F.venesoen Dfc

Gonay 131 Sqn

Hello Geoff,

Thank you very much for this. I’ll do it the way you asked.

Serge

Serge,

I’ll see what I can do, though it may not be until the begining of next week.

My email address is:

geoff@gkennell [followed by] .freeserve.co.uk

Just delete [followed by] and join the two halves up. I’ve done this to stop my e-mail address being ‘harvested’ by spammers. If you could do a similar arrangement on the BAHA forum that would be great.

Geoff.

Gonay 131Sqn

Hello Geoff,

Anything regarding to him, aircraft, missions, …
It’s for a book ettrick40 is writing about the 29 Belgians who took part at the BoB. Gonay was one of them.

I posted your message on the BAHA forum :

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/e-baha/messages

Can you give me an E-mail adress where they can eventualy join you.

Regards,

Serge

BRAF,

Can you be a little more specific about the sort of information you want re Gonay?

Geoff.

Gonay 131 Sqn

Hello Geoff,

Do you have more details about Gonay’s stay at 131 Sqn, my friend ettrick40 would be delighted with it.

Regards,

Serge

p.s. Thank you for the piece above about Picard. Something new to add in his biography

Allan,

Interesting that you should mention Picard. About 10 years ago, I was told by one of the 131 sqdn ground staff that he was the pilot of Spitfire AR218 which collided with the squadron’s Miles Magister ‘hack’ R1977 on the 28/9/41 at RAF Atcham. The two occupants of the Magister were both killed, P/O P Chub (65521) & Sgt S.D. Lee were both killed. I should say that I’ve not found any confirmation that Picard was indeed the pilot.

The account is as follows- ‘Whilst at Atcham, 131 ‘B’ flight had a bad day. A flying accident in the true sense of the word. I have never forgotten this day. I had obtained permission from Flying Control for P/O Picard to take-off on sector recce (remember the Belgian aircrew had just joined 131 and had started their programme). I can remember him taxying past our flight HQ to take up position on No 1 runway. In the mean time ‘A’ flight’s Magister had just landed and was taxying down the runway when P/O Picard took off. I grabbed the Very pistol and ran out to the ‘perim’, I think Corporal Redman had seen this too, took the pistol from me and ran towards the runway fireing red warning shots towards P/O Picard’s Spit, too late for him to see the Magister, he was at full throttle by now and the tail had just come up, he collided with the Magister at Midships, an absolute tragedy. P/O Chub was already dead when we arrived on scene and Sgt Lee was badly injured, he died later that day. Remember we had no such thing as ‘Airfield Control’ in those days and during the Court of enquirey, the question of ‘permission for take-off’ was mentioned. I think this might have been the start of ‘Airfield Control’, as we came to know them as the war went on’

The Atcham ORB has this to say on the 28th, – ‘There was an unfortunate incident this afternoon when a Spitfire of 131 sqn taking off apparantly failed to see a Miles Magister on the runway, collided with it when just airborne, and killed the two occupants of the Magister, P/O Chub and Sgt Lee.’

The 131 sqdn ORB Summary says- ‘65521 Pilot Officer P Chubb and 927861 Sergeant S.D. Lee, pilot and passenger respectivly of squadron’s Magister aircraft were killed when the Magister was struck by a Spitfire aircraft taking off.’

In the part where the flights are recorded, the Magister’s sortie is recorded as being ‘To Hucknall’, with take off from Atcham at 14.40 & landing at Hucknall at 15.35. The return journey was commenced at 16.00 & they landed back at Atcham at 16.40 hrs. It goes on to say ‘Machine involved in accident with Spitfire AR218 killing both P/O Chubb and Sgt Lee’

Getting back to Picard, another ground crew remembered that he ‘was very popular with the ground crews, they were teaching him English’.

I shall see if I can dig out any other info from my dusty 131 sqd files, re the sqd’s Belgians.

Geoff.

131 / 350 Squadrons

hello Geoff – many thanks for that information, anything further that you can add about the Belgians would be of great interest to both Serge and myself – An interesting, yet sad, sideline to the 350 (Belgian) Squadron History is about P/O Henri Picard. This young Belgian pilot was shot down shot down in Spitfire VB BM297 over the English Channel on 27 August 1942. He bailed out and spent six days and nights out at sea until being washed ashore in France. Being unconscious, he was taken prisoner of war and was sent first to a hospital and later to a Prisoner of War camp. On 25 March 1944 he was killed, being one of the 50 victims murdered by the Germans as revenge for the Great Escape at Stalag Luft 3.
Along with Sous-Lt Bernard W M Scheidhauer, French, born 28-Aug-21, 131 Sqdn, who ran low on fuel and landed by mistake on Jersey, 18 Nov 1942, Spitfire Vb EN830 NX:X, whom both you and Ian also have an interest in.
The first page of the 350 (Belgian) Squadron ORB does not give a full list of names until 17/11/41 when it mentions Gonay coming from 131 as Flight Commander, and then Menu, Plas, Smets, deltour, De Puysseleyr, Plisnier, Seydel, Mater and Harmel all posted in from 131 squadron for flying duties – and Vanlerberghe from 122 squadron – with 8 more over the next few days. I have omitted the initials and ranks for brevity. I only included the 131 photo for your information as I knew it was outside of the 131/350 story. – cheers – Allan125

131 Sqn

Hello Geoff,

I think my friend will be pleased with this information , as I’m of course.

