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Fighter Group GC III/1

1st Squadron (Ex SPA84)
2nd Squadron (Ex SPA93)


Historical

The GC III / 1 is from the 5th Independent Fighting Group, based in Sidi Ahmed, dissolved on October 22nd. It is created in November 1939 in Marignane, after crossing the Mediterranean on the "Jules Grévy". In metropolis, he perceives new Morane MS406 to replace those left in AFN. Under Commandant PAOLI, the GC III / 1 trains until the end of December, before joining the East of France.

A Polish patrol is attached to the 5th Squadron of the Group. The aircrafts of this patrol carry the Polish checkerboard on the blanks, behind the cockpit.

On May 10, 1940, the GC III / 1 is attached to the Fighting Group No. 25 of the ZOAN (North Air Operations Area)

It is only from the German offensive of May 10, that the Group will actually make contact with the enemy. GC III / 1 will retain its Morane MS406 until it dissolves on July 24, 1940.


Staff

Commanders of the group GC III/1
Commander PAOLI
September 1939
August 12, 1940
 
Commanders of the 5th Squadron
Captain POMPE
September 1939
April 28, 1940
 
Lieutenant MARCHE
April 29, 1940
May 19, 1940
 
Lieutenant LEENHARDT
May 20, 1940
August 12, 1940
Commanders of the 6th Squadron
Lieutenant DE MALLMANN
 
Lieutenant TARIEL
May 27, 1940
Juny 10, 1940
Lieutenant DE LA BRETONNIERE
Juny 11, 1940
August 12, 1940
 

 


Pilots

Pilots of Group
Names of pilots
Rank
Squadron
Victories
Informations
Civil Statut
Photo
Citations
Sure
Prob.
ABRIOUX Paul
Sub-Lieutenant
4
1
     
BASSAGET Lucien
Chief-Warrant-Officer
             
BURSZTYN Kazimierz
Lieutenant
5th Sqn.
1
Polish Pilot. Wounded in aerial combat on May 12, 1940. Killed in aerial combat on May 25, 1940
     
CALMEL
Sub-Lieutenant
1
     
CASTILLON Jean
Staff-Sergeant
     
CAZADE Raymond
Staff-Sergeant
5th Sqn.
6
     
CHCIUCK Wladyslaw
Sub-Lieutenant
5th Sqn.
2
Polish Pilot.
 
 
CREMIEUX Pierre
Chief Warrant Officer
5th Sqn.
2
     
DECHANET Pierre
Adjutant
6th Sqn.
1
Injured in aerial combat May 12, 1940
     
DE-LA BRETONNIERE
Lieutenant
Joined the Group on June 10, 1940 from GC I/2
     
DE-MALLMANN Gérard
Lieutenant
2
Injured and taken prisoner on May 26, 1940
     
DOUBLET Kléber
Sergeant
6th Sqn.
6
1
Killed on June 11, 1940 while attempting to take off while his land is bombed.
 
 
DU BOUCHER Jacques
Sub-Lieutenant
5th Sqn.
2
 
 
DURAND Albert
Sergeant
4
1
     
GAGNAIRE Edgar
Adjutant
5th Sqn.
7
2
Killed in Air Combat on June 10, 1940
     
GNYS Wladyslaw
Lieutenant
5th Sqn.
2
Polish Pilot.
     
GOUMY
Sub-Lieutenant
1
Seriously injured following an aerial combat on May 10, 1940
     
GUINGO Joachim
Adjutant
Wounded in aerial combat on March 9, 1940
     
HANUS Josef
Sub-Lieutenant
Czech Pilot
     
JIROUDEK Miroslav
Sub-Lieutenant
Czech Pilot
     
LAGRANGE
Sergeant
1
     
LEENHARDT Tony
Lieutenant
5th Sqn.
3
1
 
 
MARCHE Paul
Lieutenant
5th Sqn.
1
2
Killed in aerial combat May 19, 1940
     
PAOLI
Commander
     
PAULHAN Auguste
Staff-Sergeant
3
Killed in aerial combat May 21, 1940
     
PELISSIER
Staff-Sergeant
1
Arrested on June 10, 1940
     
PIASIL Jan
Master-Corporal
Czech Pilot
     
PINOCHIETTI
Staff-Sergeant
     
POMPE
Captain
     
PRALON Georges
Sergeant
5th Sqn.
1
Wounded in aerial combat on May 19, 1940, he will join the Group only after the Armistice.
     
ROUGEVIN-BAVILLE
Captain
 
 
SAUSSOL Roger
Chief Warrant Officer
5
Seriously injured and taken prisoner on May 26, 1940
     
TARIEL Jean
Lieutenant
4
Wounded in aerial combat on May 18, 1940.
 
 
VALLIERE
Sergeant
1
     

 


Airfields

Airfields
Period of use of airfields
Names
County
Marseille - Marignane
13 - Bouches du Rhône
December 15, 1939
Beauvais-Tillé
60 - Oise
December 22, 1939
Chantilly Les Aigles
60 - Oise
January 10, 1940
Velaine en Haye
54 - Meurthe et Moselle
March 2, 1940
Toul Croix de Metz
54 - Meurthe et Moselle
March 10, 1940
Rouen Boos
76 - Seine Maritime
April 13, 1940
Norrent-Fontes - Rely
62 - Pas de Calais
May 5, 1940
Moerbecke / Maldeghem
Belgique
May 12, 1940
Norrent-Fontes - Rely
62 - Pas de Calais
May 13, 1940
Le Plessis-Belleville
60 - Oise
May 17, 1940
Valence Chabeuil
60 - Oise
June 4, 1940
Rozay en Brie
77 - Seine et Marne
June 5, 1940
Valence Chabeuil
60 - Oise
June 11, 1940
Orange Caritat
84 - Vaucluse
June 19, 1940
Marseille - Marignane
13 - Bouches du Rhône
June 21, 1940

Click on the map to enlarge :

Itinerary of the GC III/1

 


Aircrafts

The GC III/1 was equipped since its creation on november 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 :

    - 47 Morane-Saulnier MS406

     


Records

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

Confirmed Victories
27
Messerschmitt BF110
1
Messerschmitt BF109
6
Henschel Hs 126
3
Junker JU 87
2
Dornier Do 17
4
Junker JU 88
2
Heinkel He111
9
Likely Victories
5
Messerschmitt BF109
5

 


Casualties

Killed Pilots
5
Lieutenant MARCHE (Combat)
May 19, 1940
Staff-Sergeant PAULHAN (Combat)
May 21, 1940
Lieutenant BURSZTYN (Combat)
May 25, 1940
Adjutant GAGNAIRE (Combat)
June 10, 1940
Sergeant DOUBLET (Combat)
June 11, 1940
Wounded Pilots
8
Adjutant GUINGO (Combat)
March 9, 1940
Sub-Lieutenant GOUMY (Combat)
May 10, 1940
Adjutant DECHANET (Combat)
May 12, 1940
Lieutenant BURSZTYN (Combat)
May 12, 1940
Lieutenant TARIEL Jean (Combat)
May 18, 1940
Sergeant PRALON (Combat)
May 19, 1940
Lieutenant DStaffALLMANN (Combat)
May 26, 1940
Chief Warrant Officer SAUSSOL (Combat)
May 26, 1940
Prisoners Pilots
1
Sergeant PELISSIER
June 10, 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 book - Editions LELA Presse
- Book : "Ils étaient là" by Mr Jacqueline and Paul MARTIN - Editions Aéro-Editions
- ...