Léon Pierre Alphonse Dens (17 October 1869 – 16 November 1940) was a

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

politician and shipowner. A member of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

, he was killed during

the Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

.
CWGC Casualty Record, City of Westminster Civilian Deaths, retrieved 10 January 2022.

Family

He was son of Charles Dens. He married Louise Lejeune, who predeceased him.

Political career

* 1925–1940: senator for the district Antwerp * 1931–1932: minister of defense * 1935–1936: President of the

Honours

''This list is incomplete'' *Grand Officer Order of Leopold (Belgium), Order of Leopold (Belgium) *Grand Cordon

Order of Skanderbeg Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...

(

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

) *Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(United Kingdom)

Death

Following the German invasion of Belgium in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

he became an exile in England and was killed during an air raid when the

Savoy Hotel The Savoy Hotel is a luxury hotel located in the Strand in the City of Westminster in central London, England. Built by the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan opera productions, it opened on 6 August 188 ...

in London, was bombed in November 1940.

References

Sources

Presidents of the Belgian liberal party
1869 births 1940 deaths Politicians from Antwerp Belgian Ministers of Defence Belgian people in the United Kingdom during World War II Belgian civilians killed in World War II Deaths by airstrike during World War II {{Flanders-politician-stub