Flight Lieutenant Jean Henri Marie 'Peike' 'Pyker' Offenberg DFC, Belgian no. 42184, RAF no. 82517
Biplane fighter ace
Jean Offenberg was born at Laeken, Brussels in Belgium on 3 July 1916. He joined the Aeronautique Militaire and was a pupil pilot in the 77e Promotion of the Aviation Militaire Belge. He graduated on 1 March 1938, trained as a fighter pilot, and was posted to 4/II/2 at Nivelles in March 1939, equipped with Fairey Firefly biplanes; early in 1940 the unit received Italian-built Fiat CR.42s.
In the early morning on 10 May the IIème Group was ordered to evacuated from Nivelles to Landing Field No 22 at Brustem. At 06:05 five Fiat CR.42s took off from Brustem to provide cover for the airfield. The second patrol (Sous-Lieutenant Offenberg, 1er Sergent Jean Maes and 1er Sergent Alexis Jottard) attacked Dornier Do17s and a Bf109. Offenberg claimed one destroyed Do17, and fired on one other aircraft, which dived away. One of the aircraft he shot at was a Dornier Do17 of II/KG77, which was damaged east of Waremme at 06.30 (there are some confusion regarding Offenberg's claims and some sources only credits him with a damaged Do17). Jean Maes damaged a Dornier Do17 of II/KG77, near St Trond at 06.30. This claim is not confirmed.
After a few days, the remains of his unit withdrew to Chartres in France. From here he and Sergeant Alexis Jottard flew two Caudron Simouns to Montpelier on 19 June, and then on to Algeria, via Corsica, next day, where they joined the Belgian flying school which had been set up at Oujda. Finding morale low here, they attempted unsuccessfully to obtain an aircraft to fly to Gibraltar, so took a train to Casablanca, where they met a group of Poles and other Belgians, getting away by the cargo-ship Djebel Druse to Gibraltar. They sail to England on the ship Har Sion in July, reaching Liverpool on 16th.
Offenberg was commissioned in the RAF on 30 July and went to 6 OUT at Sutton Bridge on the same day. Here he converted to Hurricanes and on 17 August he joined 145 Squadron at Westhampnett together with Jottard. With the RAF his nickname 'Peike' became degraded to 'Pyker'.
On 1 November he shot down Oberleutnant Hermann Reiff-Erscheidt, Staffelkapitän 1./JG2, who belly-landed his Bf109E4 (5159) 'White 9' intact near Mapson's Farm, Sidlesham, Sussex, at 16.15. Reiff-Erscheidt was captured unhurt.
At 08.30 on 9 November Flight Lieutenant Bungey and Offenberg intercepted a Ju88 near the Isle of Wight. This was probably a machine from I/KG51, which was attacked and claimed damaged jointly by the two pilots. The Ju88 made a crash-landing on returning to Villaroche.
He was appointed 'B' Flight commander in May 1941, and in June, became the first Belgian to receive a DFC.
On 17 June he was posted to 609 Squadron together with Baudouine de Hemptinne where a (unofficial) Belgian flight was forming.
During "Circus 18" on 22 June he claimed a damaged Bf109E east off Gravelines.
On 7 July he took part in "Circus 37" which was an attack on the Potez repair works near Albert. The raid was uneventful and on the return near the French coast he saw a ship convoy with a couple of escorting Messerschmitts, low down. Whether these only were decoys is not certain but as Offenberg's section turned in on them more Messerschmitts came down on them off Le Touquet. Sergeant Evans was attacked by two Bf109s; the first one zoomed past and down, but the second one hit the Spitfire with a burst of cannon, setting the Spitfire's engine on fire. Meantime, Offenberg went after the first Bf109, following it down in a steep dive until he had to pull up to avoid the water. The German pilot appeared to misjudge his dive, for as Offenberg looked down, he saw a large splash right among the ships. Evans was forced to leave his burning Spitfire and came down in the Channel from where he was later rescued by a British rescue launch with splinters in his right leg.
In 21 July 1941 he was decorated with the Belgian Croix de Guerre by the Belgian Minister of Defence in the Belgian National Government in London, M. Camille Gutt, at Wellington Barracks.
In the end of July he took command over 'B' Flight when John Bisdee became tour expired and on 30 July he was promoted to Flying Officer.
Whilst on a training flight with a new pilot on 22 January 1942, he was subjected to a mock attack by a pilot of 92 Squadron. The latter's aircraft collided with Offenberg's Spitfire, cutting off the tail, and it crashed vertically into the ground, killing him.
His diary was later edited into a book, Lonely Warrior, by Victor Houart (Souvenir Press, 1956).
