The 1st Squadron (french: 1^re escadrille) is a Recce

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...

in the

Air Component The Belgian Air Component ( nl, Luchtcomponent, french: Composante air) is the air arm of the Belgian Armed Forces, and until January 2002 it was officially known as the Belgian Air Force ( nl, Belgische Luchtmacht; french: Force aérienne bel ...

of the

Belgian Armed Forces The Belgian Defense Forces ( nl, Defensie; french: La Défense) is the national military of Belgium. The King of the Belgians is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. The Belgian Armed Forces was established after Belgium became independ ...

. Based at Florennes air base, it is part of the

2nd Tactical Wing The 2nd Tactical Wing ( nl, 2 Tactische Wing, french: 2 Wing Tactique) is a wing in the Air Component of the Belgian Armed Forces based at Florennes air base Florennes Air Base is a Belgian Air Component military airfield located east southea ...

and operates the General Dynamics F-16 Block 20 MLU Fighting Falcon. The ''1re Escadrille de Chasse'' was the first fighter squadron of the

Belgian Air Component The Belgian Air Component ( nl, Luchtcomponent, french: Composante air) is the air arm of the Belgian Armed Forces, and until January 2002 it was officially known as the Belgian Air Force ( nl, Belgische Luchtmacht; french: Force aérienne belg ...

. The squadron was founded during World War I, reorganized into a dedicated fighter unit, and became part of a fighter wing before war's end.

History

The origins

The ''1re Escadrille de Chasse'' was founded in February 1916 as the first dedicated squadron of the Aviation Militaire Belge. It drew upon the men and equipment of the previously existing provisional Escadrille I. In August 1917, upon receiving the new Hanriot-Dupont 1 aircraft, the first version of the famous “Thistle” symbol was designed by André de Meulemeester as the squadron's insignia, to be painted on the aircraft. He also selected the squadron motto “

Nemo me impune lacessit ''Nemo me impune lacessit'' (''No one provokes me with impunity'') () was the Latin motto of the Royal Stuart dynasty of Scotland from at least the reign of James VI when it appeared on the reverse side of merk coins minted in 1578 and 1580. I ...

” or “No-one can challenge me unpunished”. In March 1918, it would be reorganized into the ''9ème Escadrille''.Pieters p. 14, 23–24

Aerodromes

Coxyde Koksijde (; french: Coxyde ; vls, Koksyde) is a town and a municipality in Belgium. It is located on the North Sea coast in the southwest of the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises apart from Koksijde, the villages of ...

: February 1916 - June 1916 * Les Moeres: June 1916 - March 1918Pieters, pp. 23–24

Notable personnel

* André de Meulemeester * Fernand Jacquet *

Jan Olieslagers Lieutenant Jan Olieslagers was a Belgian motorcycle and aviation pioneer who set world records with both types of machinery. He became a flying ace during World War I despite his indifference in claiming victories; he was credited with six confirme ...

Willy Coppens Willy Omer François Jean baron Coppens de Houthulst (6 July 1892 – 21 December 1986) was Belgium's leading fighter ace and the champion "balloon buster" of World War I. He was credited with 37 confirmed victories and six probables. Early ...

Aircraft used

* Nieuport 10 * Nieuport Scout *

Nieuport 16 The Nieuport 16 C.1 (or Nieuport XVI C.1 in contemporary sources)The C in the designation indicates that it is a ''chasseur'' or fighter, and the 1 indicates the number of crew members. was a French World War I single-seat sesquiplane fighter air ...

* Nieuport 17 * Hanriot HD.1 *

Sopwith Camel The Sopwith Camel is a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the Sopwith Pup and became one of the ...

* F-84 E/G/F * Mirage 5BA

Operations

At the start of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Belgium was neutral. An overwhelming invasion by the German army left Belgium partially occupied by the end of 1914, with its preserved territory shielded by deliberate defensive flooding at Nieuwpoort by the Belgians. As a result, the Aviation Militaire Belge was based in the diminished remnant of a small country, and performed largely in a static defensive mode.
Captain

Fernand Jacquet Captain-Commandant Fernand Maximillian Leon Jacquet was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories. He was the first Belgian pilot to score an aerial victory, on 17 April 1915, and became the first Belgian ace on 1 February 1917 ...

and Lieutenant Louis Robin scored the squadron's first victory on 20 May 1916. It would claim 52 aerial victories and be credited with 15, at a blood cost of five Belgian pilots killed in action and one accidental death.

Present day

After

World War II 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 opposing ...

, the modern Belgian Air Force was founded in 1946. The "Thistle" was accorded to 351 Squadron of 161st Wing at Florennes air base. On January 10, 1948, this unit became 1st Squadron of 2nd Wing. From that day to the present, the squadron shares the identity and the traditions of the ''1ère Escadrille de Chasse'' of 1917 . In July 1971, 1 Squadron leaves Florennes for Bierset, to constitute 3rd Wing together with 8 Squadron. Designated to transform to the F-16, the unit swaps bases with 42 Squadron of Florennes in 1989.

Airbases

Florennes Florennes (; wa, Florene) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium. As of 1 January 2006, Florennes has a total population of 10,754. The total area is 133.55 km² which gives a population density of 81 inhabita ...

: 1948-1971 ; 1989–Present * Bierset : 1971-1989 (Brustem: 1981)

Aircraft used

* Spitfire XIV * F-16 Fighting FalconBlasons Familiers p.35

References

* Champagne, Jacques P. & Detournay, Gaston L. ''Blasons Familiers d'une Chevalerie Nouvelle''. Editions CARACTERE - Arlon * Mangin, Jean A. & Champagne, Jacques P & Van Den Rul, Marcel A. ''Sous nos ailes''. G. Everling - Arlon (1977) * Pieters, Walter M. ''Above Flanders' Fields: A Complete Record of the Belgian Fighter Pilots and Their Units During the Great War, 1914-1918''. Grub Street, 1998. , * ''Air Action 19''. Guhl & Associés, 1990. ISSN 0992-065X.

Endnotes

{{reflist Fighter Squadron, 1 Military units and formations established in 1913 1913 establishments in Belgium