United States
army when the war broke out. Most
Of his family We're living in France at
the time of the German invasion, and
when the Germans drew near Ant
werp they prepared to fee. The day
that they had set for this was the day
that the Huns set foot in Antwerp.
Capt. Claessens' father, mother, sis
ter and little brother then went
aboard a train, h'lt the brother, a lad
Of fourteen, jumped off to get his pet
dog. The mother neckoned to him to
come, but the boy ran on and after
he had the dog safely in his arms.
started back to the train. A German
officer called out some unintelligible
command. The lad kept on, and was
shot from behind and killed by one
Of the Huns. In the meantime, his
sister became separated from the rest
of the family and has never been
heard from since.
When the news of this atrocity
came to Capt. Claessens (then a pri-
vate in the American army in Texas)
ne swore vengeance and immediate
ly boarded a vessel as a stowaway
and landed in Belgium. Here he
joined the army Of that country, his
native land, and went out to do bat
-le He already had one brother in
he field and he was resolved to carry
out his oath.
When he had been lighting some
months he went cover the top" and it
was there that he received a wound
that almost proved fatal. A German
ran a bayonet through his side. which
cut into his kidney, but he killed his
assailant and took the bayonet out OF
his own side. One day he lay on the
battlefield and early the next day he
was picked up. At the hospital, and
while recovering, he took another
,att1 eff the Lord spares my life, |
will get a Hun for every hair in my
little dead brothers head" After tha:
ne said that he could not remember
low many Germans he had account
I'd for, but he knew that the total
must be very large.
Capt. Claessens was soon wounded
again, and ,Nhi1e he was in the hos
oital the United States declared war
It was then that he deserted the army
If his native land to come and fight
COR his adopted country.
When he arrived in this country
coming back as he went, a stowaway
he gave himself up to the military
authorities and was arraigned before
! courtnartia1. Instead of court
him, he was recommended
cor a commission. He is now staff
captain and an interpreter in the
army Of this country, and has arriv-
I'd in France with the supply depart
nent of tae SiNty-first regiment.