[History] The Supermarine Spitfire in Belgian Service

The Supermarine Spitfire was first flown by Belgian pilots at the beginning of World War II. The pilots and pilot candidates came from various parts of the world: Europe, North and South America, Africa, and even China. A number of them were from Belgium, having spent time in French, Portuguese, or Spanish prisoner-of-war camps. Most of them joined the Royal Air Force and were assigned to various Bomber and Fighter Squadrons. On February 11, 1941, a Belgian flight was formed within the 609 Squadron. After just a year, their numbers had grown so large that it was decided to establish a full Squadron on February 11, 1942: the 350 Squadron, with the code MN. In November of the same year, a second Squadron was formed: the 349 Squadron, with the code GE. They were equipped with Spitfire Mk II A aircraft from the Royal Air Force.

The rich Belgian colonies contributed funds, raising enough capital to purchase 12 Spitfire V aircraft for the 350 Squadron.

Over time, both Squadrons were re-equipped with Spitfire Mk IX aircraft from the Royal Air Force.

A few Belgian pilots in the RAF and their stories

At least 640 Belgians flew in the Allied Air Forces between 1940 and 1945. In relation to the populations of the Allied countries, it was the Belgians who provided the largest contingent of airmen to the Allied effort under the leadership of the RAF. A staggering number—231—lost their lives, one in three. 

André Cantillon, reconnaissance pilot on the blue Spitfire.

André Cantillon was born in Wavre in 1920. His father, an employee at the railway company, had served in World War I. The young man was a member of Wavre-Sports and later joined the Vilvoorde R.F.C. On June 27, 1939, after passing an entrance exam, André became a clerk at the Post Office Savings Bank. A calm and likely happy life seemed to be in store for this very composed young man, but the war that would tear Europe apart had other plans.

Shortly after starting his professional career, André was called up for military service as a militiaman and was assigned to the 7th Squadron of the 4th Group. Having admired the pilots in his squadron, André decided to follow in their footsteps and applied to the pilot training school. He passed the entrance exam and found himself at the Zellick training center. In January 1940, he continued his training in Gosselies on the Avro 504 N. On May 10, war broke out, and two days later, the staff and student pilots of the school managed to evacuate to France. By May 31, they had reached Oudjamais in Morocco. By the end of June, France had ceased the fight.

What were the Belgian military to do in this situation? Captain Franz Burniaux, the chief instructor, decided to head to the Belgian Congo, from where he would join the South African Air Force. Some returned to Belgium, while others, like André, attempted to reach England, likely motivated by his sense of patriotism.

On July 3, 1940, his group of trainees, under the command of Captain Cajot, a veteran of World War I, managed to reach Gibraltar via Casablanca. The Belgians then boarded the David Livingstone to head for England. On August 14, André was at the training center in Odiham, southeast of London. Captain Robert Cajot would later become the commander of the Belgian section of the Franco-Belgian pilot training school that was established there. (After this section closed, he would lead the Belgian Air Forces depot in Great Britain.)

Pierre Halet, a former student of Odiham and a Belgian navigator, would remember the trainee pilot André Cantillon as a very calm, very helpful comrade, nicknamed "Mouk" because of his blonde lock of hair. André continued his pilot training.

He flew the Magister with his instructor, Count Jacques d’Ursel (the latter would disappear in a Halifax during the night of August 6–7, 1942, on a mission over Duisburg). On May 14, 1941, André completed his pilot training and was selected for further training at the 5(S) F.T.S. in Ternhill, where he flew the Master and later the Hawker Hurricane. On August 17, he was transferred to the 61.O.T.U. in Heston, where he flew the Spitfire. By the 30th, a fully qualified pilot, he was assigned to Squadron 74 at the airfield in Llandbedt, Scotland. He initially had a crash but went on to complete his first combat missions successfully, escorting several convoys. At the beginning of November, André was transferred to the 1486 Target Towing Flight at Valley, where he flew the Spitfire II and the Westland Lysander, used for towing targets.

Eventually, he joined the 1 PRU, a prestigious photographic reconnaissance unit flying Spitfire PRs, whose armament was removed in favor of large-capacity fuel tanks to allow for long-range flights. The Spitfire PRs were also distinguished by the polished finish of their coating, which enhanced their speed when evading pursuers. These aircraft were painted royal blue for high-altitude reconnaissance and candy-pink for low-altitude missions. They were equipped with cameras.

