[3] Van Helsdingen was awarded his first Military William Order on 11 February 1942, for carrying out attacks against Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ships in the Battle of Balikpapan on 23 January.

Twenty Buffalo fighters carrying two 50 kg bombs each escorted nine Martin B-10 bombers to attack a fleet of IJN ships in the Makassar Strait.

[4][5] Van Helsdingen was killed on his 35th birthday by an A6M Zero while providing air support to Royal Dutch East Indies Army forces fighting in Lembang with three other Buffalo aircraft on 7 March 1942.

[4] Three other pilots, 1st Lieutenant August Deibel, Gerard Bruggink (flying B-3107)[2] and Officer Cadet Jan Scheffer, volunteered to join him using the last three working Buffalo aircraft on the airfield.

Van Helsdingen shot down a Zero before he too was hit,[2] but Bruggink managed to escape into the clouds before returning to Andir airfield.