Lucien Leboutte
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Lieutenant-Général Lucien Joseph Ghislain Leboutte (5 March 1898 - 28 October 1988) DFC was a former Belgian Mosquito fighter pilot with the Royal Air Force during World War II, and later the first chief of the air staff of the Belgian Air Force after World War II, largely responsible for the structure of the present Belgian Air Force.
Early life[edit]
He was born in Hodister, near Rendeux, in French-speaking south-east Belgium.[1]
Career[edit]
Royal Air Force[edit]
He arrived in London on 10 October 1941 via Gibraltar, when aged 43 as a Captain (Flight Lieutenant) in the Belgian Aéronautique Militaire. He was too old to be a pilot, but he became a Pilot Officer in the RAF, after he forged the birth year on his ID.
RAF Snitterfield in Warwickshire was the Belgian Initial Training School, which moved to RAF Snailwell in Cambridgeshire in October 1944.
He trained for three months on twin engine aircraft. He flew sorties for one year in the night fighter 141 Squadron in West Sussex, from August 1942, then with the Mosquito for 37 sorties. After 32 sorties on the Mosquito on 3 June 1944 he was awarded the DFC.
On 28 September 1944 he was promoted to Group Captain, being moved to SHAEF.
Belgian Air Force[edit]
On 26 September 1945 he was promoted to Colonel. He formed the Belgian Air Force after the war, as Chief of Air Staff, which took the name from 15 January 1949.
He became Lieutenant-General on 25 December 1950. He was Chief of the Air Staff (Chef de la Composante aérienne militaire de Belgique) until 1956.
Personal life[edit]
He married and his wife (8 June 1910 - 10 August 1991) had one son. He died aged 90 in October 1988 in Belgium.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
External links[edit]
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