Belgian Refugees at Potton

Image: Souvenir postcard of Potton, 1909 [Z1306/91/1/1]

Saturday 6th February 1914: Five more Belgian refugees from Antwerp are now living at Potton where they are lodging with Mrs George Boness of West End Lane. They are Madame Van Wetter-Robie, her sister Mademoiselle Robie, and her three children, Francis aged 16, Clementine aged 15 and Marie aged 13. Monsieur Van Wetter is an engineer on a the Belgian cargo steamer Teresia. When the war broke out his ship was at Alexandria. His family fled to Holland when the Germans entered Antwerp. The front of their house was demolished by shell-fire and they lost everything except what they were able to carry with them. Arthur Uytterelst, aged 17½ and one of the first batch of refugees to arrive in the village, has been accepted by the Belgian Army.

Source: Potton Parish Magazine, February 1915 [P64/30/4]