Between the devil and the deep blue sea - University of Canterbury

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the deadly wires: hardly any warning posters existed, and in many places there was no
barbed wire safety banier between passersby and the fence. 146 He also commented on local
residents' ignorance of the actual dangers of electricity, and on the many animals - cattle,
horses, cats, dogs, chickens and rodents - that were killed. 147
Surviving documents do not allude to any complaints made by the Dutch
govermnent to the Gennans about the fence. This is not surprising, given that the Germans
did the Dutch a favour by blocking the Belgian border, helping the already over-stretched
border guards keep illegal traffic from crossing into and out of the Netherlands.
Nevertheless, the fence was far from foolproof as smugglers, spies and passeurs (guides
that helped people and goods cross the border) found ways of circumventing the structure:
some dug underneath it, others crawled through by placing a rubber "window" or rubber­
lined banel between the wires. 148 It was even claimed that people pole-vaulted over the
fence, or jumped from rooftop to rooftop.149 Goods could be thrown over and collected on
the other side. Often, electricity shortages forced all but one of the copper wires to be shut
off, considerably decreasing the chance of electrocution. 150 When rivers and canals came
close to their high-water mark, particular sections had to be turned off as wel1. 151 Short­
circuiting the wires was another option open to those considering climbing through. In other
words, the fence made crossing the Dutch-Belgian border harder, but not unduly so. After
1915, at least 32,000 Belgians escaped the occupation zone through the Netherlands and
travelled on to either France or Great Britain. 152 No doubt, thousands more smuggled
themselves, goods and information through the wires on a regular basis. The effect of the
banier as a preventative measure against smuggling and spying was further undermined
when the Gennan authorities allowed local residents to cross the border on market days, to
146 Jan Feith, "Langs de electrische draadversperring (fragmenten)" [Along the electric fence (fragments)]
Soldatencollrant. no. 193, 10 November 1915, p. 2.
147 Feith, "Langs de electrische draadversperring" Soldatencollrant. no. 192,7 November 1915, front page.
148 L. van de Sijpe, Lespakket. Draadversperring WOI Hamont-Achel. [Lesson package. Fence barrier WWI Hamont­
Achel] Hamont: De Geschied- en Heemkundige Kring "De Goede Stede Hamont", 2000, p. 26.
149 Jan Feith, "Langs de electrische draadversperring (fragmenten)" Soldatencollrant. no. 194, 12 November 1915,
front page.
150 Bauwens et. a!., In Staat van Beleg. p. 92.
151 Vanneste, Kroniekvan een DOIp Volume 1, p. 265.
152 E. H. Kossmann, De Lage Landen 178011980. Twee Eel/wen Nederland en Belgie. DeeIII1914 - 1980. [The Low
Countries 1780/1980. Two centuries the Netherlands and Belgium. Volume II 1914 - 1980] Place of publication
unknown: Agon, 1986, p. 12; Schaepdrijver, De Groote Oorlog p. 123; Mark Derez, "The experience of occupation:
Belgium" in Liddle et. a!. (eds.), The Great World War Volume 1, p. 513.