Offenberg had claimed 1 biplane victory and a total of 5 and 2 shared victories at the time of his death.
Claims:
Kill no.
Date
Number
Type
Result
Plane type
Serial no.
Locality
Unit
1940
10/05/40
1
Do17 (a)
Damaged
Fiat CR.42
near St Trond, Belgium
4/II/2 Aé
1
10/05/40
1
Do17 (b)
Destroyed
Fiat CR.42
near St Trond, Belgium
4/II/2 Aé
08/08/40
½
Do17
Shared damaged
Hurricane Mk.I
35m E Montrose
145 Squadron
27/10/40
1
Bf109E
Probable destroyed
Hurricane Mk.I
5m S Bembridge
145 Squadron
2
01/11/40
1
Bf109E (c)
Destroyed
Hurricane Mk.I
N Selsey
145 Squadron
06/11/40
½
Bf109E (d)
Shared destroyed
Hurricane Mk.I
5m SSE Dun Nose, Isle of Wight
145 Squadron
09/11/40
½
Ju88 (e)
Shared damaged
Hurricane Mk.I
S Isle of Wight
145 Squadron
11/11/40
½
He111 (f)
Shared destroyed
Hurricane Mk.I
off Selsey Bill
145 Squadron
1941
05/05/41
1
He60 (g)
Damaged
Spitfire Mk.IIb
N Point de Barfleur
145 Squadron
3
05/05/41
1
He60 (g)
Destroyed
Spitfire Mk.IIb
N Point de Barfleur
145 Squadron
4
05/05/41
1
Bf109E (h)
Destroyed
Spitfire Mk.IIb
mid Channel
145 Squadron
22/06/41
1
Bf109E
Damaged
Spitfire Mk.Vb
W3236
E Gravelines
609 Squadron
5
07/07/41
1
Bf109F
Destroyed
Spitfire Mk.Vb
W3236
off Le Touquet
609 Squadron
19/07/41
1
Bf109 (i)
Probable destroyed
Spitfire Mk.Vb
Dunkirk
609 Squadron
06/08/41
1
Bf109 (j)
Probable destroyed
Spitfire Mk.Vb
609 Squadron
27/08/41
1
Bf109
Probable destroyed
Spitfire Mk.Vb
NE France
609 Squadron
29/08/41
1
Bf109
Probable destroyed
Spitfire Mk.Vb
Hazebrouck
609 Squadron
27/09/41
1
Bf109
Damaged
Spitfire Mk.Vb
W3574
5m N St Omer
609 Squadron
13/10/41
1
Bf109F
Damaged
Spitfire Mk.Vb
W3574
10m NW Le Touquet
609 Squadron
Biplane victories: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged. TOTAL: 5 and 2 shared destroyed, 5 probables, 5 and 2 shared damaged. (a) Dornier Do17 of II/KG77 damaged east of Waremme at 06.30. (b) This claim has not been possible to verify. (c) Bf109E4 'White 9' of 1 staffel.I/JG2; Oblt Hermann Reiff-Erscheidt POW. (d) Shared with pilot of 56 Squadron. Probably Obfw Heinrich Klopp of II/JG2, 'Black I' -- also attacked by McDowell of 602 Squadron (e) Believed to be a Ju88 of I/KG51 which crash-landed on return to Villaroche. (f) He111 of II/KG27, which crashed at Le Havre. Initially shown as a 'Probable' in Combats and Casualties, but in Offenberg's records as confirmed and possibly therefore confirmed by 'Y' Service later. (g) These were aircraft of I/Seenot Gruppe, and one was lost. (h) This appears to have been credited initially as a probable, but is shown in Offenberg's records as confirmed. (i) Shown in Combats and Casualties as damaged. (j) Not shown in Combats and Casualties.
Sources Aces High - Christopher Shores, 1994, Grub Street, London, ISBN 1-898697-00-0 Aces High Volume 2 - Christopher Shores, 1999, Grub Street, London, ISBN 1-902304-03-9 Battle of Britain; The Forgotten Months - John Foreman, 1988 Désastre à Schaffen - Christian-Jacques Ehrengardt, 2000, Aéro Journal No. 12 Fighter Pilot's Summer - Paul Richey and Norman Franks, 1993 Grub Street, London, ISBN 1-902304-24-1 Lonely Warrior - Jean Offenberg (edited by Victor Houart), 1956, Souvenir Press, London Men of the Battle of Britain - Kenneth G. Wynn, 1999 CCB Associates, ISBN 1-902074-10-6 Additional information kindly provided by Peter Taghon
