Jean de Selys Longchamps

Baron Jean de Selys Longchamps, DFC was born into Belgian nobility, historically residing in Longchamps Castle (now a gîte) in Borgworm near Liège. He inherited the title of baron from his father, Baron . He dropped out of the Catholic University of Leuven and then started his professional career as a bank clerk. == Early military career ==

At the outbreak of the war, Selys Longchamps was drafted into the Belgian Army, in which he was commissioned as a cavalry officer with the 1er Régiment des Guides. He managed to escape with the British forces from Dunkirk, only to return to France shortly after and be faced with France's capitulation. He tried to join the allies again by way of Morocco, where he was arrested by the Vichy French authorities and sent into internment in Marseille. He escaped and travelling via Francoist Spain, was able to reach Britain, where he – after purporting to be younger than his age of 28 – was accepted for flight training with the RAF. He was posted to No. 609 Squadron RAF, and flying Hawker Typhoons quickly made a name as an able and aggressive pilot. == Attack on the Gestapo headquarters in Brussels ==

Immediately upon the fall of Belgium on May 10, 1940, the Gestapo commandeered Résidence Belvédère, a luxurious Art Deco apartment building located at 453 Avenue Louise in Brussels as its headquarters, and tortured prisoners in its cellars. He was soon after awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions. Some resistance sources claimed a death toll as high as thirty, while the Nazis admitted four fatalities and five serious injuries. ==Death==

On August 16, 1943, Selys Longchamps was killed while attempting to land at RAF Manston, his landing gear having been damaged by German Flak during a mission over Ostend. ==Honours and awards==

• Knight of the order of Leopold (posthumous) • War cross WWII with palm • Distinguished flying cross (United Kingdom) ==Family==

Jean's brother, , was the father of Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, the former mistress of King Albert II, with whom she had a daughter, Princess Delphine (who since October 2020 can legally bear the title of "Her Royal Highness"). Her legal name though is now Delphine Saxe-Coburg. ==See also==