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This weeks Sabine’s battlefield guide Saturday:

Georges Kugé a Belgian spy with German roots

George Born in lessines on the 10th of June 1890, His father Charles was a German watchmaker, His mother Justine Hanton , Belgian, a very intelligent and bright boy. Loved playing the piano and the violin. Since his father’s health was not great, he decides to also become a watchmaker and help his father, from 1908 until 1910 he was in Germany to improve his skills as a watchmaker.

At the beginning of the war George belonged to the 9 regiment of line, he took part with his regiment in the glorious defence of the position of liege, George received his first wound there, his battalion moved towards Aarschot, Kugé took part in the battle that was being fought, but his health did not allow him to continue the fight until the end, he was exhausted, and ended up in hospital where he was successively moved from Leuven to the hospital in Gent and then again moved to the hospital in Antwerpen. He recovered and was able to return to Lessines. Since his parents were having Belgians soldiers, George moves to Brussel where he is introduced by a police officer named Victor Remy with the ‘ services de spionnage et d’ information de l’armee Belge’ in November 1914. Him speaking German since his father was German was a big bonus. Around July 15th George made an unfortunate attempt to cross the border into Holland. In September he began to supply more precise and circumstantial information on all that could interest the allies in the sector of Hainaut, which he had reserved for himself. he belonged to the group led by gendarme Mus, when Mus was arrested in April 1916, he became the leader . George also set up a special railway surveillance service which controlled the transport of explosive ordnance and chemicals. He had a post at schaarbeek, laken and Brussel midi, at the intersection of the railway lines. George was known to the services under n° 52B. and as few of his collaborators:

Auguste Genevois 159B zone Charleroi – Thuin

Jules Descamps 168B zone Mons – Maubeuge

Lucien Descamps 177B zone phillippeville – Chimay ( no I’m not giving them all, it is a long list and big file)

He was well respected in his service by his perfect knowledge of the German language, his sympathetic approach, him being jovial and his perfect politeness. A few cigarettes presented, to the German soldiers, a few drinks that he offered them often brought their confidences to trust him. In Thuin, he frequented visited a hotel and offered for sale cigars and cigarettes with envelopes bearing the Kaiser’s image to German officers. All this was not without George’s use of false identity cards, different costumes and disguises, which he used according to the circumstances.

On the 16th of October 1916, George Kugé was arrested. all the incriminating documents in his possession had been seized, so he was only able to make a confession, but without denouncing any of his accomplices.

A small part of what he wrote in his diary the day he got arrested : I was taken to an office where there were two valiant gentlemen, I learned that one of them was Lieutenant Schmitz. I saw all my papers on the table, I couldn’t deny , there was nothing else I could do, I confessed and accused myself of what I had done, which I saw the evidence, I didn’t denounce anyone. If the others were caught it was not my fault because I was arrested at the same time as they were arrested. I also learned that the German police had been in lessines at my poor parents’ home, and that my brother was in prison, I said that my brother was innocent. These gentlemen knew about our service much better than we did.