Date

Location

Force

Aircraft

From-To

Crew

21-06-1940 

Alfândega da Fé

Aéronautique Militaire - 9 Esq/ II Gr./ 3 Reg

Stampe & Vertongen SV-4   NSérie:370

Moissac (France) →  Portugal

Ad.Fl       Celestin Guiamme Desiré Verbraeck      Bélgian

Sgt. Fl      Henri Mathieu George Reuter                Bélgian

They escaped from the invasion of France, abandoned Portugal in August and went to the Belgian Congo. There they adopted British names and become RAF men. Reuter died in 19 May 1941 during one air fight. Verbraek dies in October or November of the same year when the airfield where he was located in North Africa was bombed by the Germans.

The aircraft had been required by the belgian military at the beginning of the war and had the civilian registry 00-ACB.

Fontes/ Resources:
*  “Aviões da Cruz de Cristo” – Mário Canongia Lopes
* AERL - Royal Army Museum Collection - Bélgica
* Jacques Schelfaut
* Luc Wittemans
* Guy Roberty