Lieutenant-General Aviateur 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 managed to escape but was captured at the Dutch Border. He was then held captive in Germany until 1918.

On April 30 1919 he entered the artillery and trained at the Instruction Centre becoming an artillerie Sous-Lieutenant .  Shortly afterwards he joined the Aeronautique Militaire (Air-Force) and was accepted as a navigator.

When he obtained his pilot license he became a fighter-pilot. He gained a reputation for performing some extreme aerobatics. In 1935 he became head of the Test-flight service  command of the Fairey Battle flightgroup in Evere.

In December 1939 he was sent Belgian-Congo
.
During the first days of the war he left the colony and returned to Belgium. Made prisoner he succeeded in escaping and headed for the South of France, crossing  the Pyrenees on foot. He was again arrested and held captive for two months at Bagadoz before being transferred to the  camp of Miranda.

During October 1941 he finally reached London via by Gibraltar. He was excluded from flying duty due to his age so he forged his ID card and managed to transfer to RAF night fighter group. He claimed to have already commanded a fighter squadron!

He trained for 3 months on twin-engined aircraft and then transferred to the operational fighter unit of Charter Hall in Scotland.

In August 1942 he is transferred the 141 squadron stationed at Ford in Southern England were he flew Beaufighers. The mission of his squadron was to attack enemy military trains, boats, airfields and DCA posts by night.

In May 1943, on his second duty tour, he flew the faster Mosquito on night raids.

In 1944 he was 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 enthusiasm and his courage he succeeded in obtaining precious intelligence for the missions in which he was engaged. During his operational tour he has shown the courage and energy and has by this fact been magnificent example to his squadron.

Promoted Wing Commander in 1944 and later Group Captain he was charged by the Belgian Defence Minister Demets to create a Aeronautical Service to recruit volunteers from former pilots and specialists of the Aeronautique Militaire to resume military service in the UK.

In 1946 he became Staff-Chief of the Aviation Militaire.

He died on October 28 1988.