349th Squadron (Belgium)
| No. 349 (Belgian) Squadron RAF 349th Squadron | |
|---|---|
F-16 Fighting Falcon | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Raymond Lallemant Frank De Winne |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge | Two morning stars in saltire[1] |
| Squadron Codes | GE (Jan 1943 - Oct 1946) |
349th Squadron (
Kleine Brogel
airbase.
History
Royal Air Force (1942–46)
No 349 (Belgian) Squadron was formed as a
Belgian Air Force
, keeping the number.
The last Belgian pilot to fly for the original 349th squadron during D-day, Joseph Moureau, died in 2020 at the age of 99.[3] During the second world war a total of 521 Belgian officers served in the RAF, suffering 128 loses.[2]
Aircraft operated during RAF service
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1943 | Apr 1943 | Curtiss Tomahawk | Mk.I | |
| Jun 1943 | Feb 1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | Mk.V | |
| Feb 1944 | Feb 1945 | Supermarine Spitfire | LF.IXe | |
| Feb 1945 | Apr 1945 | Hawker Tempest | Mk.V | |
| Apr 1945 | May 1945 | Supermarine Spitfire | Mk.IXb | |
| May 1945 | Oct 1946 | Supermarine Spitfire | LF.XVIe |
Commanding officers
| From | To | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1943 | Jul 1944 | Sqn Ldr Ivan du Monceau de Bergendael, DFC & Bar, CdG |
| Jul 1944 | Mar 1945 | Sqn Ldr Albert Van der Velde, DFC, Escapees' Cross 1940–1945, Croix de guerre (Belgium),Croix de Guerre (Luxembourg) |
| Mar 1945 | Dec 1945 | Sqn Ldr Raymond "Cheval" Lallemant, DFC & Bar |
| Dec 1945 | Oct 1946 | Sqn Ldr Albert Van der Velde, |
Belgian Air Force (1946 to present)
F-16 Fighting Falcon of 349th Squadron over Afghanistan
, 2008.In 1946, the unit was integrated in the Belgian Air Force. From 1998, the unit was commanded by future Belgian astronaut Frank De Winne.
From 1957 to 1964, the squadron operated the Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck.
In 1999, the squadron participated in the
ISAF mission in Afghanistan. In 2011, it was part of Operation Unified Protector during the Libyan civil war
.
349th Sqn was the first operational F-16 squadron in NATO.
References
- ^ a b c Halley 1988, p. 381.
- ^ a b The Belgian RAF section during WWII Archived 15 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine unitedkingdom.diplomatie.belgium.be, 06 July 2018
- ^ https://www.brusselstimes.com/news/belgium-all-news/138229/last-belgian-military-pilot-to-fly-on-d-day-passes-away-aged-99-british-royal-air-force-raf-spitfire-jeff-moureau-world-war-ii-349th-squadron-junker-ju88-bomber-sobelair-sabena/ brusselstimes.com, 29 October 2020
- ^ Jefford 2001, p. 90.
- ^ Rawlings 1978, p. 416.
Bibliography
- Donnet, Mike and Leon Branders. Ils en Etaient !. Brussels, Belgium: Pierre De Meyere, Editeur, 1979.
- Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
- Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
- Lallemant, Lt. Colonel R.A. Rendez-vous avec la chance (in French). Paris: Robert Laffont, 1962.
- Rawlings, John D.R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1969 (new revised edition 1976, reprinted 1978). ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
- de Vink, Hervé J. (March 1980). "Roi des chasseurs, le "Spitfire" (18): Les Belges et le "Spitfire", un mélange explosif..." [The King of Fighters, the Spitfire, Part 18: The Belgians and the Spitfire, an Explosive Mixture...]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (124): 10–15. ISSN 0757-4169.
External links
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