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

[Chris Goss]

The RAF claimed two Bf 109s damaged, one destroyed and one probable. Edelmann was reported as being damaged by return fire attacking Lancasters later that day. The likely unit they met was III./JG 2 who claimed 2 Spitfires but suffered no losses. Looks like over-optimism again for both sides. I have a 501 Sqn photo from this time which shows all the pilots mentioned on 17 April 1942 apart from Drossaert unless he is the only one unidentified in the photo

[Luc Vervoort]

Chris,
Thanks for the additional info regarding the claim of a Bf 109 on 17/04/1942.


Checked the Combat Reports which are available on TNA. Encounters with Ju 88 are reported by 15 Squadron (AIR 50/182/17 and next ones) and 300 Squadron (AIR 50/241/11). AIR 50/209/13 and next ones (107 Squadron flying Bostons) mentions Bf 109F.
And finally AIR 50/186/8 (44 Squadron Lancaster) mentions for R5508 “B” :
Three Lancasters in Vic formation whilst on their way to target Augsburg, Germany, were attacked by a formation of thirty Me109’s and FW190’s.
At approximately 1655 Hrs near Bernay, France the formation was flying at 100 ft when attacked by fighters which were sighted at about 1500 ft flying in the opposite direction. They immediately turned into the attack, coming in at Port Quarter to Astern, aiming at the engines, opening fire with Cannon at 700 yds and breaking away at 400 yds. Rear and mid-upper gunners of formation leader opened fire at 500 yds and gave bursts until breakaway.Approximately twenty attacks were made. The Rear and Mid-Upper Gunners gave mutual fire support to the other aircraft. Nose gunner claims to have damaged a FW190 which attacked from Port Bow and vanished to Starboard bow. The Rear and Mid-Upper Gunners claim several E/A possibly damaged, but owing tot he number and rapidity of the attacks, they were unable to observe any results.
The Combat lasted 10 to 15 minutes during which the aircraft starboard of the leader was hit and seen to dive into the ground on fire. The Port aircraft had one wing badly damaged but continued to target.

Four aircraft of 44 Squadron (R5510, L7536, L7565 and R5506) were shot down (AIR 27/449).


So it must been one of the aircraft of 44 Squadron which attacked the aircraft of Ofw. Edelmann.


Best regards


Luc

[Leendert]

Luc,

Apparently left Belgium with others helped by the Comète Line. His name mentioned here: https://www.evasioncomete.be/fvandaema.html

In an online book "Les Aviateurs belges dans la Royal Air Force" by Mark Donnet it transpires that Drossaert was injured on 10 May 1940 in the bombardment of Schaffen by the Luftwaffe.

According Cornwell's "Battle of France Then and Now" H-28 was badly damaged on 28 Feb 1940 at Schaffen, with pilot Drossaert unhurt Evidently wounds sustained after all if hospitalized a day later.

Groet,
Leendert

[Luc Vervoort]

Leendert,


Many thanks for the supplied info.


Best regards, met vriendelijke groeten


Luc