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Fighter Group GC II/8

3rd Squadron (Ex 3C1)
4th Squadron (Ex SPA 38)


Historical

The GC II / 8 was born from the integration of the 3C1 squadron of the Navy in the Air Force on January 1st, 1936: it becomes the 3rd Squadron of GC II / 8 which will be joined on January 1st, 1939, by the 4iem Squadron which takes up the traditions of SPA 38.

At the declaraton of the War, the GC II / 8 is equipped with Potez 631. In November 1939, the group is placed at the disposal of the Admiralty on the ground of Calais, in order to prevent the action of Seaplanes at sea North. They are leasing mines and sinking several merchant ships.

It is only at the end of January that the 3rd Eszcadrille GC II / 8 begins to be transformed on BLOCH MB152, the 4th Squadron will not perceive its single engine in April.

The Group, stationed on the grounds of the North of France, ensures in particular the cover of the Dunkirk pocket, before falling back in front of the German advance

GC II / 8 is one of six groups maintained in service after the Armistice. The Group is finally dissolved on November 25, 1942

 


Staff

Commanders of the group GC II/8
Commander GIBON-GUILHEM
October 1, 1938
January 29, 1940
 
Commander DE-PONTON-D'AMECOURT
January 29, 1940
September 14, 1940
 
Assistant Commander of the GC II/8
Captain DE-MAISTRE  
Commanders of the 3rd Squadron
Captain GRANDBESANCON Pierre
October 2, 1940
 
Commanders of the 4th Squadron
Captain DE-VAUBLANC Bernard
September 30, 1941
 

 


Pilots

Pilots of Group
Names of pilots
Rank
Squadron
Victories
Informations
Civil Statut
Photo
Citations
Sure
Prob.
BAUDIN
Staff-Sergeant
4th Sqn.
     
BILLOIN
Sergeant
3rd Sqn.
     
CLERC Joseph
Adjutant
4th Sqn.
1
     
CURTHELET
Adjutant
3rd Sqn.
     
DE-LA-MENARDIERE
Sub-Lieutenant
4th Sqn.
Wounded and prisoner May 24, 1940.
     
DELOCQUE-FOURCAUD
Sub-Lieutenant
4th Sqn.
     
DE-MAISTRE
Captain
Staff Group
     
DE-PONTON-D'AMECOURT
Commander
Staff Group
     
DE-VAUBLANC Bernard
Captain
4th Sqn.
2
Leaves GC II/8 on September 30, 1941
     
DIETRICH Henri
Sub-Lieutenant
3rd Sqn.
2
Assigned March 6, 1940 from the CIC de Chartres.
     
DUTEY-HARISPE
Lieutenant
3rd Sqn.
2
Assigned April 15, 1940 from GC II/10
 
 
GAUBERT
Staff-Sergeant
4th Sqn.
1
     
GIBON-GUILHEM
Commander
Staff Group
Transferred to the 4th Bureau of the ZOAE of Nancy on January 29, 1940.
     
GRANDBESANCON Pierre
Captain
3rd Sqn.
1
     
HONORAT
Staff-Sergeant
3rd Sqn.
1
     
HOURCADE-MEDEVILLE Pierre
Chief Warrant Officer
4th Sqn.
Moved to GAO 550 on April 5, 1940
     
HUSSON
Sergeant
4th Sqn.
2
     
IRIBARNE
Staff-Sergeant
3rd Sqn.
     
JACQUEMET Félix
Sub-Lieutenant
3rd Sqn.
2
     
LEVAVASSEUR
Chief Warrant Officer
4th Sqn.
Transferred to the CIC de Chartres on 1st April 1940
     
MARCHAIS
Chief Warrant Officer
3rd Sqn.
3
Reached Tuberculosis, he left GC II/8 on June 9, 1940
     
MIR Henri
Chief Warrant Officer
4th Sqn.
1
     
MOUSSET
Sub-Lieutenant
4th Sqn.
Assigned March 8, 1940 from the CIC de Chartres. Injured in Air Combat May 27, 1940.
     
