General Viscount de Walckiers was born in 1902. In 1920, he enlisted as a volunteer at the Cadet School and became an officer in the cavalry in 1924.
Picture taken in 1902 and at Beverloo in 1922 on his horse Mouche.
As a staff officer in a cavalry division, he took part in the 18-day campaign of May 1940.
After the capitulation, he escaped from captivity to join the Resistance.
In 1941, he travelled across France, Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar to Great Britain to join the Belgian troops there.
He was the founder and first commander of the 1st Belgian Armoured Car Squadron until February 1943. This would later be incorporated into the Brigade Piron.
He then joined the Ministry of Defence, intelligence section. This section gathered information from the resistance movements in Belgium and passed it on to the Allies.
From January 1945, he was commander of the B Squadron of the Belgian Armoured Car Regiment.
After the Second World War, he continued his military career, retiring as a major general in January 1962.
The last Viscount de Walckiers died in Brussels on 13 October 1985.
Uniform with his grand officer Order of Leopold II, 06/04/1962, commander Order of Leopold, 14/11/1958 and commander Order of the Crown, 15/11/1953
The medalbars of General Viscount de Walckiers:
First row:
Cross of the Escaped 1940-1945
Medal of the Resistance 1945
Commemorative medal 1940-1945 with crossed sabres, lightning bolts (Resistance) and bronze lion. The citation for the bronze lion is as follows: "The dedication he showed after joining the Belgian Forces in Great Britain, braving multiple dangers".
Medal of Volunteer Fighter 1940-1945
Cross for Fighters 1940-1945
Reigning Medal of King Albert I
Military Cross 1st Class
Second row:
Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire
Citation WO 373/153, 24 may 1950:
This Belgian officer escaped from te P.O.W. camp at Donck (Belgiumà on 15th June, 1940 and became an active member of the Belgian Resistance Movement. In May 1941, he succeeded in escaping from enemy occupied Belgium and made his way via France, Spain and Portugal to England where in june 1941 het formed the 1st Belgian Armoured Car Squadron and commanded this unit until the end of February 1943. He was then appointed Head of the Bureau of Military Information of the Belgian Army in London where he worked in close liaison with the other Allied Information Services until September 1944. On his return to Belgium in September 1944 he was placed in charge of the Department of the General Staff dealing with the putting into effect of the Belgian Liberation Manpower programme. In this capacity he was responsible for the enlistment, administration and organisation of about 80.000 Belgians. The speed with which the units were able to take the field was of the greatest possible assistance to the Allied cause during the war and was in great measure due to the energy, zeal and determination of this officer.
1939-1945 Star UK
France and Germany Star UK
Defence Medal UK
Knight of the Order of the Sword Sweden, 17/03/1938 (State Visit king Gustav V in February 1937)
Médaille de la France Libérée
Bronze Star US
Citation 15 september 1945, HQ U.S. Forces, European theater:
Major de Walckiers, as Staff Officer in the 1st Direction of the Belgian Army Inspectorate General, rendered valuable assistance in connection with the formulation of plans and policy for the equipping of Belgian liberated manpower. Trough the tireless efforts of major de Walckiers, plans of uniforms and maintenance of all Belgian units where produced. Due his high professional ability, determination and willing cooperation, he was intrumental in the preparation of Belgian units for the Allied Forces, thus contributing materially to the success of Allied military operations.
Laken, 1984.
The de Walckiers family is an old Belgian noble family, dating back to 1786 when they were granted the title of viscount by Emperor Joseph II. In 1902, the title was recognised in the Belgian hereditary nobility. His great-grandfather took part in the Brabant Revolution, his grandfather in the revolution of 1830, and his father was an honorary lieutenant colonel in the cavalry. With the death of the general's daughter, the de Walckiers family came to an end after more than 200 years.