Eric Vicomte de Spoelberch

Éric Antoine Ghislain Joseph,[1] Viscount de Spoelberch (15 February 1903 – 17 January 1939) was a Belgian pilot. He was born in Brussels and died in Nivelles.

Family

He was son of Guillaume de Spoelberch (1874–1947) and Colienne de Neufforge (1882–1929).[2] He married Katharine Kelso Stewart 28 April 1932, in Haverford; Katherine's mother was Elsie Foster Cassatt (1875–1931), a sportswoman from a prominent Pennsylvania family, niece of artist Mary Cassatt and great-niece of president James Buchanan. The couple had two sons, Guillaume and Jacques de Spoelberch.

Career

As a lieutenant in the Aéronautique Militaire he was one of two Belgian pilots sent to Britain to evaluate the Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire.[3] In the following January he was killed in an air accident while flight-testing a plane.[4]

As a bobsledder he competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen; he finished eighth both in the two-man and four-man events.

honours
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References
  1. "Gedenkplaat Ltn Vl de Spoelberch – Hangar Flying". www.luchtvaarterfgoed.be.
  2. "Guillaume de Spoelberch – dumontdechassart – Geneanet". geneanet.org.
  3. Belgian Wings.be "In the summer of 1938 two Aéronautique Militaire Belge pilots (Capt. Pierre Arend and Lt. Vicomte Eric de Spoelberch) were sent on a mission to the United Kingdom to evaluate in flight the two best British fighter aircraft; the Hawker Hurricane I and the Supermarine Spitfire I."
  4. Belgian Chamber of Representatives • Session of 19 May 1939 "... a été causée par le malheureux accident dont a, été victime, le 17 février, le regretté pilote Eric de Spoelberch; il n'était pas démontré que cet accident ait été dû à un défaut de construction de l'appareil. J'aurais voulu pouvoir lire à la Chambre des extraits d'un rapport d'experts, dont le ... experts désignés par le juge d'instruction de Nivelles, — et qui-concluaient d'instruction de Nivelles, — et qui-concluaient... "
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