Unaccounted airmen, Belgian Air Force, 10/05/1940

[B.F.M. Droog]

Who knows to which units of the Belgian Air Force these men belonged?

Lt L. Léonard, 10/05/1940. Ereperk Evere, Brussels. Row 1, Grave 5
Sdt. A. van Aerschot, 10/05/1940. Ereperk Evere, Brussels. Row 1, Grave 6
SLt Méd G. Druine, 10/05/1940. Ereperk Evere, Brussels. Row 1, Grave 10
Sgt D. Vanderbecken, 10/05/1940. Ereperk Evere, Brussels. Row 1, Grave 13
Sdt F. Van, 10/05/1940. Ereperk Evere, Brussels. Row 1, Grave 14
Lt E. Robecyn, 10/05/1940. Ereperk Evere, Brussels. Row 1, Grave 15
Sdt J. Van Ham, 10/05/1940. Ereperk Evere, Brussels. Row 1, Grave 20

Am I correct in thinking they were all ground crew?

Regards,

Bart
Belgian Air Force Losses, May 1940

[Henk Welting]

Lt (Obs) Leon F.A. Leonard - 37139 - born Ath 10-1-1915 - Piloten School - killed in air raid aerodrome Goetsenhoven.
Sld Albert P Van Aerschot - 257/5594 - born Rillaar 22-1-1917 - Piloten School - killed in air raid aerodrome Goetsenhoven.
2Lt (Med) Gerard E. Druine - born Marchienne au Pont 2-10-1911 - 1st Regt - killed in air raid aerodrome Goetsenhoven.
Sgt Desire J. Vanderbecken - 116/8805 - born Bierges 24-5-1902 - III/2nd Regt - wounded air raid aerodrome Le Zoute - died hospital Brugge.
Sld Franciscus L. Van - 298/838 - born Kessel-Lo 30-7-1912 - Piloten School - killed air raid aerodrome Wevelgem.
Res.Lt Emile Robecyn - 21038 - born Espierres 25-9-1886 - 2nd Bn MG - killed in air raid aerodrome Goetsenhoven.
Sld Jan Van Ham - born Scherpenheuvel 5-4-1914 - unit not known - wounded in air raid aerodrome Le Zoute - died Hospital Brugge.

Henk.

[B.F.M. Droog]

Hello Henk,

Thanks! One question:

Res.Lt Emile Robecyn - 21038 - born Espierres 25-9-1886 - 2nd Bn MG - killed in air raid aerodrome Goetsenhoven.

As he is buried at Field of Honour, Evere he must have been an airman. Do you know if he was attached to a Belgian Air Force-unit?

Regards,

Bart

[Henk Welting]

Bart,
His name is in a list "Belgian Aviation Militaire Personnel Died for their Country" compiled by my friend 'the late' Guy de Win.

Henk.

[B.F.M. Droog]

Hello Henk,

Then I assume he was with the Air Force.

If it is not too much asked: could you - if you have the time for it - check the names on the Aviation Militaire-list with the names on my Belgian Air Force losses-list? I have no idea how complete my listing is - if many names are still missing, could you send me a scan?

Regards,

Bart

[Henk Welting]

Not allowed to copy but can give you the names for May/June 1940 for further research:

barbanson - braem - brebart - ceuppens - christiaens - coomans - dagneau - debast - debay - de geest - degelaen - de knop - demeere - druine - frederick - geens - germeys - goovaerts - grietens - havet - host - huart - jacobs - l.a. jacquemin - v. jacquemin - klerx - lenders - loozen - lust - michiels - moreau - motmans - nonclercq - picavet - rappelet - raskings - robecyn - rypens - seckler - servais - seynaeve - smagghe - smets - steegmans - uytterbroeck - van - van aerschot - van den bosch - van den driessche - vanderbecken - van der straeten - van goidsenhoven - van ham - van nylen - van roelen - verheyen - versin.

Henk.

[B.F.M. Droog]

Thanks, Henk!

I suppose the names I haven't found are all ground crew?

Regards,

Bart

[Henk Welting]

Yes, I think so. Title of the list is: "BELGIAN 'Aviation Militaire' Personel".

There's another list titled "BELGIAN AIRMEN died in May 1940" with following names:

bailly - beelen - brel - chartier - clinquart - crabus - de briey - de greef - delannay - delvigne - dethier - de thibault de boersinghe - dufossez - glorie - keuleers - leonard - moens - pirlot - rolin-hymans - soete - timmermans - van den abeele - van uffel - warmont.

Also two names dated 2.5.40 (barthels - huenarts) but as you know for Belgium and us 'Dutchies' the war started 10.5.40 !

Henk.

[Alexander]

Hallo,
here are a some informations:
1) Soldier Lenders Denis (Dionysius Ludovicus), 257/4487, badly wounded during the bombing of Gossoncourt and died in the Sint-Jansgasthuis of Tirlemont on the 10 of May 1940. First buried in Tirlemont and transfered on 12 of June 1944 to Zichem cemetery, 2 Regt Aé. Mil, Anti-aircraft artillery, born in Zichem on 18 of June 1914
2) Soldier Jacquemin Léon Adolphe Ghislain, 223/6245, badly wounded during the bombing of Gossoncourt and died in the Sint-Jansgasthuis of Tirlemont on the 10 of May 1940. First buried at Tirlemont and exhumed on 27 of May 1940 and transferd to Orp-le-Grand cemetery, 2 Regt Aé. Mil., Anti-aircraft battery, born in Orp-le-Grand on 11 of July 1912
3) Cpl Seynave Réné, 257/5307, killed during the bombing of Gossoncourt (was driving with a firetruck to the bombzone when a bomb explosed near the truck) on the 10 of May 1940, first buried at Tirlemont and later transfered to Kortrijk cemetery on 08 of july 1947, born in Menen on 28 of january 1916. Married on the 04 of May 1940 and joined his unit after a leave on the 09 of May 1940! 7/IV/1 Regt Aé. Mil.

Sources: military archives of Evere, Brussels

Greetings from Belgium,

Alexander

[Alexander]

Hallo,
here are a some informations:
1) Soldier Lenders Denis (Dionysius Ludovicus), 257/4487, badly wounded during the bombing of Gossoncourt and died in the Sint-Jansgasthuis of Tirlemont on the 10 of May 1940. First buried in Tirlemont and transfered on 12 of June 1944 to Zichem cemetery, 2 Regt Aé. Mil, Anti-aircraft artillery, born in Zichem on 18 of June 1914
2) Soldier Jacquemin Léon Adolphe Ghislain, 223/6245, badly wounded during the bombing of Gossoncourt and died in the Sint-Jansgasthuis of Tirlemont on the 10 of May 1940. First buried at Tirlemont and exhumed on 27 of May 1940 and transferd to Orp-le-Grand cemetery, 2 Regt Aé. Mil., Anti-aircraft battery, born in Orp-le-Grand on 11 of July 1912
3) Cpl Seynave Réné, 257/5307, killed during the bombing of Gossoncourt (was driving with a firetruck to the bombzone when a bomb explosed near the truck) on the 10 of May 1940, first buried at Tirlemont and later transfered to Kortrijk cemetery on 08 of july 1947, born in Menen on 28 of january 1916. Married on the 04 of May 1940 and joined his unit after a leave on the 09 of May 1940!

Sources: military archives of Evere, Brussels

Greetings from Belgium,

Alexander