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The Belgian exiled authorities and the
British Air Ministry agreed at the beginning of 1941, the
creation of national units. Many Belgians who escaped to the
UK were posted to 131 and 609 Sqn. As the number of pilots
and ground personal was sufficient, Air Ministry gave the
go-ahead for the formation of the first Belgian Fighter
Squadron on 1 November 1941. The squadron designated as 350
(BELGIAN) with the codes MN will be formed at Valley, Wales
on 12
November 1941. S/Ldr Thompson was designated as the
first commander of the unit. Equipped with Spitfire IIa's,
the squadron began readiness duties on 22 December 1941,
followed by convoy escorts and scrambles. The official
inauguration of the squadron took place on 11 February 1942
at Northolt where the Belgian Minister of Defence, Camille
Gutt in presence of the whole exiled Belgian Government, Sir
Archibald Sinclair, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, Air
Marshall Sholto Douglas and Air Marshall Leigh Mallory,
handed over to the squadron, the Flag of the 2nd Regiment
Aéronautique Militaire, recently arrived in England.
Attached to 11th Group, the squadron moved to Debden in
April 1942 were S/Ldr Guillaume took command of the
squadron. Reequipped with Spitfire Vb's, the unit started
with Sweeps over the Northern of France and Belgium. Several
claims were made. They joined the Kenley Wing, flying
Sweeps, Ramrods and Rhubarbs. Moved to Redhill, a glorious
page for the squadron was written during operation JUBILEE
(Dieppe, 19 August 1942) with claims of seven enemy aircraft
destroyed (6 Fw-190 and 1 Ju-88), one probable (1 Fw-190)
and twelve enemy aircraft damaged (11 Fw-190 and 1 Do-217).
In December 1942 S/Ldr Guillaume was rested and S/Ldr Boussa
took over command. The squadron moved to Hornchurch and
Fairlop from where Circus and Rhubarbs were flown. After
participating at the Army exercise Spartan in March 1943,
the squadron was rested and posted to the north at
Acklington. Coastal patrols and occasional scrambles were
performed. Back in the south, Ramrods and Rhubarbs were
performed from Digby, Rochford and Hawkinge end of the year.
S/Ldr Prevot took over command on 28 December 1943 and the
squadron moved to Hornchurch where it gets Spitfire IX's.
The squadron's claim for 1943 was four destroyed enemy
aircraft and one probable. In January, the squadron was
affected to 84 Group of 2 TAF. In March 1944 they switched
back to the old Spitfire Vb/c and S/Ldr Donnet took over
command. After a short night training period in the north at
Peterhead the squadron moved back to the south at Friston.
Many Army exercises, patrols and Ramrods were flown. On 19
May 1944 a telegram announced the assassination of F/O
Picard ( POW, who took part in the Great Escape) by the
Gestapo on March 25, 1944. On D-Day the squadron executes
recces and beachhead covers. Several pilots were lost due
the bad weather and mechanical failures. S/Ldr Donnet
complained to the Air Ministry and Belgian Authorities that
the aircraft's were end of life and when he discovered that
Belgian Government paid annually the price of two Spitfire's
squadrons, came the re-equipment with Spitfire IX. The
squadron returned to Sweeps and Ramrods. August saw the
conversion to Spitfire XIV at Westhampnett and these were
used for anti-diver patrols. A total of 6 V-1 was claimed
during their anti-diver campaign. September saw the return
to Ramrods and Rhubarbs. S/Ldr Collignon replaced S/Ldr
Donnet in October. After many years of exile, the squadron
left the English soil in December and landed at Evere (B56).
Attached to 127 Wing, S/Ldr Collignon was shot down on 24
December 1944 and F/Lt Lavigne took over command ad interim.
A move to Ophoven (Y32) saw his attachment to 125 Wing. The
squadron's serviceable aircraft was reduced to five after
the Luftwaffe attack (Operation Bodenplatte) on 1 January
1945. The 'Rundstedt Offensive', who stopped operations over
Germany, restarted with S/Ldr Spencer, the new C.O. At the
end of January the squadron moved to Eindhoven (B78). Due to
heavy flak several pilots were killed or made POW. During an
armed recce on 21 February, 350 squadron found twenty
ME-109's and claimed three enemy aircraft destroyed, one
probable and one damaged for no loss. Shot down on 26
February and made POW, S/Ldr Spencer was replaced by S/Ldr
Wooley. An armament practice camp at Warmwell intervened in
March and returned on the continent at Twenthe (B106) first
and then to Varrelbusch (B113) in Germany, to support the
Weser bridgehead. S/Ldr Spencer liberated on April 15th
rejoined the squadron but was shot down again an made POW on
April 19th after attacking a Tanker in the Bay of Wismar. S/Ldr
Walsmley took over command the next day. The same day the
squadron met fifteen Fw-190 and claimed four enemy aircraft
destroyed one probable and two damaged for the loss of one.
On 30 April the squadron claimed six destroyed enemy
aircraft and one damaged for no loss followed by four others
destroyed next day and his final victory, an Ar-234, on the
2nd May. Next day, the squadron took off for his last war
mission where it destroyed twenty-nine trucks in the near of
Kiel.
Between November 1941 and May 1945, 96 Belgians and 13
British pilots flew with 350 squadron. 23 of them were
killed during operations, 3 on training and 6 whilst flying
in other squadrons. 13 became POW from whom the Gestapo
assassinated one. At the end of war, the 350 squadron's
score stood at 51 enemy aircraft destroyed, 7 probables and
31 damaged, 6 V-1 destroyed, plus several hundreds of ground
targets.
Where and how it all started :
A sad event - with both so
far from home :
350 Squadron inauguration day :
Circus 170: José Blairon, 350
Squadron’s first casualty :
Circus
178: a Black Day for 350 (Belgian) Squadron :
Operation "Jubilee" :
350 Squadron Presentation aircraft :
Exercise "Spartan" 1st
- 12th March 1943:
Henry Picard, one of the fifty victims of the Great Escape
at Stalag Luft III :
How the Belgian National Day was celebrated by 350 (Belgian)
Squadron :
Celebrating the 1st
Anniversary of the Liberation of Brussels :
S/Ldr Terry Spencer : My time with 350 (Belgian) Squadron
:
A Big Day :
VE-Day :
The route followed by 350 (Belgian) Squadron during World War 2 :
350 (Belgian) Squadron diary (uncomplete !):
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