The Civic Guard

( Originally Published 1915 )

The Belgian Civic Guard, organised in 1831, was reorganised in 1897. Every Belgian citizen must serve in it between the ages of twenty and forty years, unless he has already performed his military service or has not sufficient means to pay for his equipment. The Civic Guard has formations identical with those of the Army; it is commanded by officers of whom the majority are ex-Army officers. Its mission is defined by Article 1 of the Act of the 9th of September, 1897 :—The Civic Guard is entrusted with the duty of watching over the maintenance of order and the laws, the preservation of the national independence, and the integrity of the territory.

In time of war it must furnish the auxiliary services of the Army: garrison service in the fortresses, the various supply services, the protection of communications between the fortress army and the field army, etc.

The Civic Guard is active in localities having a population of 10,000 inhabitants and in those which are fortified or commanded by a fortress. It is not active in other localities, where it exists, in a sense, " on paper " only, but where it may be called into activity if circumstances so require. In that case the Civic Guards thus called up for active service must wear as uniform a blue blouse with a brassard bearing the national colours.

On the 4th of August, 1914, the Civic Guard was naturally called up for active service all over the country. Still, the Government reminded the burgomasters of the communes concerned that " the non-active Civic Guards called into activity constitute exclusively a police to maintain order and security," and that they must not " fire a shot."