On March 8, Cantillon conducted a reconnaissance of the railways in Hirson, Mézières, and Valenciennes, followed by missions on March 13 over Hamburg in Germany, and on March 23 over Kassel and Leipzig. On March 26, he flew a mission over Paris. On April 13, he flew for more than five hours to reach the 23rd parallel, where he photographed enemy ships, including the Tirpitz, Prinz Eugen, Admiral Scheer, and Hipper. On April 18, he flew to Norway and over Trondheim. On April 26 and 28, he flew additional missions over Norway, which would continue until the end of May. In June 1942, as the threat of large enemy naval units diminished, André was able to rest from his exhausting reconnaissance flights. (These flights, lasting more than five hours in a cramped cockpit, with his lungs constantly exposed to the icy oxygen from the tanks, and his nerves tested by the constant threat of Flak fire, were physically and mentally demanding.)

On June 10, André flew over the Tirpitz west of Trondheim. He carried out another mission on June 28, and then on July 6. Among his July missions, there was a long journey over France.

On August 17, he was on a mission in northern Germany. On this day, he encountered German fighter planes for the first time, and sadly, for the last time. An Fw 190 A-3, piloted by a young aviator, Sergeant Heinz Born, managed to catch up with him and shoot down his unarmed Spitfire Mk IV, blue, letter X, serial AA.814. The aircraft crashed at Süderoog Sand, north of the Elbe estuary. Born, the victor, was photographed upon returning from this mission, and the report appeared in the Luftwaffe magazine. However, Born’s glory was short-lived, as he would be killed himself on April 22, 1944, during combat with American fighter planes over Hamm.

August 1942 proved to be a dark month for the 1 PRU, which lost eight of its reconnaissance aircraft, and a ninth was destroyed in England. One of these aircraft would fall in Belgium, that of F/O Eric Harris, near Seraing.

Rememberance

On August 23, the Belgian military attaché in Great Britain, Lieutenant Colonel Louis Wouters, visited the Benson base and heard the commander of the 1 PRU praise the fallen pilot. Why had Cantillon chosen reconnaissance over an attack squadron? Likely because of his calm nature, he preferred long missions to the swirling dogfights. In the journal of his school in 1945, one of his classmates wrote this beautiful and moving tribute about him:

After the war, the body of this hero, who died for freedom at the age of 22, was moved to the British cemetery in Hamburg. On March 27, 1952, it was brought back to Wavre to the family vault. Later, a monument erected by Wavre-Sport in memory of its members who died during World War II would bear his name.

Jean de Sélys Longchamps, an intruder pilot flying the Typhoon and the Spitfire

Baron Jean de Sélys Longchamps was born on May 31, 1912. He spent his youth at the family château near Waremme in Hesbaye. A sporty young man, he was also an excellent horseman. In 1933, he joined the 1st Regiment of Guides, and in 1937, he was promoted to second lieutenant. In May 1940, Jean fought along the Albert Canal. When the surrender was declared, Jean de Sélys made the decision to continue the fight at all costs. Clinging to a German tank, he managed to reach Dunkirk and then, against all odds, boarded a ship that was normally reserved for the transport of "Tommy" soldiers heading to England.

Enlisting

Once in England, he learned that a Belgian armored unit was reforming in Brittany (the later renowned Bigade Piron). He wished to join it, so he crossed the English Channel once again, only to learn of the French capitulation. The officer then sought to return quickly to England. Via the Mediterranean port of Sète, Jean managed to board a cargo ship headed for Gibraltar. On board the same ship were Dr Albert Guérisse, who would become famous as the head of an escape network, William Janssens, de Vaerebeke, Paul Nicod (who would later become a pilot with Squadron 235 flying the Beaufighter but would be killed on December 18, 1942), and Jean de Cloedt (who would also become a pilot, a friend of André Cantillon, and be killed on March 15, 1942, over England due to bad weather).

Jean de Sélys falsified his age to join the RAF more easily, making himself three years younger. This ruse was frequently used to increase the chances of being incorporated into the RAF. Another Belgian, Lucien Leboutte, managed to use this strategy to serve in night fighter units at the age of 43. Jean underwent his training at Odiham under the command of Captain Cajot (like André Cantillon). Among his fellow trainees were Guy Dupret de Beco (who would accidentally die on July 3, 1941), Maurice Gallemaerts, who would become a navigator and survive the war, and Edouard Menkès, who would disappear in a flight to the Lipari Islands.

On January 16, 1941, Jean, having obtained his pilot's wings, arrived at 61 OTU in Heston to further refine his skills on the Hurricane and Spitfire. He was then transferred to Squadron 609, which had two Flights, both commanded by Belgians: Jean Offenberg (who would be killed in an aerial collision on January 22, 1942) and François de Spirlet (who would be killed in a collision, this time on the ground, on June 26, 1942). The Belgian pilot Lallemant, who worked alongside Jean de Sélys, later said of him that he would get out of one plane to jump into another, just like he did with horses.

