Staf De Clercq. Collection

This item was discovered by Ariane Paquay tucked away behind a wooden beam in one of the rooms for the children or maids in the house her family purchased after the war. During the war the property in Zottegem was known as "villa Cousy". It belonged to Louis Cousy, one of the local leaders of the Vlaams Nationaal Verbond. This Flemish nationalist/fascist party was founded by Staf De Clercq in 1933 and led by him until his death on 22 October 1942. During the occupation, the Cousy house was also used as the local Kommandantur, with German tanks parked in its garage. Louis Cousy was executed by the resistance in Zottegem as revenge for the killing of Witte Brigade [White Brigade] partisan leader baron Idesbald Della Faille D'Huysse in the same street where Cousy's house was located. In 2014 the current owners of the house donated the item to Kazerne Dossin.

Charles and Ariane Laire-Paquay, 2014