Gloster (A.W.) Meteor NF.11
Twin engine radar equipped night-fighter
In July 1949 Belgium committed itself towards its allies to create, before the end of 1951, three night-fighter squadrons with 8 aircraft each. On May 25th, 1948 a flight equipped with De Havilland Mosquito NF30 was formed at Beauvechain, which became 10 Night-Fighter Squadron (squadron code ND). On July 1st, 1951 a second squadron was formed, 11 Night-Fighter Squadron (squadron code KT). The remaining Mosquito NF30s were split over the two squadrons until the arrival of a first batch of 12 Armstrong-Whitworth Meteor NF11 night-fighters (EN1-EN12). In the summer of 1952 the first Meteors were delivered at Beauvechain. Initially the aircraft were used by No 10 Squadron and wore the ND-code. However shortly afterwards all the Meteors were allocated to No 11 Squadron and the surviving Mosquitos were regrouped with No 10 Squadron. In 1953 the Mosquitos were grounded and the 10 Squadron-pilots flew with the 11 Squadron aircraft. In 1956 the Meteor NF11-fleet was boosted with the purchase of 12 secondhand Royal Air Force-aircraft (EN13-EN24), in order to bring both squadrons back to an operational level.
This second batch of aircraft was not completely identical to the first batch, which caused several technical problems and also caused a few accidents. In the meanwhile the search was on for a successor for the Meteor, which was considered an interim solution, and the aircraft chosen was the Avro CF100 Canuck Mk.5. This decision also was the end for the dedicated night-fighter squadrons in the Belgian Air Force, as the new aircraft was "all-weather" capable. In 1958 10 Squadron was deactivated and 11 Squadron, together with 349 and 350 Squadron, was equipped with the Canuck. Ten aircraft were sold to COGEA to be transformed for a target-towing role on behalf of the Belgian Ministry of Defence, but these plans were never put in place and after many years in storage at the airfield of Oostende-Raversijde they were scrapped.
EN-01
WD726 (RAF), EN-1/ND-L, /KT-l, Crashed at Acht (Nl.) on 26 Aug 1955
EN-02
WD775 (RAF), EN-2/KT-E, OO-ARR (Cogea Nouvelle) Oostende, scrapped
EN-03
WD777 (RAF), EN-3/KT-G, Crashed at Roux-Miroir on 1 Dec 1953
EN-04
D728 (RAF), EN-4/KT-N, crashed at Døstrup, Syddanmark, (DK) on 12 Jul 1954
EN-05
WD729 (RAF), EN-5/KT-S, OO-ARW (Cogea Nouvelle) Oostende, scrapped
EN-06
WD730 (RAF), EN-6/KT-W, OO-ARS (Cogea Nouvelle) Oostende, scrapped
EN-07
WD727 (RAF), EN-7/ND-X, /KT-X, crashed at Wevelgem on 27 Apr 1953
EN-08
WD731 (RAF), EN-8/KT-Y, Crashed at Beauvechain on 12 Apr 1956 due to engine problems
EN-09
WD732 (RAF), EN-9/KT-Z, lost in a fatal crash caused by the loss of the cockpit canopy at La Houssière/Braine-le-Compte on 25 Nov 1954
EN-10
WD733 (RAF), EN-10 KT-U, ND-U, Written off in accident at Beauvechain on 01 Aug 1957 due to landing gear problems.
EN-11
WD735 (RAF), EN-11/KT-T, OO-ARX (Cogea Nouvelle) Oostende, scrapped
EN-12
WD736 (RAF), EN-12 KT-R, OO-ARY (Cogea Nouvelle) Oostende, scrapped
EN-13
WD602 (RAF), EN-13/ND-1, scrapped
EN-14
WD724 (RAF), EN-14/ND-B, crashed at Sart-les-Spa on 5 Dec 1956
EN-15
WD622 (RAF), EN-15/ND-C, crashed at Mont-Saint-Guibert on 13 Mar 1956 after doubble flame-out at night due to water contamination in fuel. (See also EN-22)
EN-16
WD594 (RAF), EN-16/ND-D, OO-ARQ (Cogea Nouvelle) Oostende, scrapped
EN-17
WD760 (RAF), EN-17 ND-B, written off on 24 Dec 1956 in a mid-air collission with EN-24 near Beauvechain
EN-18
WD661 (RAF), EN-18 ND-F, Stored at Oostende, OO-ARO (Cogea Nouvelle) Oostende, scrapped
EN-19
WD590 (RAF), EN-19 ND-G, OO-ARZ (Gogea Nouvella), Oostende. Nose cone serving as chicken-shack at Elewijt (2014)
EN-20
WD741 (RAF), EN-20/ND-H, OO-GEV (M. Leemans - Vilvoorde), stored at Oostende, scrapped
EN-21
WD741 (RAF), EN-21/ND-J, OO-ARP (Cogea Nouvelle) Oostende, scrapped
EN-22
WD763 (RAF), EN-22/ND-K, crashed at Rummen/Geetbets on 13 Mar 1956 after doubble flame-out at night due to water contamination in fuel. (See also EN-15)
EN-23
WM221 (RAF), EN-23 ND-L, OO-GEZ (M. Leemans, Vilvoorde), scrapped 1960
EN-24
WM263 (RAF), EN-24/ND-M, written off in a mid-air collision near Beauvechain with EN-17 on 12 Dec 1956.
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