May 1940

On May 10, 1940, the people living near the airport were awakened at 6 am by the sound of formations of aircraft and anti-aircraft guns. A column of black smoke rose above the airport. The anti-aircraft guns had already come into action the previous days, but without results.

Now it seemed more serious. We had to wait until the radio broadcasts started at 7 am and the news was confirmed : Germany had invaded our country...

The threatening language of Adolf Hitler was put into action in 1937. Germany invaded the Rhineland and a year later Austria was annexed. The threats against Poland and Czechoslovakia became louder and louder. On September 1, the German army invaded Poland, and Britain and France declared war on Germany.

Due to these hostilities, international air traffic in Antwerp came to a standstill.

In November 1939, the I/1 “Les Mouettes” landed in Antwerp with its Fairey Fox aircraft, this squadron came from Tienen and was based in Antwerp as part of the mobilisation. Trenches were dug on the edge of the airport and machine guns were deployed.

Small aviation was also restricted: aircraft owners were informed that their aircraft were under surveillance.

Elza Leysen was asked to fly her SV-4, the OO-JAN, to Evere. This had to be done on 2 or 3 March 1940, between 8.30 am and 5 pm. The aircraft were collected there and almost all destroyed when the Luftwaffe struck in May.

On 6 May, the Belgian armed forces were put on pre-alert. The ground troops of the I/1 were already sent to the reserve airfield at Hingene to prepare it for the squadron's next move.

Nothing happened for three days, so the pre-alert was cancelled and the soldiers' repealed leave could be released again.

In Antwerp this was postponed until May 10, because the files were all packed.

But on May 10, all hell broke loose....