Thread by @BoneyAbroad, #OTD in 1943 two 609 Squadron pilots were able to get Sqn [...]

#OTD in 1943 two 609 Squadron pilots were able to get Sqn Spy 'Ziggy' Ziegler to pop a SIPO-SD HQ and a hattrick of Bf109s on the squadrons tally for the day.

This is the tale of F/Lt Baron Jean de Selys Longchamps, F/S Johny Baldwin and the 20th Jan 1943. /1 #WW2 #Thread

de Selys had been a Belgian cavalry officer and had escaped to England in 1940. He had to fake his age to be accepted into the RAF, but had become a 609 stalwart. On 20/1 he set off on an early rhubarb in Typhoon DN305 with F/S Andre Blanco in DN300. Image - 609's DN406 /2

de Selys had been working with Ziegler to get permission to fly a strike against the SIPO-SD (not Gestapo) HQ that had taken up residence on 453 Avenue Louise in Brussels. Through his contacts, he had found out the SD had interrogated and tortured his father. /3

de Selys had to wait for an op that would take him to Belgium. This was that op, so he fuelled up his Tiffy and set off. Once the main sweep over, 1 loco destroyed, was complete, de Selys waved Blanco off and set course for Brussells. In his cockpit was a bag of Belgian flags. /4

Flying at treetop level, he followed the roads he knew around his home town until he lined up his target. Flying below the tops of the buildings on Avenue Louise, he emptied his 20mm Cannons into the SIPO-SD HQ, hitting only it. /5

Not hanging around, de Selys scattered his Belgian flags as he made for Manston, taking care to drop flags on the Royal Palace and his neice's home. /6

The damage to 453 Avenue Louise was impressive, as is the result of the attention of four Hispano II cannons. In the attack, 4 Germans were killed including SD chief, SS-Sturmbannführer Alfred Thomas. /7

There have been reports that one of the casualties was a Gestapo officer named Commander Müller who, allegedly, was a double agent and a list of agents was found on his corpse. The story goes they were then rounded up. I've never been able to prove if this is true. /8

de Selys bugged out at high speed as his presence in Belgium was know rather well known. Over the channel, he got a course for Manston and, almost out of fuel, landed safely and made his report to Ziegler who wrote up the ORB accordingly

de Selys would fly again two hours later and be bounced by Spitfires because, well, Spitfire pilots... He would survive the encounter. /10

de Selys, in true RAF fashion, was written up for the attack, demoted to Pilot Officer, transferred out of 609 and then awarded the DFC. We would be killed 3 months later when, after nursing his baldy shot up Tiffy home over the Channel, it broke up, just short of Manston. /11

Baron Jean de Selys Longchamps was 31 when he died. A women Zeigler met when he was writing the squadron history told him of the jubilation those in Brusells felt when Jean made his attack. A memorial to him and his off the books sortie stands on Avenue Louise today. /12

But 609's day was not done. The 20th Jan 1943 also marked the busiest day in the tip and run bombing campaign on the south-east of England, with a major attack on London. Another Belgian, 'Cheval' Lallemant, led 609 up for a defensive sortie later that afternoon. /13

Flying Typhoon DN360 on that sortie is F/S Johnny Baldwin. After an early RAF career than included deployment to France with the BEF, making landmines and a spot of bomb disposal, Baldwin got his wings and had been with 609 for two months. Image - DN360 after a later op. /14

At over 20,000', a level Typhoons are not in their element, Lallamant called the attack on a Bf109 G-4s of 6./JagdGeschwader 26. 3 broke away and Baldwin followed. The first 2 cut in front of him and he fired, hitting both, the first in the cockpit and the second broke up. /15

The 3rd got behind him and cutting throttle, Baldwin skidded his Tiffy causing the Bf109 to overshoot. Diving for the clouds Baldwin followed and scored hits. Breaking cloud, no Bf109 was in sight, just the pilot hanging below silk. Johnny Bladwin's first score was a hattrick /16

Zeigler's tally for 609 that day would be:
1 SIPO-SD HQ
1000 Belgian flags dropped
2 Locos
3 Bf109s destroyed
1 Fw190 destroyed, 3 damaged
for one slightly damaged Tiffy.

I'm sure W/C Billy de Goat was pleased. /17

That evening, 18 of 609's retired to the Old Charles to reflect upon their day.

At kicking out time, the taxi driver not being located, de Selys would steal the taxi and the police would be called, which would result in a visit to the local Cheif Constable. /18

Johnny Baldwin would end the war a Group Captain and, with 15 kills, the Top Tiffy Ace. He won the admiration of all those he lead. Johnny disappeared while on exchange with the USAF flying F-86 Sabres in Korea. He was (really) 34. /End

PS, someone should really write a book about him, shouldn't they?

/really the end.

Latest Threads Unrolled: