 |
| |
Home
RAF
Stations & Bases
Aircraft
types
Forum and Bulletin Boards
Search site
Links
Books
Abbreviations
People Finder
About
Contact
us
> Units and Formations
Flying Squadrons
5 Sqn
6 Sqn
8 Sqn
9 Sqn
10 Sqn
11 Sqn
12 Sqn
15 Sqn
18 Sqn
21 Sqn
22 Sqn
23 Sqn
25 Sqn
27 Sqn
29 Sqn
33 Sqn
35 Sqn
39 Sqn
41 Sqn
43 Sqn
44 Sqn
46 Sqn
49 Sqn
50 Sqn
51 Sqn
54 Sqn
56 Sqn
57 Sqn
61 Sqn
64 Sqn
65 Sqn
68 Sqn
69 Sqn
70 Sqn
71 Sqn
73 Sqn
75 Sqn
81 Sqn
83 Sqn
85 Sqn
88 Sqn
90 Sqn
92 Sqn
97 Sqn
100 Sqn
101 Sqn
103 Sqn
104 Sqn
106 Sqn
109 Sqn
110 Sqn
111 Sqn
112 Sqn
113 Sqn
116 Sqn
121 Sqn
133 Sqn
136 Sqn
139 Sqn
141 Sqn
142 Sqn
143 Sqn
144 Sqn
148 Sqn
149 Sqn
150 Sqn
151 Sqn
153 Sqn
154 Sqn
166 Sqn
170 Sqn
189 Sqn
198 Sqn
199 Sqn
203 Sqn
206 Sqn
207 Sqn
209 Sqn
210 Sqn
211 Sqn
214 Sqn
222 Sqn
227 Sqn
228 Sqn
229 Sqn
235 Sqn
236 Sqn
248 Sqn
249 Sqn
251 Sqn
253 Sqn
254 Sqn
255 Sqn
256 Sqn
264 Sqn
266 Sqn
280 Sqn
288 Sqn
300 Sqn
301 Sqn
302 Sqn
303 Sqn
305 Sqn
307 Sqn
309 Sqn
310 Sqn
349 Sqn
350 Sqn
401 Sqn
402 Sqn
404 Sqn
407 Sqn
409 Sqn
410 Sqn
411 Sqn
412 Sqn
415 Sqn
416 Sqn
420 Sqn
421 Sqn
430 Sqn
438 Sqn
439 Sqn
441 Sqn
442 Sqn
443 Sqn
452 Sqn
455 Sqn
460 Sqn
463 Sqn
467 Sqn
486 Sqn
503 Sqn
504 Sqn
527 Sqn
528 Sqn
532 Sqn
538 Sqn
542 Sqn
550 Sqn
576 Sqn
601 Sqn
609 Sqn
613 Sqn
616 Sqn
617 Sqn
619 Sqn
625 Sqn
626 Sqn
627 Sqn
630 Sqn
Heavy
Conversion Units
1654
HCU
1656 HCU
1660 HCU
1661 HCU
1662 HCU
1665 HCU
1667 HCU
1668 HCU
21 HGCU
Advanced
Flying Schools
201
AFS
Advanced
Flying Units
12
AFU
15 AFU
Flying
Training Schools
1 FTS
2 FTS
3 FTS
6 FTS
7
FTS
12 FTS
1 Lancaster Finishing School
Central Flying School
Operational
Training/
Conversion Units (Fighter)
6
OTU
53 OTU
56 OTU
Air
Armament Schools
1
AAS
2 AAS
Empire Central AS
Other
schools
1 Gp Aircrew School
1 Ground Defence School
1 Air Observers School
Central
Gunnery School
5 Gp Anti Air School
Other units
Bomber Command
Coastal Command
Fighter Command
HQ No 5 Group
HQ No 23 Group
1485
Gunnery Flight
2782
Defence Sqn
178 Support Unit
399 Signals Unit
Nationality
based Sqns
Updated: 28 Oct 08
During 609 Sqn's time in Normandy and the push up into the Low Countries the Sqn was commanded by three Belgians:
Sqn Ldr Lodewijk Geerts DFC (June-August 1944)
Sqn Ldr Raymond Lallemant DFC (August-September 1944)
Sqn Ldr Charles Demoulin DFC (November-December 1944)
Of the 55 Belgian pilots who served with 609 Sqn during WWII, 15 lost their lives in the squadron, several more were killed whilst serving in other RAF sqns. Those below are believed to have served at RAF Digby. The dates of their time with the Sqn are listed.
