After a brief career in banking, Delcourt was admitted at the Royal Military Academy in 1842 as an officer candidate of 2nd class. He graduated after 2 years as an officer candidate of 1st class.
Career
Starting in, 1845 he sailed on the Macassar on board which he had to face numerous challenges in the China Seas: typhoons, storms, grounding, etc.. He then sailed for Batavia. While in route for Singapore in 1847, his ship was attacked by pirates in the Riau straight. On his way back it was almost shipwrecked. |304x304pxDelcourt, then aboard the Louise Marie, sails for the Rio Nunez, where Leopold I had created a colony, and arrived there on 10 February 1849. He participated in the Rio Nuñez incident on 23 March 1849. During his return, his ship silted up and found itself in a bad position, taking shots from partisans of Mayoré, but was saved by the Africans that stayed loyal to the Belgians. After this successful campaign, Leopold I promoted him to the rank of Ensign at sea. He makes another trip in 1850 to the Rio Nunez but the situation had worsened. He then leaves for the Belgian colony of Santo-Thomas in Guatemala that was also collapsing. In 1851, he leaves once more on board the Louise-Marie to the Rio Nunez; while on the island of Gorée, the Belgians receive a message from the consul of Belgium L. Bols-Wittouck, a cousin of Delcourt, asking them to get back to Rio-Nunez rapidly as the situation was getting worse. Delcourt was made Lieutenant at sea, 1st class on 1 July 1863. In 1865, he was named engineer of maritime constructions, he helped develop the port of Antwerp. He became the maritime advisor of Leopold II and advised the king on the necessary maritime equipment for Sir Henry Morton Stanley and his expedition.
1875 : « Précis du cours de construction et armement maritimes » , Institut supérieur du commerce, Antwerp.
1876 : « Notice sur la vie et les travaux d'Auguste-Joseph-Ghislain-Aintoine Stessels » as a member of the commission directrice des Annales des Travaux publics.
1879 : « Rapport sur l'amélioration des canaux, leur exploitation par réseaux ».
1879 : « Analyse de l'ouvrage de M. Finet ».
1880 : He collaborated on « Rapport sur les moyens d'étendre les débouchées de la Belgique dans les pays d'outre-mer ».
1886 : « Rapport sur les bâtiments de tous genres, materiel, etc. » as a jury member of group VII of the classes 70, 71 and 72 of the Antwerp World Fair of 1885.
1886 : « Sauvetage maritime, éclairage et balisage des cotres, sauvetage pour incendies et autres accidents ».
