Pieter Dox

Around 1914 Dox joined the Dominican Order as a novice, however only two years later at the age of 17 he was called up for military duty to fight in the First World War.[4][5] Despite a royal decision that only men born before 1897 could be called upon he was also forced to join.[5] As a member of the Seminary he had to serve as a member of the medical corps and after only 1 month of training he was sent to the front.[4][5] Early in 1918 he was however punished for his critital attitude against the French speaking officiers and sent to the penal unit the woodchoppers of the Orne.[4][5] Dox was sent here because of letters he wrote that were termed unacceptable by the military leaders. The official conclusions from the military leaders was (in French): "Douteux au point de vue patriotique et avoir epxrimé dans une lettre envoyée en pays neutre des sentiments hostiles aux institutions nationales".[4]

One of the brothers of Pieter Dox, Ludovicus Gommarus, died in a German prison during the war[4][6] while his parents were kept captive by the Germans for months during the war because the father of Pieter Dox was active in the resistance.[4]

After the war Pieter took his religious vows (Ghent 7 November 1924)[1] to finally depart to Congo in 18 December 1928 to work as a missionary. As a missionary Dox worked here for 36 years before being killed in Watsa on the 26th of November 1964 as a reaction by Simba rebels to the Belgian Operation Dragon Rouge during the Simba rebellion.[1][3] Frans, a brother of Pieter and also a missionary in Watsa, was also killed[7][8] In total 13 people were killed.[3]

In his home town, Lier, a street near a church was named after him and his brother.[9][10]

• 
  Ten Flemish woodchoppers, Dox standing second from the left
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  Article on the killing of the missionaries (in Dutch)
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  Street named after the Dox brothers killed in Watsa

• List of last World War I veterans by country
• Remembrance poppy
• Language legislation in Belgium