Van Lierde entered the
Aviation Militaire Belge ("Belgian Military Aviation", the predecessor of the Belgian Air Force) on 16 September 1935. He first trained as an observer, but began pilot training on 1 May 1937, qualifying in April 1938. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 1st Aviation Regiment. He was shot down by
flak on 16 May 1940, was wounded and captured. Van Lierde was staying in hospital during two weeks and could not take part in the further fighting because on 28 May Belgium surrendered. In September 1940, after recovering from his injuries, Van Lierde left Belgium, crossed occupied France, and entered neutral Spain. He was arrested for illegally crossing the border, and was confined in various Spanish prisons, including the notorious concentration camp at
Miranda de Ebro. Nevertheless, he eventually escaped, and reached England on 22 July 1941.
Career in the Royal Air Force After the standard interrogation by MI5 at the
London Reception Centre, Van Lierde joined the
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on 5 September 1941. He spent three months at No. 57
Operational Training Unit at
RAF Hawarden, before being assigned to
No. 609 Squadron on 6 January 1942 with the rank of
pilot officer. This squadron, which had been organized before the war and took part in the
Battle of Britain, was entirely staffed by foreign pilots, many Belgians being among them. On 2 June 1942 Van Lierde damaged a
Dornier Do 217 bomber over
Skegness while flying a
Spitfire Mk.Vb. He was promoted to
flying officer in 1942. Van Lierde claimed his first victory while flying a
Typhoon Ib on 20 January 1943 when he shot down a
Bf 109-G fighter during a raid on the south coast. On 26 March he shot down a
Junkers Ju 52 transport aircraft while en route to an attack on the German air base at
Chièvres. This was witnessed by local inhabitants, including Van Lierde's wife, who surprised her husband after the war by showing him pieces of wreckage from the aircraft at the bottom of his garden. On 14 May 1943 he was the first person to drop bombs from a Typhoon, and shot down a
He 111 bomber on his return journey. He downed another Bf 109 on 30 July, and on 5 October he shot down a
Junkers Ju 88 heavy fighter and destroyed another aircraft on the ground. His last victory, a
Messerschmitt Bf 110 bomber was claimed on 30 November, bringing his score to 6 kills and 1 destroyed on the ground. By the end of 1943 he was the seventh highest scoring Belgian flying ace of the war. Van Lierde was promoted to
flight lieutenant in September 1943 and, on 22 December, was posted to the Central Gunnery School at
RAF Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire, returning to
RAF Manston on 7 February 1944. On 27 April, he was posted to
No. 3 Squadron, flying the
Tempest Mk.V, before taking command of
No. 164 Squadron on 20 August with the rank of
squadron leader, tasked with combating the
V-1 offensive. He was credited with shooting down or destroying 44 flying bombs solo, with another 9 shared, making him the second highest-scoring "doodlebug" killer. Van Lierde then led his squadron into Europe during the
western campaign. From May 1945 Van Lierde served in 84 Group Support Unit, and as a Belgian Liaison Officer at
Second Tactical Air Force Headquarters. ==Post-war service==