By the end of 1941, Squadron 609 was equipped with Spitfire Vb aircraft. Part of their missions involved "rhubarbs," a term referring to offensive missions carried out by two Spitfires against enemy installations when the sky, low and cloudy, provided protection from enemy fighters patrolling at high altitudes. Despite the advantage of the clouds, pilots still faced risks from Flak (German anti-aircraft fire).

On August 9, 1941, the Flak succeeded in shooting down the plane of Belgian pilot Alex Nitelet, who lost an eye in the battle but managed to eject from his aircraft and escape from enemy hands. He took the opportunity to visit his mother in Pont-à-Celles before heading to Gibraltar and then to England in February 1942. His lost eye led to his being declared unfit to fly, but Nitelet didn’t give up. He returned to France on May 28, 1942, this time as a radio operator for MI9. He was arrested in August but managed to escape and made his way back to England for the third time.

Typhoon Mk. Ib introduction

At the end of March, Squadron 609 celebrated its move into its own officers’ mess at Ashby Hall, but soon after, it had to relocate to Duxford, near Cambridge. The pilots then had to swap their Spitfires for the new Hawker Typhoon. In 1942, this aircraft was still in its early stages and had numerous flaws. Its cannons tended to fire spontaneously, the landing gear often got stuck for no reason, exhaust fumes easily filled the cockpit, and more seriously, it had a tendency to lose its tail during dives and occasionally catch fire due to issues with its large Sabre 24-cylinder engine. Of the first 242 Typhoons produced, 135 suffered serious accidents that were unrelated to enemy action. Jean de Sélys would experience such a mishap on June 1, 1942, near Cambridge. He became the first pilot to bail out of a Typhoon. On another occasion, he witnessed the canopy of his Typhoon 1b explode into pieces.

Attack on Gestapo HQ Brussels

On November 1, de Sélys and his unit moved to Manston, in the southeast of England. Shortly thereafter, on December 16, Jean scored his first aerial victory by shooting down an Fw 190. A few weeks later, on January 20, he fulfilled a long-held dream when, taking advantage of a "rhubarb" mission, he strafed the Gestapo headquarters at 347 Avenue Louise in Brussels. After dropping two flags over the city, his shells shredded the building’s facade, and his machine gun fire peppered the offices on the tenth floor. The number of casualties remains unknown. On his return flight, over the countryside near Ghent, de Sélys completed his feat by releasing thousands of little flags he had carried with him.

Barely back from this famous raid, Jean couldn’t rest on his laurels. He had to immediately take off again to intercept a raid by 28 Fw 190s escorted by 60 fighters. Thirteen enemy aircraft were shot down that day, seven of them by Squadron 609. Upon returning from this second mission, Jean had a tense moment when a friendly Spitfire mistook his Typhoon for an Fw 190 just as he was beginning his landing. That evening, a celebration took place at "Vieux Charles" at Doone House. Jean was among the revelers letting off steam after their intense experiences as wartime pilots. Full of life, he was arrested by the British police for borrowing a taxi… without the driver. As a consequence, Jean was demoted. However, this didn’t stop him from claiming another victory on February 14, again over an Fw 190, off the coast of Calais.

On March 13, Jean was transferred to Squadron 3, which occupied the same airfield as his former Squadron 609. So, the transition wasn’t too jarring, especially since the commander of this unit was the Belgian Léon de Soomer. On June 21, the pilots had the rare opportunity to admire an intact Fw 190 on their own airfield. The day before, this enemy aircraft, flown by a disoriented pilot, had made an emergency landing at Manston. It was quickly immobilized by the Belgians Remy Van Lierde and Joseph Renier.

Final missions

During the summer of 1943, assault missions continued to pile up on the continent. Jean was an "intruder" pilot. These aircraft were tasked with ground attack missions, flying at night to strike German installations on the continent. Their task was difficult, as they had to fly low, in the darkness, to locate barges, locomotives, military convoys, and airfields defended by Flak. Unfortunately, during the night of August 15-16, our hero would carry out his final mission. He took off at 10:40 PM, heading toward Ghent, hoping to find a target such as a locomotive or a barge. At 11:50 PM, he was returning over his base, but as he was approaching, his aircraft suddenly crashed. The cause of the accident remains unknown. Jean was buried at Minster, two kilometers from Manston, near his friends, the Carsons. Just hours before his final flight, he had been dining with them and had promised Lady Ruby Carson a new victory in her honor! He still rests there, this courageous pilot, who had written these honorable words at the end of 1941:

Marc Gendebien, Father of a Large Family and Spitfire Pilot

Young Baron Marc Gendebien graduated in law, then completed his military service with the 1st Guides Regiment. Afterward, he married and settled as a lawyer in Brussels, where his growing family welcomed four children. On May 10, 1940, Marc rejoined his reserve unit, the 2nd Squadron of the 17th Division's Cyclist Group. His campaign ended in Saint-Julien after his final patrol. Captured on May 29, he was freed on June 5. He walked back to his family home in Thuin, later becoming Provincial Commissioner in Philippeville and then Namur.

