Banner




* Report: July 15th, 2023: The Belgians Parade to the London Cenotaph *

Airfields in Belgium during WWII

Moerkerke RAF Air Base - B69

Return to previous page


Vers le site en français

Last update: 25/06/23


Elegy to
the Heroes of Silence


Origin

The construction of an aerodrome at Moerbeke began in 1939. It was to serve as an auxiliary aerodrome to the Belgian Military Aeronautics. The first plane landed there on January 17, 1939. The tension rising at the end of 1939, the base was used for mobilization exercises by support flights; the construction was not completed when the war entered.

WWII: German's use

During the first days of the invasion, the Belgian soldiers began to destroy the facilities there, but the rapid arrival of the Germans interrupted the destruction and they were able to quickly restore the abandoned installations to working order.
The occupants mainly installed anti-aircraft defenses (FLAK), concealed in dummy planes in order to attract the enemy under machine gun fire to the ground. During their retreat, the Germans used the base as a staging point for the troops.

Allied's use

It was the British who released the base on September 16, 1944. They decided to cover the runway with experimental bitumen. When this was achieved, the RAF authorities finally decided to use the base as a repository for material. It was also used as a back-up aerodrome for aircraft returning from the emergency landing.

Post War

After the war, Moerkerke airfield was abandoned and the land returned to its original owners.

airfields in Belgium
Sources:
https://www.sbap.be/events/2014/005wevelgem2014
https://www.mashpedia.net
https://www.sgkoksijde.be/index.php
https://www.airhistory.org.uk
https://www.27sqn.be/
ligne

Back to the top

logo
"The Belgians Remember Them" - Rue de Maulde, 2 - B/7830 HOVES (Silly), Belgique - Tel: +32/(0)479/245.148
Bank: BE97 0018 3886 3049 - BIC: GEBABEBB - Email: belgian.remember(at)gmail.com

Reproduction or distribution in any form of texts, lists and documents presented on this site is forbidden without the express authorization of the author
© Copyright "THE BELGIANS REMEMBER THEM" - 2017, all rights reserved - for all countries

Logo Wilfred Burie Webmastering Compteur.fr analytics