FP_2015_05_

May 2015 FLYPAST 47

1939 while returning from a

leaflet-dropping raid over the

Ruhr. At 06:00, K8985 of 102

Squadron, piloted by Fg Off

William Cogman, was intercepted

by two Fireflies of 4 Esc crewed

by Adjutants Leroy du Vivier and

Marcel Michotte along with Cne

(Captain) Lucien Boussa in a 5 Esc

Fox.

A burst was fired across the

Whitley’s nose. The bomber

retaliated, hitting du Vivier’s

aircraft and causing the Belgian

to force-land. Another Fox, flown

BUT DETERMINED

by Adjt Albert Genot with Cpl

Roger Alaffe as gunner, intercepted

K8985 and also fired at it. Again

the bomber returned fire and the

Fox crew were forced to bale out.

The Whitley sustained damage and

was forced to land at Nivelles where

it and the crew were interned, but

soon released.

Interceptions continued into

1940, including a tussle with a

Dornier by Hurricanes on March 2.

One of the fighters was shot down

and the other two damaged.

On April 20 a section of three

Gladiators, piloted by Sgts Van den

Broeck, Delorme and Verpoorten,

came across a Heinkel He 111 on

the Dutch-Belgian border near Visé

which had already been damaged

by French fighters. The Gladiators

chased the bomber across the

Dutch border where it crashed near

Maastricht.

These and other incursions led

to Aéronautique Militaire fighters

being kept at a state of constant

readiness, with dispersal airfields

prepared against any unannounced

attack. Ironically, on May 9 the

MOST OF THE FIGHTERS BELGIUM HAD TO COUNTER THE GERMAN INVASION

WERE OBSOLESCENT BIPLANES, AS TOM SPENCER EXPLAINS

Above

Artist’s depiction of

Sgt Rollin in Gladiator

G-22 clashing with a Bf

109 of I/JG 1 over Eban-

Emael. ADAM TOOBY- http://www.

adamtooby.com

46-51_Blitzkrieg_fpSBB.indd 47 06/03/2015 16:53