Free Belgian Forces

The Free Belgian Forces were members of the Belgian armed forces in World War II who continued fighting against the Axis after the surrender of Belgium and its subsequent occupation by the Germans. The Belgians fought in several theaters of the war, including Great Britain, East Africa, the Mediterranean, and Northwestern Europe.

The decision of King Léopold III to surrender on May 28 1940 was not accepted by members of the Belgian government-in-exile (under Prime-Minister Hubert Pierlot), who had fled first to Paris and later to London. Under the auspices of this government, Belgian armed forces were organized to continue military operations as part of the Allies, and existing Belgian colonial troops in the Belgian Congo were made available to the Allied war effort.

Free Belgian Forces: Army

The ground troops of the Free Belgian Forces were drawn from three sources during the course of the war. These were the Force Publique in the Congo, expatriate Belgians in Great Britain and Canada, and after September 1944, Belgians liberated by the .

Belgian colonial troops in Africa

Three brigades of infantry were mobilized from the "Public Force" ("Force Publique") in the Belgian Congo to fight with the Allies in Africa. In 1940 and 1941, the "Belgian Expeditionary Forces" fought in the British and Commonwealth campaign to defeat the Italian troops in East Africa (East African Campaign). In late May 1941, Belgian Major-General Auguste-Éduard Gilliaert cut off the retreat of Italian General Pietro Gazzera in Ethiopia and accepted the surrender of 7,000 of his troops. [Forgotten Allies, Vol. 1, p. 44.]

After the successful conclusion of these campaigns, the 1st Belgian Colonial Brigade was redesignated the Belgian Colonial Motor Brigade Group and served in a garrison and rear-area security role in Cairo, Egypt and in British Palestine during 1943 - 1944. Foreign Volunteers of the Allied Forces, 1939 - 45, p. 17.]

The Belgian colonial troops in Africa had older weapons and equipment such as the Stokes Mortar and 75 mm St. Chamond cannon. [Commonwealth Divisions 1939 - 1945, p. 45.]

Brigade Piron

. Also known as "Brigade Piron" (for its commander, Colonel Jean Piron), the Belgian Brigade was equipped with British weapons and material.

Belgian Special Forces

Belgian soldiers in Great Britain also contributed a troop (company) to the British commandos (assigned as 4 Troop, No. 10 Inter-Allied Commando). The Belgian commandos fought in Norway, France, Madagascar, Italy, Yugoslavia, on Walcheren, and in Germany.World Armies, p. 57.] In late 1944, two other troops of commandos were formed from liberated manpower who had been members of the Belgian resistance.Foreign Volunteers of the Allied Forces, 1939 - 45, p. 16.] Belgium also contributed a battalion-sized regiment to the Special Air Service, fighting in northern France, occupied Belgium, and the Netherlands during 1944 - 1945.

The Fusilier Battalions

during the Ardennes Offensive.

In the Far East

The Belgian 10th Casualty Clearing Station supported operations in Burma and Indonesia.

Free Belgian Forces: Navy

During the war, the Belgian Navy operated two corvettes and a group of minesweepers. The Navy participated in the Battle of the Atlantic, and had 350 men by May 1943.

Free Belgian Forces: Air Force

The initial Belgian fliers with the Royal Air Force were individual members of British squadrons. Belgium contributed 29 pilots to Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain. Although usually randomly posted to various RAF fighter squadrons, No. 609 Squadron had enough Belgian pilots to form a flight. Later, some of the Belgian pilots were organized into two all-Belgian squadrons, the No. 350 (Belgian) Squadron (formed November 1941) and No. 349 (Belgian) Squadron (formed November 1942). By June 1943, some 400 Belgian pilots were serving with the RAF. [Forgotten Allies, Vol. 1, p. 254.] Initially part of the air defense of Great Britain, both squadrons later served in the campaign in northwestern Europe supporting 21st Army Group with No. 83 and No. 84 Groups of the R.A.F. [Victory in the West, Vol. II, p. 390.] The British air raid on Gestapo headquarters in Copenhagen on March 22 1945 was led by a Belgian Wing Commander, Michael Donnet. [Forgotten Allies, Vol. 1, p. 405.] Altogether, some 1,200 Belgians served in the R.A.F. The Belgian Squadrons flew Spitfires operationally with the RAF. No. 350 Squadron claimed some 51 kills during its existence.

Postwar

Ultimately, Belgium mobilized some 100,000 men under arms between the time Belgium surrendered in 1940 and VE Day in 1945. [http://www.belgianbadges4046.be/index2.htm] [ Lucien Champion, in La Chronique des 53.000 (p. 24) mentions 53,000 mobilized from liberated manpower after September 1944.] After the war, five of the brigades mobilized by Belgium with liberated manpower and the Brigade Piron formed two divisions of the new Belgian Army and were used in the occupation of Germany. The Belgian commandos and S.A.S. troops were ultimately used to form the Belgian Paracommando Regiment, and 349 and 350 Squadrons of the RAF formed the postwar Belgian Air Force.

References

Article sources

*La Chronique des 53.000, Lucien Champion, Bruxelles: Pierre de Meyere, 1973.
*Commonwealth Divisions 1939-1945, Malcolm A. Bellis, U.K.: John Rigby, 1999.
*Foreign Volunteers of the Allied Forces 1939-45, Nigel Thomas, London: Osprey, 1998.
*Forgotten Allies Vol. 1, J. Lee Ready, Jefferson: McFarland and Co., 1985.
*Victory in the West Vol. II, L. F. Ellis, London: HMSO, 1968.
*World Armies, John Keegan, New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1979.

External links

* [http://www.brigade-piron.be/Accueil_en.htm Story of the Piron Brigade]