On July 21, the national holiday was declared a regular working day by the occupiers, but Marc defied this by granting a day off to all administrative staff. Expecting to be arrested, he took refuge with the Pirmez family in Acoz. On August 5, he left for the south, initially with fellow aviator Sans (who would be killed on June 4, 1944, by Flak at Caen-Carpiquet), followed by Léon Van de Werve and his friend André Limelette. On September 18, the trio was arrested in Avila and imprisoned at the Miranda camp. After a few months, they were released and, via Gibraltar, sailed to England aboard the Batory.

Enlistment and training

After a forced stay at "Patrioticschool," Marc, who had altered his age to increase his chances of being accepted, joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) alongside Limelette and Van de Werve. On September 22, he passed his exams, and on November 6, his promotion—comprising many Belgians—was transferred to the 2 Pilots Navigation Bomber Pool. It was during this time that he learned of the birth of his fourth child and the arrival of his brother Charles in England. The new pilots were sent to Canada for further training. However, after contracting scarlet fever, Marc and his fellow Belgian, Marcel Doncq, were sent to the Rocky Mountains in Kaslo for convalescence. During their hikes, they came across a civilian internment camp holding Japanese detainees, a discovery that left a lasting impression on them.

Deployment

On October 26, 1943, Gendebien and Donck returned to England. They were posted to the 7th Pilot Receiving Centre (PRC) in Harrogate, then to the 5(P) Aircraft Fighter Unit (AFU) at Ternhill on February 15, 1944. On March 28, they transferred to an Operational Training Unit (OTU), where they stayed until May 31, when they arrived at the 349th (Belgian) Squadron, where they would fly Spitfire IX aircraft. Marc made his first combat flight on June 11, over the British landing beaches. In July, he completed 17 flights, and in August, ten. In September 1944, he had the joy of returning to liberated Belgium, where he reunited with his family, meeting his youngest child for the first time. Back with his unit, he completed ten flights in September. On September 27, he welcomed his friend Van de Werve into the squadron.

In October, Gendebien had a period of rest, but in November, he participated in attacks on the Netherlands on the 1st and 4th. On the 8th, he dropped bombs on Dunkirk, still held by the enemy. On November 19, after the failure at Arnhem, he attacked the railway bridge at Amersfoort. Unfortunately, that day, Marc's Spitfire was positioned poorly within the stretched formation, which gave the Flak ample time to adjust their aim. Marc had time to radio that he had been hit but that his engine was still running. Sadly, this was his last message. As he failed to return to base, it was assumed that his plane had crashed. It was Marc’s friend, Van de Werve, who had the difficult task of informing Marc’s wife that her husband was missing in action. Marc's body was eventually found, and after a long search through the Geneva Red Cross, his family was officially notified of his death on April 19. As for his friend Van de Werve, he met the same fate as Marc, dying a little over two months later, still in the Netherlands, on February 3, 1945.

Post-WWII

In the final years of World War II, the 350 and 349 Squadrons received the Spitfire LF16E and were eventually stationed in occupied Germany, at the Fassburg airbase. It was there that the Spitfires first wore Belgian markings in 1946 on a polished spitfire from 349 squadron.

When the Belgian Air Force was established in 1948, these "Spits" were transferred to Belgium on loan from the RAF. The Belgian government then decided to purchase a number of Spitfires to equip the new Wings and Squadrons. However, due to difficulties in obtaining the Spitfire XVI, which was equipped with an American-made Packard-Bell engine, the British offered the more powerful Spitfire XIV with a Griffon 65 engine instead. Eventually, 132 Spitfire F14C, F14E, and FR14E (codes SG1-SG132) were purchased for active Squadrons. Additionally, 28 Spitfire IX aircraft (codes SM1-SM28) were acquired for the elementary flying school. Due to a high number of accidents with the Spitfire IX during training, Belgium was forced to purchase 15 additional Spitfire IX aircraft from LSK/Fokker in the Netherlands (codes SM29-SM43). These were Spitfires freed up from the Dutch East Indies. Together with the 24 Spitfire LF16E (codes SG109-SG132) as the last delivery as well.

A year later, the loaned LF16E aircraft were returned to the RAF. The Spitfire remained in service with the Belgian Air Force until the 10th Wing received its first Thunderjets in 1952.

Conclusion

Under the R.A.F

Under the Belgian Air Force