Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Remy Van Lierde, (14 August 1915 – 8 June 1990) was a Belgian pilot and

fighter ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...

who served in the aviation branch of the

Belgian Army The Land Component (, ), historically and commonly still referred to as the Belgian Army (, ), is the Land warfare, land branch of the Belgian Armed Forces. The King of the Belgians is the commander in chief. The current chief of staff of the Land ...

and the British

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

(RAF) during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, shooting down six enemy aircraft and 44

V-1 flying bomb The V-1 flying bomb ( "Vengeance Weapon 1") was an early cruise missile. Its official Reich Aviation Ministry () name was Fieseler Fi 103 and its suggestive name was (hellhound). It was also known to the Allies as the buzz bomb or doodlebug a ...

s, and achieving the RAF rank of

squadron leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...

. Returning to the

Belgian Air Force The Belgian Air and Space Component (, ) is the Air force, air arm of the Belgian Armed Forces, and until January 2002 it was officially known as the Belgian Air Force (; ). It was founded in 1909 and is one of the world's oldest air services. ...

in 1946, Van Lierde was made Deputy Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defense in 1954. In 1958 he became one of the first Belgians to break the

sound barrier The sound barrier or sonic barrier is the large increase in aerodynamic drag and other undesirable effects experienced by an aircraft or other object when it approaches the speed of sound. When aircraft first approached the speed of sound, th ...

while test flying a

Hawker Hunter The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet propulsion, jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly dev ...

Dunsfold Aerodrome Dunsfold Aerodrome (former International Civil Aviation Organization airport code, ICAO code EGTD) is an General aviation in the United Kingdom#Aerodrome licensing, unlicensed airfield in Surrey, England, near the village of Cranleigh. It exten ...

in England. He went on to hold several important commands before retiring in 1968.

Early life

Van Lierde was born in Overboelare, Belgium, on 14 August 1915.

Early career and outbreak of war

Van Lierde entered the ''Aviation Militaire Belge'' ("Belgian Military Aviation", the predecessor of the Belgian Air Force) on 16 September 1935. He first trained as an observer, but began pilot training on 1 May 1937, qualifying in April 1938. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 1st Aviation Regiment. The 3rd Squadron where Remy Van Lierde served at that time was located at Goetsenhoven, in the centre of Belgium. With the rank of

sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

, Van Lierde made several reconnaissance flights during the German invasion in an antiquated

Fairey Fox The Fairey Fox was a British light bomber and fighter biplane of the 1920s and 1930s. It was originally produced in Britain for the RAF, but continued in production and use in Belgium long after it was retired in Britain. Development and des ...

III biplane. He was shot down by

flak Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface ( submarine-launched), and air-bas ...

on 16 May 1940, was wounded and captured. Van Lierde was staying in hospital during two weeks and could not take part in the further fighting because on 28 May Belgium surrendered. In September 1940, after recovering from his injuries, Van Lierde left Belgium, crossed occupied France, and entered neutral Spain. He was arrested for illegally crossing the border, and was confined in various Spanish prisons, including the notorious concentration camp at

Miranda de Ebro Miranda de Ebro () is a Spanish municipality belonging to the province of Burgos in the autonomous community of Castile and León. Straddling the Ebro river, near its confluence with the Bayas, the city is located on the northern watershed of the ...

. Nevertheless, he eventually escaped, and reached England on 22 July 1941.

Career in the Royal Air Force

After the standard interrogation by MI5 at the London Reception Centre, Van Lierde joined the

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) was established in 1936 to support the preparedness of the U.K. Royal Air Force (RAF) in the event of another war. The Air Ministry intended it to form a supplement to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force ( ...

on 5 September 1941. He spent three months at No. 57

Operational Training Unit Royal Air Force Operational Training Units (OTUs) were training units that prepared aircrew for operations on a particular type or types of aircraft or roles. OTUs ;No. 1 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF (1 (C)OTU): The Unit was formed i ...

at RAF Hawarden, before being assigned to No. 609 Squadron on 6 January 1942 with the rank of

pilot officer Pilot officer (Plt Off or P/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Pilot officer is the lowest ran ...

. This squadron, which had been organized before the war and took part in the

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain () was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force ...

, was entirely staffed by foreign pilots, many Belgians being among them. On 2 June 1942 Van Lierde damaged a

Dornier Do 217 The Dornier Do 217 was a bomber used by the German ''Luftwaffe'' during World War II. It was a more powerful development of the Dornier Do 17, known as the ''Fliegender Bleistift'' (German: "flying pencil"). Designed in 1937-38 as a heavy bomber ...

bomber over

Skegness Skegness ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey District of Lincolnshire, England. On the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, the town is east of Lincoln and north-east of Boston. With a population of 21,128 as of 2021 ...

while flying a Spitfire Mk.Vb. He was promoted to

flying officer Flying officer (Fg Offr or F/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Flying officer is immediately ...

in 1942. Van Lierde claimed his first victory while flying a Typhoon Ib on 20 January 1943 when he shot down a Bf 109-G fighter during a raid on the south coast. On 26 March he shot down a

Junkers Ju 52 The Junkers Ju 52/3m (nicknamed ''Tante Ju'' ("Aunt Ju") and ''Iron Annie'') is a transport aircraft that was designed and manufactured by German aviation company Junkers. First introduced during 1930 as a civilian airliner, it was adapted int ...

transport aircraft while en route to an attack on the German air base at

Chièvres Chièvres (; ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. On January 1, 2018, Chièvres had a total population of 6,899. The total area is 46.91 km2 which gives a population density of 150 inhabitan ...

. This was witnessed by local inhabitants, including Van Lierde's wife, who surprised her husband after the war by showing him pieces of wreckage from the aircraft at the bottom of his garden. On 14 May 1943 he was the first person to drop bombs from a Typhoon, and shot down a

He 111 The Heinkel He 111 is a German airliner and medium bomber designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter at Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in 1934. Through development, it was described as a wolf in sheep's clothing. Due to restrictions placed on Germany a ...

bomber on his return journey. He downed another Bf 109 on 30 July, and on 5 October he shot down a

Junkers Ju 88 The Junkers Ju 88 is a twin-engined multirole combat aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works. It was used extensively during the Second World War by the ''Luftwaffe'' and became one o ...

heavy fighter A heavy fighter is an historic category of fighter aircraft produced in the 1930s and 1940s, designed to carry heavier weapons or operate at longer ranges than light fighter aircraft. To achieve performance, most heavy fighters were twin-engine ...

and destroyed another aircraft on the ground. His last victory, a

Messerschmitt Bf 110 The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110,Because it was built before ''Bayerische Flugzeugwerke'' became Messerschmitt AG in July 1938, the Bf 110 was never officially given the designation Me 110. is a twin-engined (de ...

bomber was claimed on 30 November, bringing his score to 6 kills and 1 destroyed on the ground. By the end of 1943 he was the seventh highest scoring Belgian flying ace of the war. Van Lierde was promoted to flight lieutenant in September 1943 and, on 22 December, was posted to the Central Gunnery School at

RAF Sutton Bridge Royal Air Force Sutton Bridge or more simply RAF Sutton Bridge is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station found next to the village of Sutton Bridge in the south-east of Lincolnshire. The airfield was to the sou ...

, Lincolnshire, returning to

RAF Manston Royal Air Force Manston or more simply RAF Manston is a former Royal Air Force station located in the north-east of Kent, at on the Isle of Thanet from 1916 until 1996. The site was split between a commercial airport Kent International Airpor ...

on 7 February 1944. On 27 April, he was posted to No. 3 Squadron, flying the Tempest Mk.V, before taking command of No. 164 Squadron on 20 August with the rank of

, tasked with combating the V-1 offensive. He was credited with shooting down or destroying 44 flying bombs solo, with another 9 shared, making him the second highest-scoring "doodlebug" killer. Van Lierde then led his squadron into Europe during the western campaign. From May 1945 Van Lierde served in 84 Group Support Unit, and as a Belgian Liaison Officer at

Second Tactical Air Force The Second Tactical Air Force (2TAF) was one of three tactical air forces within the Royal Air Force (RAF) during and after the Second World War. It was made up of squadrons and personnel from the RAF, other British Commonwealth air forces, and ...

