Belgian pilots who served with 131 (County of Kent) sqdn, 1941.
21/8/41, sqdn is informed of formation of Belgian flight.
P/Os G.F.D Deltour, X.J.A Menu, J.V de Pusseleyr, R de Wever, M.J Plas, H.A Picard, H.J.J Smets, Plisnier, de Hemptinne (ex 609 Sqdn), Arrend, Boussa, Gillaume, and Sgt G.H.M Seydel, all arrive between 26/8 & 30/8.
14/11/41, Sqdn/Ldr Thompson and Gonay, Deltour, de Wever, de Pusseleyr, Menu, Picard, Plisnier, Plas, Smets, Seydel, Ester, & Harmel leave to form 350 (Belgian) sqdn.
BTW de Hemptinne was posted on 8/9/41 to 64 sqdn.
I did get to meet Pinkie Stark in May 2002, when he opened the Shoreham Aircraft Museum (where I’m a volunteer) for the 2002 ‘season’
Geoff.
By: RossGmann - 27th June 2006 at 04:30
de HEMPTINNE B.
On the 5th May, 1942 a B. de Hemptinne of 122 Squadron RAF was shot down at Bailleul by Johannes Seifert. de Hemptinne was flying a Spitfire BM321 MT-T.
This information was found at the following website www.luftwaffe.cz/seifert
Regards Ross
By: Snapper - 13th August 2003 at 00:10
Hmm. That’s very curious. Perhaps, and this is supposition on my part, he was posted as attached from 609 with a view to being posted fully to the sqdn. I’ll ask my friend to check in the 609 ORB. He may be able to shed some light on this.
George Proudman, as one example, was posted into 609 on attachment in 1940, but was never a member of 609 – this is what leads me to think this may be the case with de Hemptinne. I will dig deeper.
By: von Perthes - 12th August 2003 at 21:59
Mark,
The info I gave is from the 131 sqdn Operations Record Book (ORB). The ORB also records that de Hemptinne was posted in to 131 sqdn ‘for flying duties and with a view to being considered for the post of Flight Commander of the Belgian Flight.’
When he arrived, he had the rank of P/O but the 131 sqdn ORB records that (On the 6/9/41) he was ‘promoted to the war substantive rank of Flying Officer with effect from the 30th July 1941.’
Looking through the 131 sqdn ORB, I can only find 3 recorded flights by de Hemptinne whilst he was with the squadron.
On the 24/9/41, Flt/Lt H.A.C Gonay ‘was posted in from No 64 squadron to fill the post of Flight Commander of the Belgian Flight in the squadron’.
By: Snapper - 12th August 2003 at 18:24
Hmm. My set of Belgian records does not record de Hemptinne as having been in 131 Squadron. These are taken from official records I believe.
20/7/40 RAF depot Gloucester
30/7/40 6 OTU -Sutton Bridge
17/8/40 145 Sqdn
25/6/41 609 Sqdn
10/9/41 64 Sqdn
15/9/41 122 Sqdn
5/5/42 Missing / KIA
30/7/40 P/O
30/7/41 F/O
30/7/42 F/Lt
Mark
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August 12, 2003 at 3:24 pm