Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

All

Just listened to a presentation from 1962 on Parachutes - In it the presenter claimed that a number of Belgian aviators were alleged to have jumped out of perfectly OK planes in order to become members of the Caterpillar Club -He said a few aviators were multiple claimants - I don't actually believe this to be true but does anyone have a list of pre-war Belgium air force accident to se if there is any possibility of validity in his claims ?


https://soundcloud.com/aerosociety-p...-jackson-fraes

Towards the end of this

Thanks Paul

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

for clarity here are my list of Belgian Caterpillar Club members to Dec 1933

Dec ? 1932 F LeGrand Captianne Aviateur, Belgian Air Force, Diest Belgium - Fairey "Firefly"
Collision with 2 Seat Breguet XIX

Feb 21 1933 Oscar Borisewitz, Sergt, Belgian Air Force, Schaffen Belgium - Fairey "Firefly" No Y46 - Injured Jaw and Arm
Collision with another "Firefly" piloted by Capt. Vanderlinden - Killed No Y24
-- Over Nivelles Aerodrome during aerial fighting practice

May 1 1933 Adjuntant Sauveniere, Belgian Air Force, Nivelles, Belgium -- > Sauvenière Louis Joseph Fr. ?

July 27 1933 E Tollet Capt. Belgian Air Force, Gosselies, Belgium - Collision ?
July 27 1933 M. Vermeulen Belgian Air Force, Gosselies, Belgium -- Collision ?

July ? 1933 M.Hanset Sergt, Belgian Air Force, Diest Belgium

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

https://www.key.aero/article/database-fairey-firefly

Maybe linked to this

"Over the next few years, the Firefly squadrons were kept busy with military exercises, display flights and training. Unfortunately, a number of crashes marred the type’s early service, though an investigation concluded there was no flaw with the aircraft. In fact, a Firefly on test was found to have strength factors somewhat greater than Fairey had claimed. As most of the mishaps took place during aerobatics, it was likely the manner in which the aircraft were flown contributed to the accidents.""

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

Capt. Vanderlinden - Killed is

Vanderlinden Corneille M.O. 27.05.1883 Naissance à Oudenaken
(Omer) ......19.. Lieutenant
01.03.1923 Elève-pilote 22e promotion à Gosselies
12.03.1924 Brevet civil à Gosselies
17.05.1924 Brevet élémentaire
16.07.1924 Brevet militaire
......19.. Capitaine aviateur, commandant le 1er groupe à
Nivelles
07.12.1930 Raid Evere 07.12.1930 - Léopoldville 15.12.1930 -
Evere 30.03.1931, avec capitaine aviateur Robert
Fabry
15.12.1930 Arrivée à Léopoldville
25.03.1931 Arrivée Evere (Bloqués 3 mois à Fort-Lamy)
15.02.1933 + Tué sur Fairey Firefly n° Y24 à
Tourinnes-St-Lambert, collision avec Y46

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

Borisewitz Oscar 27.01.1911 Naissance à Anvers
(Dit “Bisuit”) 30.04.1931 Elève-pilote 65e promotion
......1930 Brevet FAI n°280731
26.03.1932 1/2Aé 2/2Aé.
31.03.1932 Admis à l'école 1/1/2Aé Sous-lieutenant
17.07.1942 + Suicidé à Rabat (Maroc)
Pelouse d’honneur de la Faé au cimetière de Bruxelles

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

Paul,
Edouard Tollet and civilian René Vermeulen in Fairey Fox AF6015 at Ransart.
Wing broke off whilst in looping. Pre-delivery test flight.
Both men could jump. Tollet landed safely, Vermeulen's hand got caught in parachute ropes, hand had to be amputated in hospital.
See (in Dutch): https://www.luchtvaartgeschiedenis.b...edouard-tollet

Regards,
Leendert

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

Paul,

Capt. Jean LeGrand was in Firefly Y-10 on 27 Oct (not Dec) 1932. Wing broke off in dive towards the Breguet. LeGrand parachuted safely.
Incident was widely covered in Belgian press, questioning the quality of the wing construction of the Firefly.
See (in Dutch): https://luchtvaartgeschiedenis.be/co...n-jean-legrand

Regards,
Leendert

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

Paul,
Indeed Louis Sauvenière. He got killed in another accident on 13 Aug 1933 at Knokke-Zoute. Flew in a light civil plane and (answering his fighter pilot's nature) engaged himself in aerobatics outside the envelope the light plane was designed for. Wing broke off.
Sauvenière got out, but was too low already for parachute to open fully.
Regards,
Leendert

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

Paul,
A Belgian newspaper of 27 Sep 1933 reports another para jump, this time involving Capt. Raoul Bosin and Col. Robert Desmet on a navigation flight. Crash at Remicourt on 25 Sep 1933. Plane got caught in sudden wind draft in dark clouds at 2,000 mtrs. Bosin was lifted out his seat and could jump. Desmet got out later. Both landed safely.
Breguet 19 B-93

Regards,
Leendert

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

Paul,
A Belgian newspaper of 7 Oct 1933 reports the following incident: during maneuvers with AA troops between Middelkerke and Westende along the coast, a military plane got in a heavy gust of wind at 3,000 mtrs. over Middelkerke. Pilot Lt. Arendt was thrown out and could parachute down.
Observer Sgt. Jacobs took over control of a/c and brought it safely back to Stene (Ostend) airfield.
Unfortunately no type was mentioned of airplane.

Incident was on 4 Oct 1933.

