ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 311179
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| Date: | Saturday 9 August 1941 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb |
| Owner/operator: | 609 (West Riding) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | W3254 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Renty, Pas de Calais -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Aerial patrol |
| Departure airport: | RAF Gravesend, Kent |
| RAF Gravesend |
Pilot Officer Alexander Nitelet - a Belgian with the service number 87699 - had taken off from RAF Gravesend in Kent, England as part of CIRCUS 68, at 18.20 to rendezvous over RAF Biggin Hill with other aircraft on the operation.
CIRCUS operations were large-scale offensive fighter operation designed to lure enemy fighters into combat. To do this, these sorties used a small bomber force as bait to hook the Luftwaffe aircraft.
During the flight to France, he became separated from his squadron in cloud, but to managed attach himself to another formation.
Over the Pas de Calais region in the formation met heavy opposition.
According to his combat report, Pilot Officer Nitelet found himself in the midst of six Messerschmitt bf 109f aircraft and during the subsequent combat claimed the destruction of one of these.
Both he and his claim came down in farmland near Renty. The Luftwaffe pilot was later found dead in the remains of his aircraft.
Nitelet’s Spitfire had had performance issues since taking off and having been damaged in the combat, the pilot decided to crash land.
As he touched down, the port wing was torn off and the Spitfire flipped over. Luckily, when it came to a halt it did not catch fire.
Nitelet managed to extract himself from the wreckage, with the help of French farmhands who told also told him that a Luftwaffe aircraft had crashed seconds before he came down in a nearby field; presumably the aircraft he had shot at.
Nitelet sustained ’severe head bruises’ resulting in ‘acute headaches for some time afterwards’. He also had what would prove later to be serious eye injuries. (Source 1.)
Between 9 August and 20 October Pilot Officer Nitelet was hidden in the area, while being assisted and sheltered by sympathisers.
On 20 October he was sent to another safe house in Burbure (also in the Pas de Calais region) to await a party of fellow escapers being moved onwards by the an escape group.
Remarkably, he managed to fit in a visit to mother in Brussels before returning to Burbure on 29 October in time to leave on the escape route with a number of others.
They arrived in Marseille on 2 November. However the did not leave by sea but was taken across the Pyrenees to Spain.
He eventually arrived at the British Consulate in Barcelona, before leaving for the UK via Gibraltar on 25 December 1941. (See Source 2.)
It is probable that the original Casualty Pack (AIR 81/8179) has more details.
Nitelet survived the war to became a Colonel in the Belgian Air Force. He retired in 1969 and died on 6 January 1981. (Source 3).
More about Alex can be found at the link shown at Source 4 below.
Sources:
1. Air 50 171/49 - available to download from the UK National Archives at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7449327.
2. WO 208 3307/43 - available to download from the UK National Archives at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7319283.
3. https://www.hangarflying.eu/erfgoedsites/graf-van-colonel-aviateur-alex-nitelet/
4. https://www.conscript-heroes.com/Art07-Alex-Nitelet-960.html
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 20-Apr-2023 00:15 | Richard | Added |
| 30-Apr-2023 07:00 | Richard | Updated |
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