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| PERSONALIA |
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| Name: |
Lallemant, Raymond A. |
| Date of birth: | August 23rd, 1917 (Blicquy, Belgium)
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| Date of death: |
January 30th, 2008
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| Nationality: |
Belgian |
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BIOGRAPHY:
Service number 116742.
Raymond Lallemant attended the Aeronautique Militaire Flying School at Wevelgem when Germany invaded in May 1940. The school was evacuated to Ouija, Morocco, and from there he reached England with a group of Belgian and Polish pilots, arrivinvg at Liverpool via Gibraltar on SS Harsion on July 12th.
After training, he was posted as a Sergeant to 609 Squadron in September 1941 and shot down five FW-190's in 1942-43 while flying Typhoons. After a rest and flying as a test pilot, he was commissioned and as an Acting FLight Lieutenant, he joined No, 197 Squadron. He joined No. 198 Squadron soon though after an argument with his Co. He returned to No. 609 Squadron as commanding officer in August 1944, leading the unit in rocket-firing ground-attack work over Normandy. On September 14th, 1944 he was shot down lover Arnhem and badly burned. He spend some time receiving plastic surgery. In March 1945, although not completely recovered, he retuned to operations as commanding officer of No. 349 (Belgian) Squadron which he did until December to undergo more surgery.
After the war he remained in the Belgian Air Force where he worked in several positions until he retired in 1972.
He wrote an autobiography, named "Rendezvous with Fate".
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