KICQ, André
Stats:
rank: P/Ostatus: survived
airforce: RAF (no: 142885 )
born: 1923-09-18 Charleroi Belgium
added by: Adrian Dwyer
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Bio / Text:
André Kicq escaped from Belgium on13 March 1942 and arrived in the UK on 10 June 1942. He enlisted in the RAFVR in July and commenced training at the 17 ITW. Then sent to 6 EFTS in September he was held at 2ACDC until January 1943, being sent to Canada for further training. He attended 31EFTS and 34 SFTS. Qualified as pilot, and promoted Sergeant in August 1943, he returned to the UK. After being held at 7 PRC, he joined 5 (P) AFU in February 1944, before being sent to 53 OTU in March.
Kicq joined 350 (Belgian) Squadron in July1944. A report relating to 2 TAF mentions him in the following terms (MG link);
'Close behind 41 and 130 Squadrons came 350 Squadron, this unit's pilots sweeping over Berlin. North-west of the capital city 15 Fw 190s were spotted, and once again some considerable success was achieved. Flt Lt D.R.Howarth, Flg Off M.Doncq, Plt Off D.J.Watkins and Flt Sgt A.Kicq each claimed one Focke-Wulf, Kicq adding a claim for one more probable, although this was down-graded to a damaged. However, Wt Off J.Groensteen failed to return, the unit's second loss of the day. On an earlier patrol one of the flight commanders, Flt Lt K.Smith, had force- landed near Schwerin after his aircraft was hit by Flak, becoming a PoW. Groensteen however, was killed. It appears that the Belgian unit had encountered Focke-Wulfs of IV./JG 3, which had been operating against the Russians since the unit's move to the East. During fighting over the Berlin area, Fw Bruno Neumann of this unit's 14. Staffel was reported to have been shot down by Spitfires, while Fw Reinhold Hoffmann of 15. Staffel claimed one Spitfire shot down as his 11th victory. Three 14. Staffel pilots were also lost, all being reported missing, and one of these was Fw Willi Maximowitz, a recipient of the German Cross in Gold, who had claimed 27 victories, 15 of them four-engined bombers. It seems likely that all three were victims of 350 Squadron. This extremely successful day for 2nd TAF was rounded off that evening when Flg Off P.N. Lee of 264 Squadron with Flg Off R.Thomas as radar operator, pursued and shot down a Ju 88 at rooftop height, 20 miles west of Berlin.'
The Squadron diary noted:
17/04/1945 - A. Kicq destroyed a Fw-190 near Hamburg.
20/04/1945 - A Sweep to Berlin sees the formation of 11 Spitfire's clash with 12 Fw-190. F/Lt D. Haworth, P/O D. Watkins, M. Doncq, and A. Kicq destroyed each one, with Kicq damaging another. R. Muls also damaged a Fw-190. W/O Jacques Groensteen was shot down and MIA. The same day, F/Lt K. Smith is shot down by flak and made POW after crash landing his Spitfire.
02/05/1945 - An Armed Recce. to Schleswig-Holstein sees a formation of 6 Spitfires destroying an Arado 234 on the approach of Hohn Airfield. This victory being shared by F/Lt P. Bangerter, P/O D. Watkins, A. Van Eeckhoudt and A. Kicq. This was also the last aerial kill obtained by 350 Squadron.
Kicq was promoted F/Sgt in February 1945, and was commissioned on 26December. Discharged from RAF in January 1946, he subsequently joined the BelgianAir Force Reserve and also joined SABENA.
(source: courtesy of "Those Other Eagles" by Christopher Shores)
His claims are :
17/04/1945 1 FW-190 South of Hamburg
20/04/1945 1 FW-190 Berlin area
20/04/1945 1 FW-190 Damaged Berlin area
02/05/1945 1/4 Ar-234
Kicq joined 350 (Belgian) Squadron in July1944. A report relating to 2 TAF mentions him in the following terms (MG link);
'Close behind 41 and 130 Squadrons came 350 Squadron, this unit's pilots sweeping over Berlin. North-west of the capital city 15 Fw 190s were spotted, and once again some considerable success was achieved. Flt Lt D.R.Howarth, Flg Off M.Doncq, Plt Off D.J.Watkins and Flt Sgt A.Kicq each claimed one Focke-Wulf, Kicq adding a claim for one more probable, although this was down-graded to a damaged. However, Wt Off J.Groensteen failed to return, the unit's second loss of the day. On an earlier patrol one of the flight commanders, Flt Lt K.Smith, had force- landed near Schwerin after his aircraft was hit by Flak, becoming a PoW. Groensteen however, was killed. It appears that the Belgian unit had encountered Focke-Wulfs of IV./JG 3, which had been operating against the Russians since the unit's move to the East. During fighting over the Berlin area, Fw Bruno Neumann of this unit's 14. Staffel was reported to have been shot down by Spitfires, while Fw Reinhold Hoffmann of 15. Staffel claimed one Spitfire shot down as his 11th victory. Three 14. Staffel pilots were also lost, all being reported missing, and one of these was Fw Willi Maximowitz, a recipient of the German Cross in Gold, who had claimed 27 victories, 15 of them four-engined bombers. It seems likely that all three were victims of 350 Squadron. This extremely successful day for 2nd TAF was rounded off that evening when Flg Off P.N. Lee of 264 Squadron with Flg Off R.Thomas as radar operator, pursued and shot down a Ju 88 at rooftop height, 20 miles west of Berlin.'
The Squadron diary noted:
17/04/1945 - A. Kicq destroyed a Fw-190 near Hamburg.
20/04/1945 - A Sweep to Berlin sees the formation of 11 Spitfire's clash with 12 Fw-190. F/Lt D. Haworth, P/O D. Watkins, M. Doncq, and A. Kicq destroyed each one, with Kicq damaging another. R. Muls also damaged a Fw-190. W/O Jacques Groensteen was shot down and MIA. The same day, F/Lt K. Smith is shot down by flak and made POW after crash landing his Spitfire.
02/05/1945 - An Armed Recce. to Schleswig-Holstein sees a formation of 6 Spitfires destroying an Arado 234 on the approach of Hohn Airfield. This victory being shared by F/Lt P. Bangerter, P/O D. Watkins, A. Van Eeckhoudt and A. Kicq. This was also the last aerial kill obtained by 350 Squadron.
Kicq was promoted F/Sgt in February 1945, and was commissioned on 26December. Discharged from RAF in January 1946, he subsequently joined the BelgianAir Force Reserve and also joined SABENA.
(source: courtesy of "Those Other Eagles" by Christopher Shores)
His claims are :
17/04/1945 1 FW-190 South of Hamburg
20/04/1945 1 FW-190 Berlin area
20/04/1945 1 FW-190 Damaged Berlin area
02/05/1945 1/4 Ar-234
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