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Fighter Group GC I/3

1st Squadron (Ex SPA 88)
2nd Squadron (Ex SPA 69)


Historical

This unit is created in September 1933. It receives its first MORANE MS406 from May 1939. GC I / 3 is the first group to be transformed on the D520 and leaves in December 1939 to the airfield of Cannes-Mandelieu to take in hand the new long-awaited fighter .

He left the operations for this purpose, and is attached to the ZOAA (Alpine Air Operations Zone), to return only May 11, 1940, and expand his record on with his new plane.

The GC I / 3 will finish the campaign in France with a record of 55 Victories sure and 19 probable including 5 sure and 1 probable obtained on Morane-Saulnier MS406, for the loss of 10 pilots killed, 7 wounded and 2 prisoners.

GC I / 3 is finally dissolved in October 1941. GC I / 3 is finally dissolved in October 1941.


Staff

Commanders of the group GC I/3
Commander THIBAUDET Pierre
November 30, 1938
July 7, 1940
 
Commanders of the 1st Squadron
Captain PAPE Joel
September 1, 1939
May 23, 1940
 
Lieutenant LACOMBE Gaston
May 24, 1940
October 17, 1940
 
Commanders of the 2nd Squadron
Captain CHALLE Bernard
September 1, 1939
January 17, 1941


Pilots

Pilots of Group
Names of pilots
Rank
Squadron
Victories
Informations
Civil Statut
Photo
Citations
Sure
Prob.
ALBERT Marcel
Sergeant
1
1
Sergeant Marcel ALBERT will join the FFL on October 14th 1941 with his D520 and two other pilots. He will be assigned to the GC "Ile de France" then to the Normandy-Niemen Group Born on 25/11/1917 in Paris(75)
Died on 23/08/2010 in Harlingen (USA)
 
BAIZE Marius Pierre
Sub-lieutenant
Killed in aerial combat on 21 September 1939. He had the sad privilege of being the first fighter pilot shot down after the beginning of the conflict. Born March 22nd 1912 at Lyon (69 - Rhône)
Died at Bliesbruck (57 - Moselle) on 21/09/1939
   
BARBERIS Robert
Sergeant
4
1
 
BARTOS Jindrich
lieutenant
1
Born on 16/11/1911
Died on 13/02/1941 by accident
   
BELLEFIN Paul André
Sergeant
1
1
Killed in aerial combat on May 15, 1940. Born on 21/04/1915 at Lyon (69 - Rhône)
Killed on the 14/05/1940 at Soulme (Belgium)
BLANCK Georges
Sub-lieutenant
6
1
Born on 21/10/1914 at Pierrefontaine-les-Blamont (25 - Doubs)
Died on 8/01/1990
BOILEAU Jean
adjutant
Born on 25/12/1907 at Mouy (60 - Oise)
Killed on 31/03/1945 at Colmar (68 - Haut-Rhin)
   
BOUFFIER Henri
Sergeant
1
Wounded in aerial combat on May 18, 1940.  
BOURBON Louis
Chief Warrant Officer
2
1
Wounded in aerial combat on June 6, 1940.
BOUTAREL Pierre Edmond
Sub-lieutenant
3
1
Second Lieutenant Pierre BOUTAREL joined the GC 3/6 Roussillon and was killed in air combat on 01/05/1944 Born on the 24/02/1917 at Ploermel (56 - Morbihan)
Killed on 01/05/1944 at Oran (Algeria)
 
CABARET Charles
lieutenant
1
 
CARRIER André Jean
adjutant
Killed in aerial combat on May 14, 1940 on D520 Born on 01/12/1910 at Riom (63 - Puy-De-Dôme)
Killed on the 14/05/1940 at Frénois (21 - Côte d'Or)
CAUSSAT Gérard
Sergeant
1
Wounded and imprisoned on May 21, 1940.    
CHALLE Bernard Georges
Captain
Staff. 2nd Sqn
5
2
Born on 16/10/1906 at Commercy (55 - Meuse)
Died on 12/01/1977
COMBETTE Antonin
Staff-sergeant
3
Injured and imprisoned on May 15, 1940.  
D'IRUMBERRY DE-SALABERRY Hubert Amédée
Sub-lieutenant
5
1
Born on 13/07/1913
Died on 24/10/1999
 
