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Site in French
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Historical
GC I / 7 was created on October
1, 1932. In March 1938, while based in Dijon with his Blériot-Spad
510, GC I / 7 will be the first Fighting Group to receive the new
French fighter: the MS405. The 2nd squadron of the Group, detached
in Reims, has the mission to complete the development of the aircraft
and define the methods of combat. During this period, the Group
will be collecting some Caudron Simouns to get used to flying single-engine
cabins.
In February 1939, the Group
was transported in AFN by boat, where it was joined by GC I / 6
to train the March Wing. As early as May 1939, GC I / 7 pilots were
taken to create the GC III / 7, and after the declaration of war,
almost all the remaining pilots left to reinforce the groups of
Fighters in mainland France.
GC I / 7 returns to France
on January 20, 1940 to be reconstituted and receive new MS406 to
replace those left in AFN. It leaves quickly however, since at the
end of February, GC I / 7 is moved to the Levant, to Beirut first,
then to Syria
On May 10, 1940, the day
of the German attack in France, he is based in Rayak (Syria), and
is attached to the Air Forces of the Mediterranean East. GC I /
7 did not finally take part in the fighting. After the Armistice,
the Group remains in the Levant and will participate in the Syrian
campaign in May 1941.
Staff
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Commanders
of the group
GC I/7
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| Commander
DESCHAMPS-De-PAS |
January
8, 1940 |
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Commanders
of the 1st Squadron
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| Lieutenant
OZANNE |
March
15, 1938 |
September
15, 1938 |
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| Captain
CORBEAU |
September
15, 1938 |
April
5, 1940 |
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| Captain
DESSALLES |
April
5, 1940 |
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Commanders
of the 2nd Squadron
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| Lieutenant
BRUNEAU Germain |
January
8, 1937 |
November
15, 1939 |
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| Captain
TULASNE |
November
15, 1939 |
December
5, 1940 |
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Pilots
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Pilots
of Group
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Names
of pilots
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Rank
|
Squadron
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Victories
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Informations
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Civil
Statut
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Photo
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Citations
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Sure
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Prob.
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| AMARGER
Georges - Maxime |
Sub-Lieutenant
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Georges
AMARGER joined the French Air Force in 1927 as a mechanic. He
joined the Nimes school before being posted to Morocco. He received
his pilot's licence at Istres in 1931 and was posted to the
Reims base in 1936, then to the GAR in Algiers in 1938. He joined
the GC I/7 fighter group in Levant in 1940.
After the Armistice, back in France, he escaped to Spain, but
was taken prisoner by the Spanish and interned at the Miranda
camp. He joined the GC II/7 in Morocco in May 1943.
After the war, he was posted to Tunisia in 1947, then to Indochina
from April 1951 to November 1952. He was appointed Commander
of the Air Force in Algeria from 1953 to 1961, then posted to
the Cognac base in 1961. Georges AMARGER retired in 1965. |
Né le 30 mars
1909 à Isserville (Algérie)
Décédé
le 22 novembre 2001 à Toulon (83 - Var)
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| BALLATORE
André |
Chief
Warrant Officer
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At the
Armistice, enlisted in the RAF
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| BARDIN
Paul |
Sub-Lieutenant
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1ste
Sqn.
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| BERTRAND |
Adjutant
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| BOUGET
Jacques |
Sergeant
|
1ste
Sqn.
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| BRUNEAU
Germain |
Lieutenant
|
Staff
2nd Sqn.
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| CANEL
Jean |
Captain
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Subsequently
transferred to GC II / 9
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| CORBEAU |
Captain
|
Staff
1st Sqn.
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Killed
by accident on April 5, 1940
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| COTTIN |
Lieutenant
|
1ste
Sqn.
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| COUDRAY |
Chief
Warrant Officer
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At the
Armistice, enlisted in the RAF
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|
DESCHAMPS-De-PAS |
Commander
|
Staff
Groupe
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| DESSALLES |
Captain
|
Staff
1st Sqn.
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| IZAAC |
Sergeant
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| LITOLFF
Albert |
Sergeant-Chef
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| OZANNE |
Lieutenant
|
Staff
1st Sqn.
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| PERONNE
Rémy |
Lieutenant
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At the
Armistice, enlisted in the RAF
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| REBIERE
Raoul |
Chief
Warrant Officer
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Subsequently
transferred to GC II / 9
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| ROIG |
Sergeant
|
2nd Sqn.
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| ROLLET |
Commander
|
1ste
Sqn.
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| TULASNE |
Captain
|
Staff
2nd Sqn.
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Join the
FAFL on December 5, 1940.
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Group
mechanics and non-flying personnel
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Names
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Rank
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Function
|
Sqn.
|
Informations
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Photo
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| GEIGER
Raymond - Marie |
Staff-Sergeant
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Mechanic
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Raymond
GEIGER qualified as a mechanic in 1934. He attended the Rochefort
school and was then sent to various aviation companies for trials.
He was posted to the GC I/7 at Dijon, with which group he embarked
for Tunisia and then Algeria in March 1939. Back in France, he
left for the Levant on board the ‘Commandant Teste’
and landed in Beirut with the GC I/7 in February 1940. He joined
the RAF voluntarily in July 1940, then Free French Flight No.
2 with Commandant Jacquier. He went on a mission to Cyprus and
then to Ismailia as an OTU. He joined the FAFL on 1st April 1941
and was posted to Fighter Group 1 at Rayak. He left with the ‘Alsace’
on an operation for Libya. He embarked with the Alsace for England
in 1942 as an aircraft mechanic. After the war, he was assigned
to GT I/15 in Orléans, then to the Technical and Industrial
Directorate in 1946. Raymond GEIGER retired in 1961. |
Born
on 29 July 1914 in Tours (37 - Indre-et-Loire).
Died at Saint-Mandé (94 - Val de Marne) on 5 July 1994 |
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Airfield
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Airfields
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Period
of use of airfields
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Names
|
County
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| Reims
- Courcy |
51
- Marne
|
July 25, 1938
(Experimentation
Sqn)
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| Dijon-longvic
|
21
- Côte d'Or
|
October 15, 1938
(All the Group)
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| Sidi-Ahmed |
Tunisie
|
March
2, 1939
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| Alger
Maison-Blanche |
Algérie
|
September
1, 1939
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| Oran-La-Senia |
Algérie
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December
1st, 1939
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| Marseille-Marignane |
13
- Bouches Du Rhône
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January
22, 1940
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| Rayack
|
Syrie
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March
6, 1940
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| Estabel |
Syrie
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June
21, 1940
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| Rayack
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Syrie
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August
14, 1940
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Click
on the map to enlarge :
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Aircrafts
The GC I/7 was equipped since
its creation in March 1938, following aircrafts :
The used aircrafts
are described in the accessible file by the link below. You will find
Nb of series, Registration, date of affectation to the group, and
fate of the plane there.
In
this list are identified :
- 1 Morane-Saulnier
MS225
- 15 Blériot-Spad
510
- 6 Morane-Saunier
MS405
- 1 Potez
630
- 50
Morane-Saulnier MS406
The GC I / 7 doesn't participate
in the Campaign of France and will not obtain victories
Casualties
|
Killed Pilots
|
1
|
| Captain
CORBEAU (Accident) |
April
5, 1940
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Sources
- The
dates and places of birth of the Group's personnel are taken mainly
from the site : "Mémoires
des Hommes"
- Book : "Ils étaient
là" by Mr Jacqueline and Paul MARTIN - Editions Aéro-Editions
- Book"Morane
MS406" Collective work - Editions LELA Presse
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