temporarily airstrip RAF 658 Sqd Geel - Belgium

[spitty80]

Hi,
In 1944 there should have been an temporarily airfield in Geel, Belgium.
RAF 658 Squadron was flying with Austers. They made recce missions for the artillery.

Has someone more info? Place, dates, actions, story's...

regards,
Wim

[Allan125]

Hello Wim

That could simply have been a dirt strip down by the gun lines as they were on forward observation duties.

See http://www.royalartilleryunitsnether...-squadron.html

Although this link does not mention geel it will give you an idea of what they were doing during the period that they were operational in western Europe following D-Day.

You can find quite a few other websites giving information on 658 Squadron on Google as well as the one that I have given above.

Hope this helps

Allan

[SteveB]

The advice about dirt strips is probably quite accurate. According to 2ndTAF Vol4 658Sqn operated in Belgium for only a short time. Chris Shores lists Perk 8/9/44, B64 Diest 15/9/44, Bourg Leopold 20/9/44 and on to Eindhoven 22/9/44.

Steve

[Jaap Woortman]

Originally Posted by SteveB

The advice about dirt strips is probably quite accurate. According to 2ndTAF Vol4 658Sqn operated in Belgium for only a short time. Chris Shores lists Perk 8/9/44, B64 Diest 15/9/44, Bourg Leopold 20/9/44 and on to Eindhoven 22/9/44.

Steve

Be aware of the fact that AOP squadrons never have operated as a squadron.
It was divided in a HQ-Flight, A-, B- and C-Flight and they have operated from different "airfields".
The history of the unit can be found in the National Archives, former PRO, in Kew London in file Air 27/2183 or WO 171/1225.

Jaap

[spitty80]

Thank you for your answers!
I have the ORB from RAF AOP 658 Sqn.

Happy with the info so i like to share what I found:

The "A-fligt" was in Geel:
from the ORB (operation Record Book) RAF 658 AOP Squadron A-Flight 1944:
8 sept
8 sorties flown. Rain and high wind making flying difficult. Aircraft moved forward to A.L.G. near COUTAI.( waarschijnlijk Kortrijk)

9 sept
Flight less two sections move to A.L.G. CRUYSHANTEM (Kruishoutem?). Four sorties flown (three movement) during the day.

10 sept
Flight move to BRUSSELS Airport and then to A.L.G. North of the city. Recce sorties carried out during the course of the afternoon.

11 sept.
Maintenance and Baths. Flight commander visits S.H.Q.

12 sept.
Move up to ALBERT CANAL (ALG VEHRLE) VEERLE.
9 Movement sorties.

13 sept.
No flying and nothing unusual to report.

14 sept.
Flight move up to GHELE(moeilijk te lezen in de scans)
Recce and mortar shoots. Also reporting on bridges and flooding along the ALBERT CANAL.

15 sept.
Various recces including observation of flooding in Canal areas.

16 sept.
Flight moved to A.L.G. near 15 Div. HQ. Many sorties flown in Canal Area.

17 sept.
During the change of 15 Div. plan-bridgehead was not continued. Flight moved again with this Division.

18 sept.
Recce sorties without anything unusual te report. Visibility bad.

19 sept.
Weather tests only. Visibility still very bad. Visit from commanding Officer. (Possible Montgommery, he was there at a certain moment)

20 sept.
Various sorties. 17 pdr. AFK (?) calibration shoot – rounds could not be observed. Weather fair / Visibility poor.

21 sept.
Order to move to Holland. Complete Flight over the border at 1830.

[Leendert]

Dag Wim,

You may enjoy reading this tale about 658 Squadron when arriving in Brussels when the town was liberated:

http://www.huisdervleugels.be/page17513411.aspx

Groet,

Leendert

[spitty80]

Thanx!

Bedankt voor de link, Leendert

groet,
Wim