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Jan Olieslagers [Belgium]

Name:Jan Olieslagers
Country:Belgium
Rank:Lieutenant
Squadrons:1, 2, 5, 9
Victories:6
Born:4 May 1883
Place of Birth:Antwerp
Died:23 March 1942
Place of Death:Antwerp
Croix de Guerre
Order of Leopold II
Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur
Jan OlieslagersCroix de Guerre
Order of St. Stanislas

Notes
The "Antwerp Devil" was the first man to achieve a speed of 100 km/h on a motorcycle. Olieslagers fascination with racing motorcycles led to a world championship in 1902. As his interest shifted to aircraft, he purchased a plane in 1909 and within four years, he'd set seven world records. When the Germans invaded Belgium, he and his two brothers joined the army and donated their three Blériot XI monoplanes to the war effort. In his first aerial combat, Olieslagers attacked an enemy aircraft armed only with a pistol. Throughout the war, he seldom bothered to claim the enemy aircraft he destroyed. Despite a modest score of six confirmed victories, Olieslagers flew 491 sorties and engaged in 97 dogfights. Returning to Antwerp at the end of the war, Olieslagers was responsible for the development of the Antwerp Airport in 1923.

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