King Albert of Belgium decorates Willy Coppens, Belgium's Ace of Aces. Coppens describes this June 30, 1918 ceremony, in which he was awarded the Ordre de la Couronne in his memoir Flying in Flanders.
Caption: Le Roi décore l'As Belge Coppens. - Le Roi le félicite. (The King [Albert] decorates the Belgian Ace Coppens. The King congratulates him.)Reverse:Carte PostaleService photographique de l'armée Belge.Phot. Belge, r. Ma Campagne, 30, BruxLogo PhoB
"That night I got everything ready: a service cap, in case I should be taken prisoner; a box of fusee-matches given to me by Olieslagers to set fire to my machine with; my automatic pistol; and a little map, measuring 8 inches by 3 inches. . . . And the following morning, February 18, 1918, under a blue cloudless sky—at 8:35, on one of the finest winter's mornings one could wish to have—I left the ground with my petrol tanks filled to the brim; with fuel, in other words, for three hours' flight.My intention was to fly over Brussels."
Belgian aviator Willy Coppens' preparations on February 17, 1918 for his flight over Brussels, capital of Belgium and Coppens' home town, occupied by German troops since August 20, 1914. Coppens flew low over the city, above the royal palace and low enough over his house to recognize his parents, low enough to not draw any fire during his flight. The pilot credits the flight with leaving him fearless, helping to explain his 37 victories, 35 of them against heavily defended observation balloons. Lieutenant Jan Olieslagers was a Belgian ace who ended the war with six victories.
Flying in Flanders by Willy Coppens, page 132, publisher: Ace Books, publication date: 1971
1918-02-17, 1918, February, Brussels, Belgium, Coppens flight over Brussels, flight over Brussels
