S/Lt. Albert Emile Drossaert 42185 Belgian Air Force and Royal Air Force 103480 pilot – 5 questions

[Luc Vervoort]

Hi,

S/Lt. Drossaert was born on 14/12/1914 at Schaarbeek. He joins the Pilot School at Wevelgem on 17/08/1936. He obtained his elementary flying brevet on 18/06/1937 and on 1/08/1937 his military flying brevet.He becomes Sous-Lieutenant de Réserve d’Aéronautique and is posted on 19/01/1940 to 2 Regt. Aé. Was he the pilot of the Hurricane H28 of 2/I/2Aé (Belgian Air Force) which crashed during the landing at Schaffen airfield (its base) ? Was he injured in this crash, as on 1/03/1940 he is in the Military Hospital at Leuven (Louvain)?

He is seriously injured on 11/05/1940 at Schaffen and transported to the Military Hospital at Diest, the following day to the Military Hospital at Aarschot. How did he get injured ?

On 13/05/1940 he is transferred to the St.Raphaël Hospital at Leuven (Louvain) and later the same day to the Aux.hospital “Ecole des Frerès”. On 17/05/1940 he is transferred to the military Hospital at Aalst, on 21/05/1940 to the “La Plage” hospital (Oostende), on 24/05/1940 to the hospital at Loppem and the Aux.hospital “Institut du Sacré Coeur” at Mariakerke. On 3/06/1940 he is transferred to the Hosp.Aux. Zevenskerke, on 22/06/1940 to the Military Hospital nr. 5 at Tombeek and 15/11/1940 to the Military Hospital nr.2 at Ukkel, which he left without an authorisation.

He departs from Belgium on 1/02/1941 and arrives in the U.K. on 20/07/1941. Any details available regarding his escape from Belgium ?

On 23/08/1941 he joins the RAF(VR)as Pilot Officer with ASN 103480. The same day he went to 53 OTU at Heston and is posted on 6/10/1941 to 501 Squadron. He is transferred to 350 Squadron on 2/09/1942, and later to 171 Squadron (15/12/1942), 9 Receiving Center (4/01/1943) and 349 Squadron (23/01/1943).

On 17/04/1942 he attacked with several other pilots of his Squadron (501 Squadron) a Bf109F. The orb of the Squadron (AIR 27/1951) mentions :
12 a/c took off at 0900 with 118 and 234 Squadrons for sweep one Cherbourg Peninsular. Just south of Alderney 3 ME 109’s were sighted and one of them was attacked by C.O. S/Ldr.Currant who fired a burst into its belly and also by P/O. Drossaert, P/O.Newberry and Sgt. Rocovsky. Sgt. Rocovsky followed E/A down almost vertical dive and it was claimed as probably destroyed by W/C. Gleed, S/Ldr.Currant, P/O.Drossaert, P/O.Newberry and Sgt Rocovsky.
P/O.Drossaert was flying Spitfire Vb AB251, landing at 10h15.

The Personal Combat Report – Intelligence Report “F” of S/L.Currant (AIR 50/162/11) give the following details:
I was Red 1 leading 501 Squadron. Medium Cover to 118 Squadron. Three 109’s were sighted below to starboard flying east. Wing Leader gave order to “ Turn right and engage if possible ”. I flew east towards e/a who turned right and flew towards us. This e/a flew towards me on my front port quarter and when within 400 yds turned right and climbed presenting a quarter attack from below. I opened fire with cannon and m.g. (port cannon fired only), with a quarter attack developing into astern. Strikes of my cannon shell were seen by W/C Gleed, who was behind and below me, to hit the belly if this e/a which stalled, the airscrew revolving slowly and it dropped into a vertical dive and was then fired at by W/C.Gleed, F/O Newberry, P/O Drossaert (Belgian) and Sgt.Rocorsky (Czech). E/A was last seen at 8000 ft still in a vertical dive with smoke coming from it. It is claimed as a probable. Could this have been Bf109F-4 W/Nr.7055 of Ofw.Fritz Edelmann (who got injured) of Stab./JG2 ?


Due to health problems he had to retire from operational service. He is demobilized on 9/03/1946 and joins Sabena. He dies on 18/09/1946 at Gander, New Foundland, during the crash of OO-CBG DC4 Sabena (as second pilot).

Many thanks in advance !

Best regards

Luc