André R. Blanco "Le men". 13 Jan 1942 - 31 Oct 1943; 11 Apr 1944 - 30 Oct 1944
Jean M. de Selys Longchamps. 30 Sep 1941 - 13 March 1943. de Selys Longchamps Jean was probably the best known Belgian of 609 Sqn. Originally a cavalry officer he escaped to England to join the RAF. On 29 May 1942 he baled out of his Typhoon R7647 which crashed at Sutton Village (Ely). On 20 Jan 1943, he decided to attack the headquarters of the German Sicherheitsdienst on Avenue Louise in Brussels. At this stage Brussels was out of range for allied fighters by daylight. Although he returned successfully from his attack he was not popular with the chain of command. Posted from the Sqn, he was killed in a flying accident on 16 Aug 1943 in 3 Sqn.
François X.E. de Spirlet. 15 Apr 1941 - 26 Jun 1942. de Spirlet, an experienced Belgian pilot, joined the RAF during the Battle of Britain. He claimed his first victory on 17 Jun 1941 but one week later, on 22 Jun, he was shot down over the Channel and rescued. On 29 Aug he shot down a Me-109. De Spirlet was killed whilst colliding during take off on 26 Jun 1942, crashing in Typhoon R7710 'PR-E'.
Giovanni E.F. Dieu DFC. 4 Aug 1941 - 1 Aug 1942. Dieu joined 236 Sqn but was transferred to 609 one year later. On 8 Mar 1942 he claimed a FW 190 near Dunkirk. After his one-year tour on 609 Sqn he was sent to 245 Sqn, and died in 1978.Count Yvan G. du Monceau de Bergendael DFC "Duke". 10 Apr 1941 - 30 Mar 1942. "Duke" du Monceau was the first Belgian to join 609 Squadron. On 18 Aug 1941 he claimed a Bf 109 near Calais followed by another on 27 Sep Mardijck. On 18 Feb 1942 he successfully intercepted a Do 217 over the Humber and on 8 Mar 1942 he shot down a FW 190 near Cap Griz Nez. Du Monceau was transferred to 350 'Belgian' Sqn in Mar 1942. He died in 1984.
Raymond Lallemant "Cheval" DFC & Bar. 30 Sep 1941 - 24 Jun 1943; 14 Aug 1944 - 14 Sep 1944. Cheval was one of the best Typhoon pilots ever, joining 609 Sqn in the autumn of 1941. He scored his first victory over Deal, on 19 Dec 1942, a second Focke Wulf over Dungeness on 20 Jan 1943 and a third one on 14 Feb over Dover. Lallemant became CO of the Squadron in Aug 1944 , following Manu Geerts. A few weeks later, on 14 Sep 1944, however, his Typhoon PD505 was hit by flak. He managed to fly back to Merville, but on landing he crashed and was severely burned.
Roger Malengreau. 15 May 1941 - 9 Oct 1942. Malengreau was an ex Belgian Air Force pilot who flew in the Battle of Britain and joined 609 Sqn in 1941.
Jean Morai. 4 Aug 1941 - 18 Apr 1942. Jean Morai moved on to 349 'Belgian' Sqn but was taken prisoner on 14 Jun 1944. He flew 118 missions.
José Muller. 21 Jul 1941 - 21 Nov 1941 After his stay in 609 José Muller joined 122 Sqn, and was taken POW on May 17, 1942.
Jean Offenberg DFC "Pyker". 17 Jun 1941 - 22 Jan 1942. "Pyker" was one of the few Belgian pilots who managed to shoot down a German plane during the invasion in May 1940. He joined the RAF, flew during the Battle of Britain, was transferred to 609 where he received the DFC (first Belgian to get this award) and became CO of B-flight. On July 7, 1941 he shot down a Bf 109 near Le Touquet. He was killed when his Spitfire AB188 "PR-Y" collided with a Spitfire of 92 Sq. over Digby (Blankney Heath).
Christian Ortmans. 25 Aug 1941 - 1942. Killed in 615 Sqn on 1 Apr 1943.
Victor Ortmans DFC "Vicky". 12 April 1941 - 1942. Vicky's brother Christian flew during the Battle of Britain in 229 Sqn, where he scored three victories. Vicky was the first Belgian to shoot down an enemy, a Bf 109 over Deal on 21 May 1941. On 4 Jun he claimed another one over Dover and a third Messerschmitt on 30 Jun, near Lille. On 18 Aug he scored another victory. He had to be recovered from the North Sea on three occasions. On the first two it was by a British vessel, but on 21 Oct 1941 he was recovered by a German craft, after dispatching a FW 190. He died flying a a Tiger Moth in 1950.
Louis Van Arenberg. 23 Sep 1941 - 14 Dec 1941. After a short time in 609 Sqn, Louis Van Arenberg became a flying instructor, but was killed near Snailwell in 1945.
Robert Wilmet "Bob". 17 Apr 1941 - 9 Oct 1942. Bob flew during the Battle of Britain, transfering to 349 'Belgian' Sqn but died in Ikeja in 1943.
Aviation
Heritage Lincolnshire
(Tourism)
Follow RAF Lincolnshire:
powered by blueconsultancy