DUMOULIN Louis
Sergeant
1
Born on 18/02/1912 at Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent (49 - Maine et Loire)
Died on 01/07/1996 at Mougins (06 - Alpes Maritimes)
   
FLEURQUIN Pierre Albéric
commanding officer
1
2
Major Pierre FLEURQUIN, is the creator of the Etampes acrobatic patrol before the war. He fought in the FAFL and ended his career in February 1958 with the rank of Brigadier General. Born on 21/02/1905 in Lille (59 - Nord)
Died on 30/08/1971 at Liafranch (Spain)
 
GARNIER Jean
Sergeant
1
Killed in Air Combat on September 24, 1939 Born on the 19/06/1914 at Maubeuge (59 - nord)
Killed on the 24/09/1939 at Etting (57 - Moselle)
 
GERARD Roger Louis
Captain
4
1
Former pilot of the 1st World War during which he had obtained a victory.
After the Armistice of June 1940, as a member of the "Phratrie" resistance network, he provided valuable information on the German Jets
Born on 17 May 1898 at Paris (75)
Died on 18/12/1968 at Paris (75)
GLAUDER Frantisek
Staff-sergeant
3
Czech pilot    
GUILLAUME Raymond
Chief Warrant Officer
3
 
HAVET Augustin Cyrille
adjutant
1
Born on 31/10/1907    
KOREC Otakar
Sergeant
Czech pilot. Killed in aerial combat on June 5, 1940. Born on 26/11/1908 in Nedjek (Czechoslovakia)
Killed on 5/06/1940
 
LACOMBE Gaston Marie
lieutenant
Staff. 1st Sqn
2
 
MADON Michel Lucien
Sub-lieutenant
7
3
Born on 10/01/1918 in Dijon (21 - Côte d'Or)
Died on 16 May 1972 (Traffic accident)
MUSSET
Sergeant
   
OCTAVE Jean Robert
Staff-sergeant
2
1
 
PAPE Joel Marie
Captain
Staff. 1st Sqn
3
Injured and taken prisoner on May 23, 1940  
PARISSE Jean Georges
Sub-lieutenant
1
Killed in aerial combat May 21, 1940 Born on the 29/06/1917 at Varangéville (54 - Meurthe et Moselle)
Killed on 21/05/1940 at Fouchette (80 - Somme)
 
POTIER Lucien Louis
Sub-lieutenant
2
Killed in aerial combat May 14, 1940 Born on 09/02/1907 at Sévry (18 - Cher)
Killed on 05/14/1940 at Villers-en-Argonne (51 - Marne)
PREVOST Louis Marie
Sub-lieutenant
1
Seriously injured in air combat on June 5, 1940.  
RIGALLEAU Lucien Théodule
Sergeant
1
Killed in aerial combat May 15, 1940 Born on 18/08/1914 at Saint-Christophe-du-Ligneron (85 - Vendée)
Killed on 15/04/1940 at Philippeville (Belgium)
ROBERT Raymond Arsène
Sergeant
Killed in aerial combat on June 3, 1940 Born on the 15/08/1918 at Dinard (35 - Ille et Vilaine)
Killed on the 03/06/1940 at Favières (77 - Seine et Marne)
 
SALVA Pierre
Sub-lieutenant
4
3
Born on 05/05/1917 in Lyon (69 - Rhône)  
SCHNEIDER Jean Jules
Captain
3
Seriously wounded in air combat on May 23, 1940. The mission of that day consisted in protecting a Bloch MB174 Reconnaissance aircraft piloted by... Antoine DE-SAINT EXUPERY. The two men were also friends. This mission will be narrated by the writer in his book "Pilote de Guerre".
He will die by accident in November 1944 when the B24 which brings him back from Algiers towards Le Bourget, crashes in the forest of Saint-Prix (Saône et Loire)

Born 28/08/1896 in Paris (75)
Died on 14/11/1944 in the forest of Saint-Prix (Saône et Loire)
 
SILVAN Henri Joseph
Sub-lieutenant
He later joined the GC I/9 and was killed on 18/05/1945 in Algeria Born on 29/07/1917 at Roanne (42 - Loire)
Killed on the 18/05/1945 at L'Alma (Algeria)
   
THIBAUDET Pierre André
commander
Staff Group
Born on 15/11/1904    
THIERRY Emile Robert
Sub-lieutenant
 
