P/O Jean Parisse RAF

197 Squadron, January – December 1943.

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.

A pre-war regular with Aéronautique Militaire, Belge, during the German invasion of Belgium, Jean Parisse flew Fairey Firefly IIM and Fiat CR. 42 fighters with 4éme Escadrille “Cocotte Blanche”, 2e Régiment de Aéronautique. The 4éme fought throughout the 18-day campaign, eventually withdrawing its surviving CR.42 to Chartres, France, where the squadron disbanded on the capitulation of Belgium. In January 1941, Parisse travelled to England via Spain, where he was imprisoned in April 1941 as a suspected spy and communist. After spending almost a year languishing in the Miranda Concentration camp, notorious for harsh treatment, appalling living conditions and a near-starvation diet, Jean Parisse, with help from the British consulate, finally reached Gibraltar and a ship to England in April 1942.

On reaching England, Jean Parisse was incorporated into the RAF as a Sergeant pilot attending an advanced flying course at No. 5 (P) AFU from August to October 1942, followed by operational training, flying Spitfires, at No 61 OTU, where his ability was assessed as ‘Exceptional’, from October to December 1942. On January 5, 1943, Sgt Jean Parisse joined 197 Squadron at RAF Drem, subsequently moving with the Squadron to RAF Tangmere at the end of March 1943. A member of ‘A’ flight, Jean Parisse’s regular aircraft was Typhoon 1b OV–E (Srl. DN473) marked with the “Cocotte Blanche” – a white hen – the insignia of his former unit.

At Tangmere 197 Squadron, including the now Pilot Officer Parisse (Svc No. 143923), spent most of April 1943 flying standing patrols guarding the approaches up the Solent to Portsmouth from Luftwaffe ‘Tip & Run’ raiders. In May, the Squadron switched to maintaining aircraft at readiness, responding to ‘Scrambles’ as required, whilst in early June the Squadron deployed to RAF Martlesham for a gunnery camp before returning to Tangmere to mount offensive operations such as Ramrods, fighter sweeps and bomber escort missions. Shortly after the Squadron’s return, however, and as recorded in the 197 Squadron ORB, the consequences of Jean Parisse’s extended stay incarcerated in the Spanish prison finally caught up with him:

“16 Jul 1943P/O Parisse (BELGIUM) is, unfortunately, unfit for flying duties, owing to the privations which he suffered in a Spanish prison which seem to have resulted in a general disorganisation of his system.”

Jean Parisse did not let this diminish his love of flying, and by the middle of August, he was back flying the Squadron’s “hacks” – a Hurricane and Tiger Moth – on an almost daily basis, along with occasional sorties in the Typhoon on patrols and scrambles. With his fitness gradually improving, in December 1943, Pilot Officer Parisse was posted to 277 (ASR) Squadron at RAF Stapleford Tawney in Essex. A sensible move, which allowed him to fly operationally yet remain UK-based should further issues with his physical fitness arise. With 277 Squadron, an Air Sea Rescue (ASR) squadron, Jean Parisse flew Spitfire IIC Search and Coordination aircraft, locating and directing the rescue by Walrus amphibious and High-Speed launches (HSL) of several downed airmen in the English Channel and North Sea.

After the disbandment of 277 Squadron in February 1945, Flight Lieutenant Parisse thereafter flew Hurricanes with the 2nd TAF A.D.L.S. (Air Delivery & Liaison Squadron) as a courier for urgent or special communications before transferring back to the Belgian Air Force and joining, in February 1946, 350 (Belgian) Squadron. Captain Jean Parisse subsequently left the Belgian Air Force in August 1946 to become a civil pilot with SABENA, Belgium’s national airline, retiring as the airline’s chief pilot, 20 years later, on June 30, 1978.

Flight Lieutenant Jean Parisse

Born: 1918, died: September 18, 2010

Research and text by L. K. Byrne. Sources:  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.