Jacques Philippart

Jacques Philippart (11 January 1909 – 25 August 1940) was a Belgian flying ace who served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. The first Belgian flying ace of the war, he is credited with the destruction of at least six aircraft.

Born in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Philippart joined the Aeronautique Militaire (Belgian Air Force) in 1932. He became well regarded for his flying ability, and was an aerobatic pilot. He flew in combat operations during the German invasion of Belgium in May 1940 but was withdrawn to France and served at the headquarters of the Aeronautique Militaire. Evacuated to the United Kingdom after the fall of France in June, he joined the RAF and was posted to No. 213 Squadron. He shot down a number of German aircraft during the Battle of Britain but was killed on 25 August after claiming his final aerial victory.

Early life Jacques Arthur Laurent Philippart was born on 11 January 1909 at Mont-Saint-Guibert, in Belgium. He was a university student when he decided to join the Aeronautique Militaire (Belgian Air Force) in 1932, training at Wevelgem. Appointed a sergeant pilot, he became well regarded for his flying skills and represented Belgium in an aerobatic competition in Switzerland in 1937. By this time, he was a commissioned officer. In May 1938, he was part of the aerial escort for King Leopold III's visit to Holland for the baptism of Beatrix of the Netherlands. For this service, he was appointed a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.

Second World War Shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War, Philippart was sent to the United Kingdom where he investigated the operational techniques of the Royal Air Force (RAF) with a view to passing on this knowledge to Belgian aircrew. In May 1940, when the Germans invaded Belgium, he flew a number of sorties before being withdrawn to France, along with much of the Belgian armed forces. There he was attached to the headquarters of the commander of the surviving elements of the Aeronautique Militaire, General Legros, liaising with the RAF which required regular trips to the United Kingdom. He was eventually evacuated from Bayonne, disembarking from a Dutch vessel at Plymouth on 23 June.

Military aviation historians Christopher Shores and Clive Williams credit Philippart with having destroyed six German aircraft, with another aircraft considered probably destroyed.