Belgian C-130 remembers its ancestors above Normandy in June 1944
During the June 1944 Normandy landings (D-Day), the Belgian Air Force participated under the wings of the British Royal Air Force.The 349 and 350 squadrons were created in 1941-42 under the wings of the Royal Air Force. After World War II, they became squadrons of the newly formed Belgian Air Force, currently flying the F-16. Both squadrons had a special D-Day F-16 with black and white invasion stripes to commemorate the 75th D-Day anniversary in June 2019.
At the same time, the 525 transport squadron of the RAF was a Belgian squadron that flew overhead Normandy in June 1944.Later it merged into to the 21st transport squadron in the 15th Wing of the Belgian Air Force, currently at Melsbroek AB. For the D-Day commemorations, a Lockheed C-130H CH-11 was fitted with the black and white invasion stripes and it participated in the commemoration flights in Normandy in June 2019.
Text and photos: Joris van Boven
