In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, international travel slowly resumed, reconnecting families and professional networks across continents. In this context, Doctor Oswald Van Lantschoot, a Flemish physician born in Dendermonde, Belgium, undertook a transatlantic journey to the United States in late 1946.

He departed from Vienna, Austria, on 30 November 1946, and arrived in the New York area on 1 December 1946, travelling on a flight operated by American Airlines. Unlike the great pre-war ocean crossings, this journey reflects the emerging era of transatlantic air travel.

Personal and professional profile

The immigration record identifies him as Van Lantschoot, Oswald, aged forty-three, a citizen of Belgium and explicitly noted as Flemish. He was able to read and write, including in French, reflecting the linguistic reality of Belgium in that period.

His profession was listed as doctor, confirming his status as a trained physician. At the time of departure, his last permanent residence was recorded as 34 Rue de Bruxelles, Namur.

He was accompanied on this journey by his wife Paula, indicating that the trip was undertaken as a couple rather than an individual visit.

Family connections

The document reveals several important family links. His nearest relatives in Belgium were his parents-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Rickx, while his destination in the United States was the home of his cousin, August Van Lantschoot, located on Highland Avenue in Fairfield, Iowa.

Such details illustrate the strong family network that connected the European and American branches of the Van Landschoot family in the mid-twentieth century.

Purpose of the journey

Oswald Van Lantschoot’s visit was clearly defined as temporary. He intended to remain in the United States for approximately two months, with the stated purpose of attending a medical congress.

The immigration officer recorded that he was travelling on his own means, carrying approximately 1,000 dollars, and that he already possessed a valid ticket for his onward journey.

Earlier connection to the United States

This was not Oswald’s first journey to America. The record states that he had previously visited the United States in July 1939, when he stayed in Rochester, Minnesota.

That earlier visit, just weeks before the outbreak of the Second World War, likely had a professional character, given Rochester’s international reputation as a center of medical excellence.

Official admission

The immigration record confirms that Oswald Van Lantschoot was admitted to the United States without difficulty. He was described as being in good health, and it was explicitly noted that he had never been arrested, nor previously refused entry into the country.

With valid documentation, including passport number T.V. 456, issued in Brussels on 4 November 1946, and with all conditions fulfilled, he was granted entry for his temporary stay.

This document, though administrative in nature, offers a rich glimpse into a personal journey: a Flemish doctor, accompanied by his wife, travelling across the Atlantic in the early post-war years, linking Belgium, Austria, New York and Iowa within the broader story of the Van Landschoot family.

Aircraft and Route (1946)

The aircraft identified as NC 88861 was a U.S.-registered airliner. While the exact individual aircraft cannot be traced with certainty, historical records show that Pan American Airlines in 1946 operated converted Douglas C-54 / DC-4 aircraft for long-distance flights, including transatlantic services.

These aircraft were originally built as military transports during the Second World War and were converted after 1945 into civilian airliners, typically carrying between 40 and 60 passengers.

The Douglas DC-4 was a four-engine aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney radial engines, capable of crossing the Atlantic, although still requiring several intermediate stops. It was one of the first aircraft types used in regular post-war intercontinental travel.

A typical route for a flight such as that of Doctor Oswald Van Lantschoot would likely have been:

• Vienna (Austria)
• → Western Europe (Brussels or Paris)
• → Shannon (Ireland)
• → Newfoundland (Gander)
• → New York (USA)

These stopovers were necessary because aircraft of this period were not yet fully optimized for long non-stop ocean crossings and had to refuel along the way.

The journey therefore represented not just a flight, but a gradual crossing of continents — a transition from post-war Europe to the United States, step by step across the Atlantic.