F/O André de Bie de Bellefroid RAF

197 Squadron November 1944 – June 1945

Five Belgian pilots flew with 197 Squadron RAF: S/L León Prévot, P/O Jean Parisse, F/O Martin Soors, F/L Raymond A. “Cheval” Lallemant, and F/O André de Bie de Bellefroid. Each contributed greatly to the Squadron’s success over the two and a half years of its existence. The individual stories of these pilots, all fraught with hardship and danger, exemplify the courage, dedication, and determination these men brought to the fight against tyranny. All, except Flying Officer Martin Soors – who made the ultimate sacrifice – were highly decorated by their native and other nations; however, for reasons of space, only their British decorations are stated here.

F/O André de Bie, late 1944 – early 1945. Probably taken at B??, Mill. Image courtesy of Chris Thomas

André de Bie, unlike the four other Belgians who flew with 197 Squadron RAF, had no prior service with the pre-war Aéronautique Militaire Belge. A university student at the time of the invasion of Belgium, André de Bie escaped from Belgium in March 1941 to make his way, via France and Portugal, to the Belgian Congo, where he enlisted in the Belgian Force Publique. Selected for pilot training André de Bie travelled to South Africa where, as a member of the RAF V.R. he undertook flying training with the South African Air Force. Leaving South Africa for England in August 1943 Sergeant André de Bie completed his training at 5 (P) AFU, 53 OTU and 3 TEU before joining 197 Squadron as a Pilot Officer (Svc. No. 183838) on November 4, 1944.

“A” Flight, 197 Squadron RAF at B72, Antwerp-Deurne, early November 1944. Plt Offr André de Bie is on the left in the light-coloured jacket and cap. Image courtesy of Roy Allan

Pilot Officer André de Bie served with 197 Squadron until June 1945. During that time, he completed approximately 50 operational sorties conducting both low-level and dive-bombing attacks on a variety of targets including “Interdiction” attacks directed against the supply of V2 missiles to their launch sites in the Netherlands and close support attacks against German gun and troop positions during the Reichswald battles and the crossing of the Rhine river along with “Cloak and Dagger” attacks on German headquarters, such as the very successful attack on the German 88 Army Korps Headquarters near Utrecht, before concluding his operational flying on May 3, 1945 with the 197 Squadron attack that sank the S.S. Deutschland in Lubeck Bay.

Sgt André De Bie in South Africa, April – July 1943. Source: Image courtesy of Serge Bonge

With the end of the war, now a Flying Officer, André de Bie transferred to 350 (Belgian) Squadron and ultimately to the Belgian Air Force. Demobilised in the spring of 1947, Lieutenant André de Bie remained in the reserves, volunteering to serve in the UN mission to Palestine in 1949 before returning to regular service in June 1950. Tragically Capt VI André de Bie died when the Spitfire XIV he was flying crashed near Lamine, Belgium, on April 10, 1952.

Captain VI André de Bie de Bellefroid

Born: October 6, 1918, died: April 10, 1952

Research and text by L. K. Byrne. Sources: Jannick de Bie, 197 Squadron Operations Record Book, AIR27/1169, The National Archives, UK and 350sqn-raf.be (by kind permission of Sorge Bonge). Images courtesy of Serge Bonge, Chris Thomas, Roy Allan, Aircrew Remembered and Wikipedia.