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When Jan
Olieslagers died of cancer on 23 March 1942, Belgium was once again occupied by the Germans. Although the Nazis had banned both the playing of the Belgian national anthem and the display of the Belgian flag, as a mark of his nation's regard, Olieslagers' casket was defiantly draped with the
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As if
Olieslagers' poor record of approvals was not sufficient to keep his score low, he also habitually took the fight to the Germans and was indifferent to the paperwork to staking claims. Although he submitted one combat report on 30 March 1916 for a witnessed triumph behind enemy lines, which
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Olieslagers was not demobilized until 23 September 1919. He returned home, and opened a garage. On 1 April 1921, he was pensioned off as a reserve
Lieutenant. He had not ceased working for his nation; in 1923, he was largely responsible for the opening of the new
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http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=%22jan+olieslagers%22&FORM=IGRE&qpvt=%22jan+olieslagers%22#focal=0ce990ad3114bd4693a4fcf738fd3a7d&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baha.be%2Fimages%2FMilpics%2FWW1_%26_precursers%2Fcamel_sc7_vdm_box02_olieslagers.jpg
345:, the machine gun inventor, in London on many occasions. He tended to busy himself around his home aerodrome and the airplanes assigned to him. He habitually broke in rookie pilots, cushioning their entry into the deadly art of aerial warfare.
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Olieslagers was an excellent pilot; he had his brother Jules for a talented mechanic. The combination usually meant a reliable airplane under the ace, but on 9 November 1918, engine problems brought Jan
Olieslagers down in a field near
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On 5 January 1915, he crashlanded, injuring his left arm and leg, as well as his chest. On 12 September, he became the first
Belgian pilot, as well as one of the first pilots overall, to claim an aerial victory, when he forced down an
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during World War I despite his indifference in claiming victories; he was credited with six confirmed victories, seventeen unconfirmed, and an unknown number unclaimed. He later was instrumental in developing
Antwerp's airport.
483:
Cony, Christophe & Duwelz, Yves (November 2000). "Les as belges de 14/18: Jan
Olieslagers, le démon anversois" [Belgian Aces of the Great War: Jan Olieslagers, the Antwerp Demon].
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No. 5 in
October. In 1910, he won the Meeting d'Aviation de Rheims. By 1913, he had set seven world aviation records. In June 1914, he proved himself as good an aerobaticist as
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He returned to flight duty in
January 1918, but would not score again until 3 May. On that day, he had one of two claims confirmed. On the 19th, he would set an
249:, when the Germans invaded his native Belgium, the German government tried to enlist Olieslagers in aerial observation duties. He volunteered himself and his
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speed record holder; he was the first to go 100 kilometers (62 mi) per hour, and was 1902 World
Champion. In 1909, he purchased a
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went unverified for lack of an officer's confirmation, he usually did not bother with claims for wins behind the German lines.
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Olieslagers seems to have begun 1917 with a newer Nieuport, but with two more unconfirmed victories in his newly acquired
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Cony, Christophe & Duwelz, Yves (December 2000). "Les as belges de 14/18: Jan Olieslagers, le démon anversois".
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was a Belgian motorcycle and aviation pioneer who set world records with both types of machinery. He became a
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299:, Belgium. Seven more unconfirmed claims for aerial victories while flying the Nieuport 11 closed out 1917.
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Above Flanders Fields: A Complete Record of the Belgian Fighter Pilots and Their Units During the Great War
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Above Flanders Fields: A Complete Record of the Belgian Fighter Pilots and Their Units During the Great War
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Above Flanders Fields: A Complete Record of the Belgian Fighter Pilots and Their Units During the Great War
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Above Flanders Fields: A Complete Record of the Belgian Fighter Pilots and Their Units During the Great War
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airplane to his nation's military, as did his two brothers, Jules and Max. Jan Olieslagers was promoted to
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https://web.archive.org/web/20110622013006/http://home.wanadoo.nl/jusnl/lauwers/olieslagers01.jpg
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He then had a string of four unconfirmed claims before he traded his Nieuport 10 for a
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flag he had served so well, while the Belgian National Hymn was played in his honor.
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for his last official victory, although he would have one more unverified win.
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aerodrome. He was taken to hospital in a coma, but aroused a few days later.
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http://users.skynet.be/mda.hdv/vtb_memorial/olieslagers/images/olie03w.jpg
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291:. He scored his second confirmed victory on 17 June 1916, destroying a
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Jan Olieslagers seldom took leave, although he did visit Colonel
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http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/belgium/olieslagers.php
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shows photos of Olieslager and some of his airplanes
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544:http://www.bevemo.nl/fotos/minerva/oliesla.jpg
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556:http://firstworldwar.com/bio/olieslagers.htm
540:portrays Olieslagers and his Bleriot in 1910
502:Avions: Toute l'AĂ©ronautique et Son Histoire
485:Avions: Toute l'AĂ©ronautique et Son Histoire
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221:turned in his bicycle to become an early
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267:Aerial victory standards of World War I
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385:List of World War I aces from Belgium
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638:Motorcycle land speed record people
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618:Military personnel from Antwerp
613:Belgian aviation record holders
608:Belgian World War I flying aces
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628:Belgian Air Component officers
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623:Deaths from cancer in Belgium
520:. London: Grub Street, 1998.
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552:lists his official victories
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468:Retrieved on 7 October 2020
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213:Pre-World War I activities
633:Belgian motorcycle racers
598:Sportspeople from Antwerp
504:(in French) (93): 36–40.
188:Developed Antwerp airport
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153:9ème Escadrille de Chasse
149:1ère Escadrille de Chasse
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487:(in French) (92): 8–15.
145:5me Escadrille de Chasse
141:2me Escadrille de Chasse
179:Order of Saint Stanilas
466:The Aerodrome website
431:. p. 72–73.
349:Aerial career summary
229:monoplane, receiving
121:Years of service
115:Belgian Air Component
333:Professional conduct
245:At the beginning of
209:is named after him.
32:Jan Olieslagers 1909
516:Pieters, Walter M.
163:Order of Leopold II
570:2012-10-23 at the
343:Isaac Newton Lewis
261:Aerial activities
207:Minor planet 9684
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196:Jan Olieslagers
185:Other work
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167:Croix de Guerre
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74:(1942-03-23)
593:1942 deaths
588:1883 births
293:Fokker D.II
289:Nieuport 11
278:Nieuport 10
274:Aviatik C.I
247:World War I
241:World War I
217:Lieutenant
194:Lieutenant
124:1914 - 1919
38:Nickname(s)
582:Categories
477:References
316:Les Moeres
265:See also:
251:Blériot XI
223:motorcycle
200:flying ace
177:, Russian
132:Lieutenant
83:Allegiance
56:4 May 1883
52:1883-05-04
510:1243-8650
493:1243-8650
297:Pijpegale
169:, French
568:Archived
391:Endnotes
379:See also
282:le Demon
255:Sergeant
101:Service/
280:dubbed
227:Blériot
95:Belgium
63:Belgium
59:Antwerp
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327:Woumen
308:Schore
159:Awards
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103:branch
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312:Keiem
295:over
563:and
522:ISBN
506:ISSN
489:ISSN
173:and
137:Unit
129:Rank
69:Died
46:Born
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
