Pieter Dox

Pieter Dox
Pieter Dox
Born	Petrus Joannes Maria Dox; 7 May 1898; Lier, Antwerp, Belgium
Died	26 November 1964 (aged 66); Watsa, Haut-Uélé, DR Congo
Occupation	Christian missionary
Military career
Branch	Belgian Army
Service years	1916–1919
Unit	Orne Woodchoppers
Wars	World War I

Petrus Joannes Maria Dox (7 May 1898 – 26 November 1964) was a Belgian Flemish soldier during the First World War known for his opposition to the Belgian Army's French-speaking officers' discriminatory treatment of Flemish-speaking soldiers. His vocal criticism led to his dismissal from front line service and his reassignment to the Special Forestry Platoon, a penal military unit.

After the war, Dox moved to the Belgian Congo where he served as a Christian missionary for the next few decades. He was killed during the Simba rebellion in November 1964.

Biography

World War I

Around 1914, Dox joined the Dominican Order as a novice. In 1916, despite a Belgian royal decree that only men born before 1897 could be conscripted, he was drafted to fight in the First World War.^[2]^[3] As a member of the seminary, Dox had to serve in the medical corps, and after only a single month of training he was sent to the Western Front.^[4]

He was critical of the French-speaking officers' attitude towards Flemish-speaking soldiers, and wrote letters on the subject. This led to his demotion to a penal military unit, the Special Forestry Platoon, on 30 March 1918, where he worked as a woodchopper as a form of penal labour in Orne, Normandy, France.^[5]^[6] The military's official conclusion read: "Doubts regarding his patriotism. Has expressed hostility toward national institutes in a letter sent from neutral territory."^[4]^[a] Dox was released eight months after the Armistice of 11 November 1918, on 10 July 1919.^[7]

One of his brothers, Ludovicus Gommarus, died in a German prisoner-of-war camp.^[8] His parents were also held captive by the German occupiers due to his father's participation in the resistance movement.^[9]

Missionary in Congo

Dox took his religious vows in Ghent on 7 November 1924,^[10] and moved to the Belgian Congo on 18 December 1928, to work as a missionary for the next 36 years under his priest name, Valentinus.^[11]

He and his brother Frans, who was also a missionary, were killed in Watsa during the Simba rebellion on 26 November 1964.^[12]^[13] In total, 15 Belgian missionaries were killed.^[11] A square in their hometown of Lier was named after him and his brother.^[14]^[15]

References

Notes

^ Translated from French: "Douteux au point de vue patriotique et avoir exprimé dans une lettre envoyée en pays neutre des sentiments hostiles aux institutions nationales."^[4]

Citations

^ De Vlaamsche houthakkers N.V. Ons Vaderland, Prentbriefkaart 1918 (in Dutch)
^ Didden 1997, p. 198.
^ De Zaeger 1995, pp. 22–23.
^ ^a ^b ^c De Zaeger 1995.
^ Didden 1997, p. 204.
^ Tom Simoens, CHTP-BEG - n° 23 / 2011. Van arrangeren tot renseigneren. Smaad en geweld Van militairen Tegen hun oversten tijdens de eerste wereldoorlog Archived 3 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine (in Dutch)
^ Didden 1997, p. 215.
^ Namenlijst gesneuvelde Lierenaars – Hooiktenaars (in Dutch) lier1418.be, projectgroep WOI
^ Didden 1997, p. 210.
^ Petrus Dox (in Dutch) odis.be, 25 October 2017
^ ^a ^b Zes paters als bij wonder aan de dood ontsnapt Newspaper article, 1964. (in Dutch)
^ Lamberigts et al. 2016, p. 98.
^ Een houthakker heeft ons verlaten (in Dutch) 't Pallieterke, 1968, p. 11.
^ Verklaring straatnamen Archived 28 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine (in Dutch) Lier.be, 4 February 2020
^ Gebroeders Doxplein (in Dutch) inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be

Bibliography

Didden, K. (1997). "De Houthakkers van de Orne". Wetenschappelijke Tijdingen (in Dutch). 56 (4): 195–219. doi:10.21825/wt.v56i4.13075.
De Zaeger, P. (1995). "Alfred van der Hallen (1901–1975) en het Vlaams-nationalisme". Lira Elegans (in Dutch). 5. Liers Genootschap voor Geschiedenis: 15–41.
Lamberigts, M.; De Caluwe, M.; Milh, A. (2016). Predikbroeders in woord en daad (in Dutch). Antwerp: Halewijn. ISBN 9789085283935.

[7] Translated from French: "Douteux au point de vue patriotique et avoir exprimé dans une lettre envoyée en pays neutre des sentiments hostiles aux institutions nationales."^[4]

[1] De Vlaamsche houthakkers N.V. Ons Vaderland, Prentbriefkaart 1918 (in Dutch)

[FOOTNOTEDidden1997198-2] Didden 1997, p. 198.

[FOOTNOTEDe_Zaeger199522–23-3] De Zaeger 1995, pp. 22–23.

[FOOTNOTEDe_Zaeger1995-4] De Zaeger 1995.

[FOOTNOTEDidden1997204-5] Didden 1997, p. 204.

[Simoens-6] Tom Simoens, CHTP-BEG - n° 23 / 2011. Van arrangeren tot renseigneren. Smaad en geweld Van militairen Tegen hun oversten tijdens de eerste wereldoorlog Archived 3 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine (in Dutch)

[FOOTNOTEDidden1997215-8] Didden 1997, p. 215.

[9] Namenlijst gesneuvelde Lierenaars – Hooiktenaars (in Dutch) lier1418.be, projectgroep WOI

[FOOTNOTEDidden1997210-10] Didden 1997, p. 210.

[Odis-11] Petrus Dox (in Dutch) odis.be, 25 October 2017

[article-12] Zes paters als bij wonder aan de dood ontsnapt Newspaper article, 1964. (in Dutch)

[FOOTNOTELamberigts_et_al.201698-13] Lamberigts et al. 2016, p. 98.

[14] Een houthakker heeft ons verlaten (in Dutch) 't Pallieterke, 1968, p. 11.

[stadLier-15] Verklaring straatnamen Archived 28 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine (in Dutch) Lier.be, 4 February 2020

[16] Gebroeders Doxplein (in Dutch) inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be

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