Ursel Air Base

Ursel Air Base is a joint public/military airport located 10.2 km southwest of Eeklo near Ursel, East Flanders, Belgium.The airfield was established in the summer 1939 for the Belgian Air Force. The 14th Company Aviation-Auxiliary laid down a grass landing strip 2,950 feet long. On 11 May 1940, Belgian Air Force moved here Fairey Foxes and Renard R16s for attacking the German invaders. Five days later the airfield was bombed the first time by Germans, that occupied the badly damaged base on 27 May. After the Battle of Belgium was over, it was taken over by the Luftwaffe and used as an airfield during the occupation period. In July 1940, the runway was re-laid in concrete and hangars and operational buildings restored. In autumn 1940, Germans assigned the airfield to the Corpo Aereo Italiano, the air corps sent by Regia Aeronautica for operations against Britain. Ursel was the base of 18° Gruppo, equipped with 50 Fiat CR.42 fighters, that arrived on 19 October. Italian occupation created a diplomatic break between Italy and the Belgian government in exile which led to a Belgian offensive against Italian East Africa.

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