CONCISE HISTORY OF THE WING
The
10th Tactical Wing, better known under its initials 10 W TAC or even
Kee-Bee (for Kleine-Brogel Air Base), was born on November 29th, 1951
when the then Chief of Staff of the Air Force decided to form 3
squadrons using resources from the 7th Wing at Chièveres A.B., namely the
23rd, 27th & 31st, in order to form the 10th Fighter-Bomber Wing with
an airbase in Germany as final destination.
The
first aircraft which the Wing was equipped with was the old glorious Spitfire
XIV, the symbol of the winning allied air
potential. This machine stayed in the Wing until the middle of
1952, after which there followed a period of little air activity.
There was a long wait until the arrival of its successor, the F-84G “Thunderjet”.
Shortly
hereafter the 31st Squadron, whose personnel was detached to the 23rd
and the 27th squadron, got a special mission: “Instrument Flight
Training”. For that purpose it was equipped with the Lockheed
T-33 two-seater. Airborne for the first time on September 1953, the tiger squadron received
almost simultaneously the F-84G so
that it had two missions to fulfil.
From
then the 3 squadrons had a real nomadic life. March 20th 1953 was
the date of the transfer from Chièveres to Kleine-Brogel. Yet due
to works on the runway the squadrons were obliged to move instantly to
Geilenkirchen (Germany), Bruggen (Ger.), Sylt (Ger.), Bierset (B) and
Weelde (B).
June
1956 is a big milestone in the history of Kleine-Brogel due to the
arrival of the new Republic F84-F “Thunderstreak”.
No
matter how
great the merits of the F-84F were, progress marches on, and so the Streak had to make way for the F-104G “Starfighter”
in 1964. The first one arrived at Kee-Bee on April 6th 1964.
The last flight with this type of aircraft took place on September 26th
1983.
The
10th Wing got its first F-16A "Fighting Falcon", the type of aircraft
it is still operating, on November 30th 1981. Currently the last
F-16’s are undergoing a further update.
Upon
disbandment of the 1st Fighter Wing on March 4th 1996, the 349th
Fighter Squadron and the Operational Conversion Unit joined the 10th
Wing.
The arrival in 1962 of USAF custodial unit "Detachment 0600" made clear that the 10th Wing has a nuclear job to do in case of war. Currently the 701st Munitions Support Squadron is attached to the Wing. Unconfirmed reports speak of 40 nukes of the B61 type.
Major-General Count Ivan Du Monceau de Bergendal, DFC+bar
Gen.
Du Monceau was the most successful Belgian pilot in the RAF during World
War II with 8 confirmed kills, 3 probable and 6 damaged enemy aircraft.
In
1941 & ’42 he flew Spitfires with 253rd (Hyderabad State), 609th
(West Riding) and 350th (Belgian) Squadron and in 1943 & ’44 he
was Commanding Officer of 349th (Belgian) Squadron.
He
was decorated with: Distinguished
Flying Cross with Bar, Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 with 7 Palm, Fouragère
1940, Knight in the Order of the Crown, Officer in the Order of Leopold
with Palm, Croix des Evadés, Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, French
Croix de Guerre 1940 with Palm, 1939-1945 Star, Air Crew Europe Star
with one Silver Rose, Defense Medal, Médaille de la France Libérée.
May
30th, 1952 he became the first Commanding Officer of the 10th
Fighter-Bomber Wing at Kleine-Brogel. He later retired as the Commanding
Officer of the Tactical Air Force.
