Family pay tribute to Grangemouth Spitfire squadron pilot 80 years after his tragic death

On January 29, 1943 Henri Jeanne Paul Delabastita was on a training flight from RAF Balado Bridge when his Spitfire, named Gibraltar, crashed at the south end of North Third Reservoir near Bannockburn. He was 37-years-old.

Although serving with Turnhouse 59 Operatonal Training Unit (OTU), he was stationed with Grangemouth 58 OTU Spitfire squadron at the time of his death and his

name is one of the 71 which appear on the memorial wall to fallen Spitfire pilots located near Abbotsinch Road in Grangemouth.

Now, eight decades after his death, members of Henri’s family, along with Belgian and Scottish dignitaries will be attending a ceremony at the crash site on Sunday to see another lasting memorial to the heroic pilot unveiled.

Henri’s tragically short, but remarkable, life saw him shot down and captured by the Germans in 1940 while flying a reconnaissance mission for the Belgian Air Force. Imprisoned in the famously “inescapable” Colditz Castle POW fortress, Henri promptly escaped and began flying again, this time for the RAF.

He was on a training flight on January, 29, 1943 when it is believed his oxygen supply froze and his Spitfire crashed. His body was recovered at the time and he was temporarily interred at Grandsable Cemetery in Polmont before being removed after the war to Brussels.

The wreckage of Gibraltar – which received its name due to the aircraft being paid for through a £5000 donation form the inhabitants of the island – remained submerged in the bog, undisturbed for 57 years until 2000 when the site was excavated and the remnants were removed.

Stirling-based archaeolgist Dr Murray Cook is one of the people who has worked to create the lasting memorial to Henri that will be unveiled on Sunday.

He said: “People have walked past the crash site every day without realising what it is. We just wanted people to think about him and remember him when they see the plaque – it seemed like a nice thing to do.”