Regards,
Leendert

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

Leendert

Thanks for this - the only outstanding one from my list

July ? 1933 M.Hanset Sergt, Belgian Air Force, Diest Belgium

Flight July 20th 1933
Caterpillar Club new members

Sgt. Pilot Marcel Hanset, Belgian Air Force. The latter makes the seventh Belgian member

I am missing one from my list

Marcel or Albert Maurice Lucien ?

Albert Maurice Lucien Hanset ......191. Naissance à ...
17.08.1936 Elève-pilote 74e promotion
16.08.1937 Brevet militaire
......1937 1er sergent aviateur
...06.1940 A Oujda, Maroc, avec son unité
......19.. +



I would imagine most of the incidents are Fox or Firefly related!

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

Missing Belgian

July 2 1931 M De Coninck, Adjuntant Belgium Air Force Belgium
Collision


https://www.luchtvaartgeschiedenis.b...nest-verhoeven

yes!!

Louis Robert J. De Coninck (Dit “Monocoque-le Lapin”)

Louis Robert J. 05.02.1907 Naissance à Gilly
16.08.1925 Elève-pilote 37e promotion
07.11.1925 Brevet civil à Deurne
14.06.1926 Brevet élémentaire
20.10.1926 Brevet militaire. Adjudant aviateur de 1e classe
E.P.
Aéronautique Militaire
...08.1936 2 Aé
......194. RAF VR ?
......19.. +

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

Interestingly


Verlinden NOT on Caterpillar List as died Feb 21 1933 - (6 days late and never applied?)

On Wednesday, February 15, 1933, during a mock battle, the adjutant pilot André 'Quick' Kreit (° 6 July 1904 - Welkenraedt) and the Firefly of adjutant pilot Robert Verlinden came into contact with each other. The shock had severely damaged both aircraft and made them unmanageable. Verlinden was able to use his 'Irving' and reached solid ground safely, but Kreit crashed with his plane in Schulen, near Donk-Halen, and was killed. He has since rested in the Schaffen cemetery.



https://www.luchtvaartgeschiedenis.b...A9-quick-kreit

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

Paul,

No joy in finding a reference to Hanset and his para jump yet.

However, a Belgian newspaper of 4 May 1933 writes that on the previous day pilot (no rank given) Dubois parachuted down over Nivelles airbase after one of the wings had broken off from his fighter plane. No type of destroyed plane mentioned.

Report adds that after safe landing of Dubois, he coolly stepped in another plane and did 'extraordinary aerobatics' high up in the air.

Regards,
Leendert

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

Wow so that is another one to add to list - certainly a lot of Belgians jumping out of planes in the time frame so maybe the original Story based on some truth but prob due to the fact that the introduction of Fox and Firefly was a major technical jump at the time for the Air Force so didn’t have enough training experience to cope with the new types

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

Hi,

OMER Verlinden as KIFA on the 15th February 1933 and remembered since 1934 on the former Nivelles airfield (now 5 EMI).

Another one bit the dust : Alexis Jottard jumped (safe) from his Firefly Y-17 on the 11th July 1939 at Fonteny (East of Nivelles) but I don't know if he get his caterpillar pin.

ClinA-78

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

Omer Vander Linden, NOT Verlinden...

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

Thanks for update - The only OS mystery is Hanset - Has anyone got a pre ar Belgium airforce lost list ? thanks Paul

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

Marsel Hansel must be

So now looking for an accident around the July 1933 date

Hansel Marcel 24.08.1911 Naissance à Arlon
(Dit “Maminouchette”) 30.12.1929 Elève-pilote 61e promotion
16.07.1931 Brevet militaire
...08.1936 1er sergent aviateur
......1936 Tête brûlée, déserteur, parti en Espagne avec son
avion, non condamné, a été prié de quitter l’armée
10.05.1940 Caporal aviateur, au combat, 3e escadrille 2e groupe
......195. + Noyé en nageant à Nice

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

https://luchtvaartgeschiedenis.be/co...-edgard-evrard

Fairey Fox O-80

2 Crew 01/12/1937
Roelandt Robert
Evrard Edgard

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

Earlier one

"
In 1926, the Belgian government launched a competition with a view to
the construction of a metal fighter plane. Confident
in its capacities, the company of Avions et Moteurs Renard
decides to participate in this competition with a device of his
design: the Hawk Fox. This is a monoplane plane
with high wings of avant-garde design to a
time when the formula "biplane" is de rigueur. Two prototypes
are built: the first in the Stampe workshops
& Vertongen, the second in the SABCA workshops.
Both planes are equipped with a 480 hp Gnome-Rhône "Jupiter VI" engine, built under license by SABCA.
The Hawk built by Stampe and Vertongen was destroyed in
October 1928, after test pilot Charles Wouters
parachuted from an accidental spin."

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

"In 1926, the Belgian government launched a competition for the selection of a metal-built fighter plane. Alfred Renard decides to participate in this competition with a device of his design: the Sparrowhawk Fox . It is a high-wing monoplane aircraft of avant-garde design at a time when the “biplane” formula was the order of the day. Two prototypes are built: the first in the Stampe & Vertongen workshops, the second in the SABCA workshops.
However, the Hawk built by Stampe and Vertongen was destroyed in October 1928, after test pilot Charles Wouters parachuted after an untimely spin."

Re: Pre WW2 Belgium Parachute Bailouts ?
 

As is the nature of these things date is wrong

Actual date of incident 13th Sept 1928

https://www.luchtvaartgeschiedenis.b...harles-wouters