Halen 32: Belgian Reinforcements Arrive
The 4th Mixed Bde Adjutant told 1st Bn/4th Line2 Inf Regt Commander Maj. Rademakers, “Halen is taken. You have to recapture it. If you hurry up you can occupy Velpen before the enemy.”
The map shows that 4th Mixed Bde had quite a way to go: a full day of forced marching had begun at 1030 hours for approximately eighteen kilometers over many dust-covered tracks on a very hot day. The troops had not been trained to march in their poorly fitted boots and uniforms. The brigade moved along two routes: the main body on the left and a flank guard on the right. Originally, the main body was routed to Houtem, Bunsbeek, Kersbeek-Miskom, Vroente—crossing the Velp Creek—and Kortenaken.
The column, commanded by Rademakers, comprised a vanguard consisting of 1st Bn/4th Line Inf Regt; a company of Maxim machine guns; and a half platoon of Gendarmerie. The flank guard consisted of 3rd Bn/24th Line Inf Regt. A kilometer back was the main body, consisting of 3rd Bn/4th Line Inf Regt; 4th Mixed Bde artillery; 2nd Bn/24th Line Inf Regt; a company of Hotchkiss machine guns; and a part of 1st Bn/24th Line Inf Regt. The 3rd, 4th, and 1st Comp/1st Bn/24th Line Inf Regt (minus one platoon) would join the column at kilometer marker 5.6 of the Tienen-Diest Road. Six hundred meters further back, 1st Comp/1st Bn/24th Line Inf Regt served as the rear guard.
Altogether, about 4,000 men had to be brought into marching order. The 1st Army Div had directed that “the packs will be stored in the cantonments.” These were left behind in Sint-Margriete-Houtem, guarded by bandsmen and soldiers who were not able to march. The soldiers still had to carry a great deal of equipment that was not normally strapped to their backpacks, including extra ammunition and rations for three days. For a while, they debated if they should eat lunch before departure, as they had no mobile field kitchens. But lunch had not been cooked, nor meat left behind to be cooked. Assuming all preparations were swiftly executed, they probably did not leave until 1030. The march on Halen was not the only factor. By 1100, the temperature had risen to 26° C (79o F). A weak, warm wind blew from the east at eight to ten knots with clear skies and humidity at 50-60%. Under those conditions, the men were to travel about eighteen kilometers from Sint-Margriete-Houtem to Velpen, presumably at the very fast marching speed of five kilometers per hour. The Belgian infantrymen were not at all dressed or trained to march in this temperature. The worst of the sad uniforms were their shoes—especially for those men who had been mobilized. At their previous training demobilization, all kit—including shoes—had been packed in big bags stored in the spacious barracks attic. As a result, the boot leather became hard as a rock. As the men marched, the boots ruptured apart. Their black uniforms of thick fabric with a high red collar held the heat that came from their bodies. Their gray trousers turned the yellow-brown color of the dust cloud whirled up by their thousands of feet. After three hours of marching, it must have been a sad procession.
The 4th Mixed Bde commander received messages from the Belgian Cav Div Staff around 1230 that stripped off much of his strength. The 3rd Bn/4th Line Inf Regt was to send its 2nd Comp to Budingen and 3rd Comp to Geetbets. The commander was also ordered to immediately send all the artillery via Waanrode. Within ten minutes, he received further orders per a rudimentary sketch: two battalions to Loksbergen, two to Halen via Blekkom and Velpen, and two in reserve.
This scheme would not quite work as both regiments amounted to four battalions in total. De Witte was not aware of the force reductions that had drained 4th Mixed Bde. One battalion with an additional company and one platoon had to be left at Sint-Margriete-Houtem as a watch battalion, and as previously ordered, two companies had been sent to Geetbets and Budingen. As a result, only three complete battalions arrived: 1st Bn/4th Line Inf Regt; 2nd Bn/24th Line Inf Regt; and 3rd Bn/24th Line Inf Regt. There were also two incomplete battalions: 3rd Bn/4th Line Inf Regt (only two companies) and 1st Bn/24th Line Regt (two companies and one company minus one platoon). The routing changed; they were to stay west of the Velp Creek from Vroente onward, moving toward Castle Farm west of Rigel, 800 meters north of Kortenaken.
The first to leave the 4th Mixed Bde main marching column were the brigade’s three artillery batteries (7th, 8th, and 9th Batt). They were at the tail then. The brigade had been directed to have these guns move directly between Zuurbemde and Miskom. Gen. Scheere hastily sent a messenger to notify Artillery Commander Maj. Van Acker to release himself from the column and ride towards Waanrode, where he would receive further intelligence. It must have been near Vroente when they left the main body. Moving up through the column with horses and caissons, they created even bigger clouds of dust.