Thank you a lot,

Serge 🙂

Serge,

Organisation memorandum No57 dated 21/8/41 was recieved from HQ 9 Group giving notification of formation of Belgian flight in No 131 sqdn.

Flt/Lt H.A.C. Gonay was posted in to 131 sqdn from 64 sqdn to fill the post of flight commander of the Belgian flight on the 24/9/41, and assumed command of the flight on the 25/9/41.

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.

I could get a copy for you of the ORB for the time that Gonay was with the squadron, and list details of the sorties that he flew, but I think that’s about all. Would this be what you’re after?

Geoff.

131 Sqn

Hello Geoff,

Do you have any information regarding the posting of GONAY at 131 Sqn and any information of the period of stay at this Unit. This could help a friend me.

regards,

Serge

Serge,

Many thanks, I shall look forward to hearing from you.

Geoff.

131 Sqn

Hello Geoff,

I’ll ask the BAHA members if they can provide you information of the periode of the Belgian Flight of 131 Sqn. I, unfortunatly do not have copies of Logbooks of these pilots, not from them who were once member of 131 Sqn. I’ve only some copies of documents (In French) regarding the creation of 350 Sqn but where 131 Sqn is mentioned.

regards,

Serge

Allan,

I also have this photo, as well as a version with ‘caps on’, and one where they’re grouped around and on the Spitfire MkVII.

With regard to date, having looked through my file of who joined/left when, the date I come up with is sometime around the 19th November 1944. Given that the dates in the 131sqdn ORB for when people joined & left the squadron might not be 100% reliable, you’d probably have to say it could have been taken a week or so either side of the 19th.

The names are (top row, L to R) Sowery, Morris, Blackwell-Smyth, Nicholson, de Burgh, Wilson, Clatworthy, Somper (spy), Doherty (M.O.), Hewlett (Eng Off).

(middle row, L to R) Richards, Hirst, King, Waterhouse (Fll/Lt), Pegge (C/O), Caterall (Flt/Lt), Parry, Maingard, Edwards.

(front row, L to R) Kelly, Tanner, McNulty, Rigg, Williams, Patton.

Hope this helps

Geoff.

131 Squadron

one for Geoff – have you seen this photo before – if so can you identify the timeline ? Apparently it was taken by the wife of Allan Smith a RNZAF Typhoon pilot – he was shot down on 31 December 1944 whilst CO of 197 squadron. His wife was a serving WAAF. cheers – Allan

Serge,

I would be very interested in obtaining photocopies of the 131 sqdn section from the logbooks of any Belgian pilots who served with the squadron, and copies of any photos from their time with 131 sqdn. Could you help me with this, either from your own material, or by passing on a letter from me to the person/family concerned? I would of course cover any costs incurred re photocopying of logbooks, or copying of photos.

Sadly, other than looking up the Belgian ‘period’ in the 131 sqdn ORB, I can’t be of any help re the Belgians in the squdron. But feel free to ask me to look up anything in the 131 sqdn ORB.

If you’d rather correspond off the forum, send me a PM.

Geoff.

Baron Mike Donnet DFC.

12th July 2003.

Hi BRAF

Drop me an email of site and I will let you have his address.

Ian

Hello everybody,

I’ve been informed by Allan about this subject.
It would be fine to find out what really hapened with
F/L Francois “SUS” Venesoen.
Also interesting could be the information regarding the Belgian Flight of 131 Squadron.

This flight formed the nucleus of 350 (Belgian) Squadron. It was at the beginging the intention by the British to form the squadron with the Flights of 131 Sqn and 609 Sqn. Finally it was the Flight from 131 Sqn reinforced by isolated pilots from other Sqn’s who formed 350 (Belgian) Squadron. S/L le Roy du Vivier was proposed by the Belgian Minister of Defence to lead the Squadron but the Air Ministry oposed this choice and it was S/L Thompson who took command of the Unit.

As you can see if have some information from the Belgian Side so any British information can contribute to this subject

regards,

Serge

p.s. Snapper , I enjoyed the books you send to me regarding 609!

EN830, do you know if Donnet know’s my Website ? I’d like to get contact with him. Can you help me with this ?

Yeah, is a bit harsh. Serge has copies of the service records of Belgian pilots from 609 – there should be one or two of use to you.

Mark

Hi Alan

Interesting posting, though I can’t throw any light on the matter. I’m working with amongst others Mike Donnet to errect a memorial to Henri Gonay here in Jersey next year, if you would like to contact me off line I’ll see what I can do.

Kind regards