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De Hemricourt De Grunne, Rodolphe Ghislain Charles

    Date of birth:
    November 18th, 1911 (Etterbeek/Brussels, Belgium)
    Date of death:
    May 25th, 1942 (English Channel)
    Buried on:
    Field of Honour Brussels City Cemetery
    Service number:
    41717 / 82158 (RAF)
    Nationality:
    Belgian (1830-present, Constitutional Monarchy)

    Biography

    Recieved his civilian pilot licence in 1935 (No. 371). He achieved hi SPanish Nationalist pilot license on January 22nd, 1937. During the Spanish Civil War he shot down 14 enemy planes in 425 operational sorties. During the Second World War het shot down three enemy planes before he himself was shot down over the English Channel on May 25th, 1942. His remains were never found.

    His name is being commemmorated at the RAF Memorial at Runnymede and with a Commemmorative Grave at the Belgian War Cemetery Evere.

    Career:
    ?: 1er Régiment de Guides;
    October 9th, 1936: Falange Española (FE);
    December 1936: Escuela Tablada, Seville;
    February 1st, 1937: 3-G-11 Aviación Nacional, Saragossa;
    March 1937: 1-G-2 Aviación Nacional;
    November 1st, 1937: 4-G-12 Aviación Nacional;
    December 8th, 1937: 3-G-3 Aviación Nacional;
    December 15th, 1937: 2-G-3 Aviación Nacional;
    1939: I'Escadron cycliste, 7e Division d'Infanterie;
    1940: Aviation Militaire Belge;
    ?: I'Ecole de Pilotage, Deurne;
    ?: Escadron 2/I/2, Schaffen;
    ?: No. 7 Operational Training Unit, Hawarden;
    August 9th, 1940: No. 32 Squadron, RAF;
    ?: Special Services;
    May 1st, 1941: No. 609 Squadron, RAF.

    Own aircraft (as far as known):
    Heinkel He 46;
    Heinkel He 51;
    Meridionali Ro37;
    Fiat CR.32;
    Hawker Hurricane (V6535);
    Supermarine Spitfire (P7521).

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    Period:
    Second World War (1939-1945)
    Awarded on:
    July 21st, 1941

    Awarded with four palmes
    Croix de Guerre 1940
    Period:
    Second World War (1939-1945)
    Awarded on:
    1941

    Sources

    Photo