blacksheepone
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Lieutenant General Lucien Leboutte
Lieutenant-General Aviateur Leboutte was born at Hodister (La Roche Belgium) on the 5th of march 1898. Deported by the Germans to Northern France during 1914-1918 he succeeds to escape but is captured again at the Dutch Border. He is then held captive in Germany until 1918.
On april 30 1919 he enters the artillery and follows a course at the Instruction Centre to become artillerie Sous-Lieutenant on june 21 1921. Shortly afterwards he joins the Aeronautique Militaire (Air-Force) and is accepted to the navigating personnel on December 1 1923
When he obtains his flight license he is designated to become a fighter-pilot in 1930. He illustrates himself at different meetings were he performs the most daring aerobatics. Later he becomes head of the Test-flight service on September 21 1935, the command of the Fairey Battle flightgroup in Evere
In december 1939 he is designated for a mission in Belgian-Congo were he studies the possibilities to organise a military aviation.
On the first days of the war he leaves the colony and returns to Belgium on august 28 1940. Made prisonner he succeeds in escaping on February 14 1941 , he then heads for the South of France and passes the Pyrenées on foot accompanied by other Belgians. He gets arrested and is held captive for two months at Bagadoz later transferred to the famous camp of Miranda
On october 10 1941 he finally reaches London passing by Gibraltar. His goal is however not yet reached. Automatically excluded for any flying duty due to his age he refuses any other kind of duty.
After having forged his ID he heads for the recrutement center for nocturn fighter pilots at Uxbridge were he statues his experience, his many flying hours and the fact that he has already been in command of a fighter squadron and even a fighter group. Accepted into the RAF nocturn fightergroup he abandons without any hesitation his rank as Major for that of simple Pilot Officer in the RAF to obtain his ideal and be able to fight the enemy. He trains for 3 months on twin-engined aircrafts before he transfers to the operational fighter unit of Charter Hall in Scotland.
In august 1942 his dream becomes reality. He is designated for the 141 squadron stationed at Ford in Southern England were he flies Beaufighers. The mission of his squadron consists in attacking enemy military trains, boats, airfields, DCA posts by night and also to push back enemy heavy bombers.
His tour of duty completed he leaves his superiors at rest only when his second tour of duty is finally accepted from the end of may 1943 but this time he’ll fly Mosquito’s which were faster than the Beaufighters and were better for the “Night Intruder” missions
On march 24 1944 he is granted the DFC with the following mention :
“This officer has participated in 32 combat missions during which he has destroyed one Junkers 88 and seriously damaged three others. By his enthousiasm and his courage he succeeded in obtaining precious informations for the missions in which he was engaged. During his operational tour he has shown the most beautifull capacities, the courage and energy and has by this fact shown a magnificent example for his squadron.
On june 1 1944 he is promoted Wing Commander in the RAF and Group Captain on September 28 that same year. It is in that time that he is called by the Belgian Defense minister Demets to create a Aeronautical Service charged to recrute volunteers and to call back all former pilots and specialists of the Aeronautique Militaire in order to give them formation in England.
After the war on September 26 1945 he is promoted to Colonel and on September 30 1946 becomes Staff-Chief of the Aviation Militaire which he created and organised by the directives of the minister of defense. It is during his command that the Belgian Airforce will abandon its British ranks and return to the traditional insignia of the former Belgian Squadrons in the Aeronautique Militaire.
In march 1948, by means of signing the “Pact de Bruxelles” or “Western Union Pact” the military aviation in Belgium will grow considerably. 12 daylight and 3 nightime figher units were to be installed, one transport group, a alert system and radar control, auxiliary squadrons and two extrametropolitan bases in Congo, one at Kamina another at Kitona. It is also under his impulse that we find the structure that is still there in the Belgian Air Force , which made a autonom Belgian Air Force possible.
On january 15 1949 the Belgian Military Aviation was to be renamed Belgian Air Force and enter the era of jet engine fighters. He is promoted to the rank of General-Major on june 26 1948 and Lieutenant General on December 25 1950.
His brother General-Major Norbert Leboutte became the first commander of the Training and Instruction group after the war.
Lieutenant-General Leboutte will become the first president of the assosiation of Belgian Air-Cadets.
He his put at rest on april 1 1956 and will continue to be president of the Air-Cadets untill june 21 1984.
He dies on october 28 1988.
By Blacksheepone 27/05/2004
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6/14/2004, 1:03 pm
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Sgt Eagle
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Re: Lieutenant General Lucien Leboutte
Thanks Black Sheep !!!!
Sgt Eagle
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From this day till the ending of the world we in it shall be remembered ,we Band Of Brothers Henry V-W.Shakespear
Eendracht maakt Macht !
GO Belgium
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6/14/2004, 1:09 pm
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