Headquarters.

Post-war service

In August 1945 Van Lierde was given command of No. 350 (Belgian) Squadron, an RAF formation of Belgian pilots flying the

Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the ...

that was eventually transferred to the

in October 1946. Commissioned into the Belgian Air Force as a major in June 1946, Van Lierde took command of the

1st Fighter Wing The 1st Fighter Wing (1 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Fifteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, VA. where it is a tenant unit, being supported by the 633d Air Base Wing. Its ...

(formed from No. 350 and 349 Squadrons) at

Beauvechain Air Base Beauvechain Air Base is a Belgian Air Component military airfield in Belgium, located south of Beauvechain in Wallonia (Walloon Brabant Province); east-southeast of Brussels. It is home to the 1st Wing, operating A109BA helicopters, and the ...

. From October 1947 to November 1950 he was head of the Office of Group Operations, and also studied at the

RAF Staff College The RAF Staff College may refer to: *RAF Staff College, Andover (active: 1922 to 1940 and 1948 to 1970) *RAF Staff College, Bulstrode Park (active: 1941 to 1948) *RAF Staff College, Bracknell The RAF Staff College at Bracknell was a Royal Air ...

in 1948. He was appointed Detachment Commander at

Chièvres Air Base Chièvres Air Base , also referred to as SHAPE Airfield at Chievres Air Base, is a NATO airfield operated by the United States Air Force. It is located east southeast of the Wallonia, Walloon town of Chièvres in the province of Hainaut (provinc ...

, and then on 1 December 1950 as commander of the 7th Fighter Wing. In 1953 he was appointed to the Operations Group of Chiefs of Staff. Van Lierde was appointed aide to the former

King Leopold III Leopold III (3 November 1901 – 25 September 1983) was King of the Belgians from 23 February 1934 until his abdication on 16 July 1951. At the outbreak of World War II, Leopold tried to maintain Belgian neutrality, but after the German invasio ...

in September 1953. In November 1958, with Captain Yves Bodart, Van Lierde travelled to England to test fly a

, becoming one of the first Belgian pilots to break the

. Lieutenant Colonel Van Lierde was made Deputy Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defense in 1954. In 1959, as full colonel, he commanded the air base at Kamina in the

Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (, ; ) was a Belgian colonial empire, Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960 and became the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville). The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Repu ...

. After the Belgian Congo became independent on 30 June 1960, Van Lierde returned to Belgium and became the Chief of Operations of the Chiefs of Staff and had several other appointments before his retirement in 1968. Van Lierde died at

Lessines Lessines (; ; ; ) is a city and Municipalities of Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Hainaut Province, province of Hainaut, Belgium. As of the 2014 census, The municipality's total population was 18,637. The total area is which gi ...

on 8 June 1990.

Alleged encounter with a giant snake

On an episode of '' Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World'' entitled "Dragons, Dinosaurs and Giant Snakes", Van Lierde recounted that in 1959 he encountered a giant snake in the Katanga region of the

while returning to

Kamina Air Base Kamina Air Base is a military airport located near Kamina in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was built as part of the Belgian near-national-redoubt concept after World War II.David Isby and Charles Kamps Jr., Armies of NATO's Central Fr ...

from a mission by helicopter. He reported having then turned around and made several passes over the snake to allow another person on board to photograph the creature. Van Lierde described the snake as being close to in length, with a circumference of . Van Lierde claimed it to be a dark shade of brown and green with a white coloured belly with a head measuring long and wide, and that the jaws were of a triangular shape. Additionally, he claimed that as he flew lower for a closer inspection, the snake rose up approximately , giving the impression it would have attacked the helicopter if it had been within striking range.

Early life

Early career and outbreak of war

Career in the Royal Air Force

Post-war service

Alleged encounter with a giant snake

See also

References

Further reading