Rob T.
20 November 2000, 03:59 PM
I just came back from a whirlwind tour of Flanders. My guide was Bernard Deneckere, a local history teacher who recently completed a fine book about the German Air Service in Flanders during WW1. "Luchtoorlog Boven West-Vlanderen 1914-1918" is written in Dutch but is loaded with incredible details and photography (most of which I have not seen before). Deneckere offers a year by year accounting of the growth of the German Air Service including: Jastas, Schlastas, Flieger Abteilungen, Bostas, Schustas and Marine units. Details include illustrations showing some 25 airfield locations in Flanders, numerous war time aerials of airfields. Deneckere links units with airfields providing numerous actions of units from German archives. His book was particularly helpful to me as he had located a lot of new information regarding my grandfather's unit; FA(A) 213. My tour with Bernard included the fields of: Marke, Bisseghem, Menin, Izeghem, Inglemunster, Rumbeke, Beveren, Gistel, Heule and Mariakerke. His book contains a number of photos of the fields today showing what little remains, mostly the bunkers built for air raid protection. Inglemunster still has its pilot's "Starthaus". Don't let the Dutch language stop you. All of the factual details are easy to follow. It is a great resource for serious students. Please contact Bernard by email at: bdeneckere@hotmail.com I believe the price is about $44. US including shipping.