LIVIJNS, Georges Joseph Gustave

Stats:

rank: P/O
status: kia
airforce: RAF    (no: 132421 )
born: 1920-01-15 Anzin France

added by: Adrian Dwyer

At the outbreak of War, Livijns was a pupil at the Flying School of the Aé Mil. After being transferred to France and then (at the fall of France) to Morocco, he escaped to Great Britain; where he arrived on 5 August 1940. Livijns enlisted to the RAFVR on 14 August 1940 and was sent to Training Command: EFTS (2 November 1940), SFTS (15 February 1941), OTU (1 June 1941). After a posting to 234 Sqn (17 July 1941) he went to 350 (BE) Sqn, where he arrived on 18 November 1941. The Squadron diary notes the following:

Official creation of 350 (Belgian) Squadron at Valley. The following pilots are transferred from 131 (County of Kent) Squadron: S/Ldr J. Thompson, H. Gonay (Fl/Co), X. Menu, E. Plas, H. Smets, G. Deltour, A. Plisnier, G. Seydel, J. Ester, L. Harmel, R. De Wever, H. Picard, G. Livijns and J. Depuysseleyr who will leave the Squadron a few days later, joining the Aerial Reconnaissance.

On the 1st June 1942, 350 Sqn performed a "Target Cover" for Hurri-bombers to Bruges. The mission encountered a large formation of FW-190s and, during the melee, Livijns - flying as Blue 4 (MN-T, Spitfire Mk V - BL822) - was shot
down near Ostend. In the Squadron diary he was listed MIA.

01/06/1942 - Circus 176: "Target Cover" with Debden Wing over Bruges, the squadron met 20 Fw-190's (Stab, I and III/JG.26) near Ostend. "Duke" shot down one of these but Livijns and Hansez are reported MIA. Laumans was shot down (probably by Oberst Josef "Pips" Priller, Stab III./JG26) near Ostend and rescued after two days by the Germans. Made POW, he was send to Germany.

Details of his grave have yet to be confirmed here but his sacrifice is commemorated at the Runnymede War Memorial (panel 70).

Known awards
Knight Cross in the Order of Leopold with Palm, Belgian Croix de Guerre with Palm