4
1
Born 19/04/1915 at Lyon (69 - Rhône)
Died at Taulignan (26 - Drôme) on 14/09/2000
TOURET Jean
adjutant
1
Born on 01/01/1915  
VINCHON Jacques Joseph
Staff-sergeant
2
Killed in aerial combat on June 3, 1940 Born on 15/05/1907 at Monceau-sur-Oise (02 - Aisne)
Killed on the 03/06/1940 at Charmentray (77 - Seine et Marne)

 

 


Airfields

Airfields
Period of use of airfields
Names
County
Velaine-en-Haye
54 - Meurthe et Moselle
August 27, 1939
Orléans-Bricy
45 - Loiret
December 5, 1939
Cannes-Mandelieu
06 - Alpes Maritimes
December 7, 1939 for transformation on D520
Suippes
51 - Marne
May 11, 1940
Wez-Thuisy
51 - Marne
May 11, 1940
Meaux-Esbly
77 - Seine et Marne
May 16, 1940
Etampes-Montdésir
91 - Essone
June 10, 1940
Pithiviers-Bléville
45 - Loiret
June 11, 1940
Chateauroux-La-Champenoise
36 - Indre
June 14, 1940
Perpignan-La-Salanque
66 - Pyrénées Orientales
June 17, 1940
Oran-La-Sénia
Algeria
June 18, 1940
Alger / Tunis El-Aouina
Algeria / Tunisia
June 19, 1940
Oudna
Tunisia
June 20, 1940
Kalaa-Djerda
Tunisia
June 21, 1940

Click on the map to enlarge :

Itinerary of the GC I/3

 


Aircrafts

The GC I/3 was equipped since its creation in September 1933, following aircrafts :

The used aircrafts are described in the accessible file by the link below. You will find N � of series, Registration, date of affectation to the group, and fate of the plane there.

In this list are identified :

    - 3 Potez 25
    - 2 Caudron Simoun
    - 1 Nieuport-Delage Nid622
    - 6 Dewoitine D500
    - 8 Dewoitine D501
    - 2 Potez 630
    - 33 Morane MS406
    - 73 Dewoitine D520

Records

1/2 or 1/3 of victories were obtained in association with another Group.

Confirmed Victories
51
MS 406
D520
Messerschmitt BF110
6
Messerschmitt BF109
4
15
Henschel Hs 126
1
8
Dornier Do 17 & 215
8.5
Junkers JU 88
1.5
Junkers JU 87
2
Heinkel He111
5
Likely Victoires
19
MS 406
D520
Messerschmitt BF110
1
Messerschmitt BF109
1
7
Heinkel He111
3
Dornier Do 17 & 215
7

 


Casualties

Killed Pilots
10
Sub-Lieutenant BAIZE (Combat)
September 21, 1939
Sergeant GARNIER (Combat)
September 24, 1939
Adjutant CARRIER André (Combat)
May 14, 1940
Sub-lieutenant POTIER (Combat)
May 14, 1940
Sergeant RIGALLEAU (Combat)
May 15, 1940
Staff-Sergeant BELLEFIN (Combat)
May 15, 1940
Sub-Lieutenant PARISSE (Combat)
May 21, 1940
Sergeant ROBERT (Combat)
June 3, 1940
Adjutant VINCHON (Combat)
June 3, 1940
Lieutenant KOREC Combat)
June 5, 1940
Wounded Pilots
7
Adjutant Combette (combat)
May 15, 1940
Sergeant BOUFFIER (Combat)
May 18, 1940
Sergeant CAUSSAT (Combat)
May 21, 1940
Captain SCHNEIDER (Combat)
May 23, 1940
Captain PAPE (Combat)
May 23, 1940
Sub-Lieutenant PREVOST (Combat)
June 5, 1940
Chief Warrant Officer BOURBON (Combat)
June 6, 1940
Prisoners Pilots
2
Adjutant Combette
May 15, 1940
Captain PAPE
May 23, 1940

 


Sources

- The citations or decorations listed are extracted from the Official Journals archived in « Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France »
- The dates and places of birth of the Group's personnel are taken mainly from the site : "Mémoires des Hommes"
- Book "Morane MS406" Collective Work - Editions LELA Presse
- Book : "Ils étaient là" by Mr Jacqueline and Paul MARTIN - Editions Aéro-Editions