NICOLE Maurice
Adjutant
3rd Sqn.
2
1
Injured in aerial combat on June 9, 1940
 
 
NOWAK Léon
Master-Corporal
4th Sqn.
Polish Pilot Assigned May 20: Killed May 27, 1940
     
PASKIEWICZ Ludwik
Lieutenant
4th Sqn.
Polish pilot assigned from May 20th to June 19th, 1940
     
PELLETIER René
Sub-Lieutenant
4th Sqn.
2
Affected May 11, 1940 from the CIC of Chartres.
     
PERDRIZET
Captain
Staff 4th Sqn.
     
PETITJEAN
Staff-Sergeant
3rd Sqn.
Seriously injured in air combat May 21 190
     
PLESNAGE
Adjutant
4th Sqn.
Assigned on 1st April 1940 from the CIC de Chartres.
     
POIRE
Lieutenant
3rd Sqn.
Affected on June 25, 1940
     
RAPINAT
Staff-Sergeant
4th Sqn.
     
ROBIAUD
Lieutenant
3rd Sqn.
     
RONCIN
Staff-Sergeant
4th Sqn.
Moved to GC I / 9 on December 15, 1939
     
SAGON
Sub-Lieutenant
3rd Sqn.
Assigned March 8, 1940 from the CIC de Chartres.
     
SAINT-JOHN-DE-CREVECOEUR
Lieutenant
Staff 4th Sqn.
Killed on November 3, 1941
     
STIQUEL
Sub-Lieutenant
3rd Sqn.
Moved April 1, 1940 to GC I / 4
     
TOURET
Staff-Sergeant
3rd Sqn.
Affected 1st October 1941
     
VEYRUNES
Adjutant
3rd Sqn.
1
     
VIARIS-DE_LESEGNO
Sub-Lieutenant
4th Sqn.
     
VITTINI François
Staff-Sergeant
4th Sqn.
 
 
WUNSCHE Kazimierz
Sergeant
4th Sqn.
Polish pilot assigned from May 20th to June 19th, 1940
     

 


Airfield

Airfields
Period of use of airfields
Names
County
Marseille-Marignane
13 - Bouches du Rhône
September 2, 1939
Calais-Marck
62 - Pas de Calais
December 21, 1939
Villacoublay
78 - Yvelines
May 20, 1940
Deauville Saint-Gatien
14 - Calvados
May 27, 1940
Lympne (Grande Bretagne)
Angleterre
May 30, 1940
Estrée-La-Campagne
14 - Calvados
June 12, 1940
Cherbourg-Maupertus
50 - Manche
June 15, 1940
Rennes
35 - Ille et Vilaine
June 18, 1940
Nantes
44 - Loire-Atlantique
June 18, 1940
Rochefort
17 - Charente-Maritime
June 18, 1940
Bordeaux - Mérignac
33 - Gironde
June 19, 1940
Toulouse Francazal
31 - Haute-Garonne
June 19, 1940
Agen-La Garenne
47 - Lot et Garonne
June 19, 1940
Marseille - Marignane
13 - Bouches du Rhône
June 19, 1940
Aix Les mille
13 - Bouches du Rhône
June 22, 1940

Click on the map to enlarge :

Itinerary of the GC II/8

 


Aircrafts

The GC II/8 was equipped since its creation on January 1936, 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 Dewoitine D510
    - 3 Potez 631
    - 3 Bloch MB151
    - 43 Bloch MB152
    - 12 Bloch MB155

     


Records

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

Confirmed Victories
11.5
Messerschmitt BF109
4
Junker JU88
1
Heinkel He111
6.5
Likely Victories
3
Messerschmitt BF109
2
Heinkel He111
1

 


Casualties

Killed Pilots
1
Sergeant NOWACK (Combat)
May 27, 1940
Wounded Pilots
5
Chief Warrant Officer LEVAVASSEUR
May 12, 1940
Staff-Sergeant PETITJEAN (Combat)
May 21, 1940
Sub-Lieutenant DE-LA-MENARDIERE (Combat)
May 24, 1940
Sub-Lieutenant MOUSSET (Combat)
May 27, 1940
Adjutant NICOLLE (Combat)
June 9, 1940
Prisoners Pilots
2
Sub-Lieutenant VIARIS-DE-LESEGNO
May 23, 1940
Sub-Lieutenant DE-LA-MENARDIERE
May 24, 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 : "Ils étaient là" by Mr Jacqueline and Paul MARTIN - Editions Aéro-Editions
- Book "Bloch 152" from S. Joanne - Editions LELA Presse
- ...