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Air Observation Group GAO 501


Historical

On May 10, 1940, the GAO 501 is attached to the 7th Army of the 1st Air Division of the ZOAN (North Air Operations Area).


Staff

Commanders of the group GAO 501
Commander MOGUEZ Henri
May 19, 1940
 
Captain DE-LESQUEN Michel
May 20, 1940
 
Other Members of the Military Staff
Sub-Lieutenant DAUPHIN
Mechanic Officer
   

 


Personnel

Pilots and crew of the Group
Names of crew members
Rank
Function
Informations
Civil Statut
Photos
Citations
ALEXANDRE Daniel
Lieutenant
Observer
     
BENOIST Marcel
Sub-Lieutenant
Observer
Killed on June 5, 1940 aboard the Potez 63-11 No. 250 shot by German Fighters.
   
BEROISSARD
Sergeant
Machine-Gunner
     
BOURDON
Sergeant
Pilot
   
CANONNE Jean
Staff-Sergeant
Observer
Killed aboard Le Mureaux 115 n � 57 shot by German Fighters on May 19, 1940.
   
COCU Pierre
Staff-Sergeant
Pilot
Seriously injured aboard the Mureaux 115 No. 57 shot by German Fighters on May 19, 1940.
   
COQUETON Henri
Lieutenant
Observer
Killed aboard Potez 63-11 No. 297 shot down by 9 Me109 on May 13, 1940.
   
CUVILLIER Henri
Staff-Sergeant
Pilot
Killed on June 5, 1940 aboard the Potez 63-11 No. 250 shot by German Fighters.
   
DARDAINE
Sergeant
Machine-Gunner
   
DECLERCQ
Chief Warrant Officer
Machine-Gunner
     
DE-LESQUEN Michel
Commander
Commander of Group
     
DEMAY Alfred
Sub-Lieutenant
Pilot
   
DOMAGE
Sergeant
Machine-Gunner
     
DUFOUR François
Chief Warrant Officer
Pilot
On May 25, 1940, his aircraft, the Potez 63-11 No. 350 is hit by the Flak and must land in the countryside where he is burned by the crew. Unwilling, the Chief Warrant Officer DUFOUR will be taken prisoner.
   
DURIEZ Jean
Lieutenant
Pilot
     
GARDEUR Albert
Captain
Observer
On May 25, 1940, his aircraft, the Potez 63-11 No. 350 is hit by the Flak and must land in the countryside where he is burned by the crew. Injured, the Captain GARDEUR will be taken prisoner.
   
GOY
Master-Corporal
Machine-Gunner
     
LAFRANCE
Lieutenant
Observer
     
LEBRUN Raymond
Lieutenant
Observer
   
LEFEBVRE André
Lieutenant
Observer
   
LEGRAND
Chief Warrant Officer
Machine-Gunner
On May 25, 1940, his aircraft, the Potez 63-11 No. 350 is hit by the Flak and must land in the countryside where he is burned by the crew. Unwilling, Chief Warrant Officer LEGRAND will be taken prisoner.
   
LEVAILLANT
Sergeant
Machine-Gunner
     
LEYGNAC Louis
Sergeant
Machine-Gunner
Killed aboard the Potez 63-11 No. 297 shot by German Fighters May 13, 1940.
   
MOGUEZ Henri
Commander
Pilot et Cder of Group
On May 19, 1940, his aircraft, the Mureaux 115 No. 115 was shot down by German Fighters. Heavily wounded, Commander MOGUEZ parachuted himself.
   
PAQUEZ Victor
Sub-Lieutenant
Observer
On May 19, 1940, his aircraft, the Mureaux 115 No. 115 was shot down by German Fighters. Heavily wounded, Sub-Lieutenant PAQUEZ parachuted himself.
   
PLOUVIER
Lieutenant
Pilot
     
RABUEL Joseph
Staff-Sergeant
Machine-Gunner
Killed on June 5, 1940 aboard the Potez 63-11 No. 250 shot by German Fighters.
   
ROUSSEAU Bernard
Sub-Lieutenant
Observer
Killed on June 11, 1940 aboard Potez 63-11 No. 347 crashing on takeoff.
     
VELLY
Lieutenant
Observer
     
WICCAERT Albert
Captain
Pilot
Killed aboard the Potez 63-11 No. 297 shot by German Fighters May 13, 1940.
   

 

 

Stories of crews

Crews du Groupe
Names of crew members
Rank
Function
Informations
Crew
WICCAERT Albert Captain
Pilot
Potez 63-11 n° 297 : Shot down in air combat on May 13, 1940. The crew is killed.
COQUETON Louis Lieutenant
Observer
LEYGNAC Louis Sergeant
Machine-Gunner
Crew
MOGUEZ Commander
Pilot
Mureaux 115 n° 91 : Shot in air combat on May 19, 1940. Commander MOQUEZ and Sub-Lieutenant PAQUEZ are severely injured.
PAQUEZ Sub-Lieutenant
Observer
Crew
COCU Staff-Sergeant
Pilot
Mureaux 115 n° 57 : Shot down in air combat on May 19, 1940. Staff-Sergeant CANONNE is killed and Staff-Sergeant COCU is seriously wounded.
CANONNE Jean Staff-Sergeant
Observer
Crew
DUFOUR Chief Warrant Officer
Pilot
Potez 63-11 n° 350 : Shot by the Flak on May 25, 1940. The crew is taken prisoner. The Captain GARDEUR is injured
GARDEUR Captain
Observer
LEGRAND Chief Warrant Officer
Machine-Gunner
Crew
CUVILLIER Henri Staff-Sergeant
Pilot
Potez 63-11 n° 250 : Shot by German Fighters on June 5, 1940. The crew is killed.
BENOIST Marcel Sub-Lieutenant
Observer
RABUEL Joseph Staff-Sergeant
Machine-Gunner
Crew
BOURDON Sergeant
Pilot
Potez 63-11 : Participates on May 14, 1940 in a reconnaissance mission to recognize the enemy over the sector held by the 25 � DLM.
LEFEVRE Lieutenant
Observer
DARDAINE Sergeant
Machine-Gunner
Crew
ROUSSEAU Bernard Sub-Lieutenant
Observer
Potez 63-11 n°347 : Crashes on takeoff June 11, 1940: Sub-Lieutenant ROUSSEAU is killed

 


Airfield

Airfields
Period of use of airfields
Names
County
Lille Lesquin
59 - Nord
September 3, 1939
Sommesous
51 - Marne
September 16, 1939
Dunkerque Mardyck
59 - Nord
November 10, 1939
Mantes Gassicourt
78 - Yvelines
May 19, 1940
Chantilly Les Aigles
60 - Oise
June 7, 1940
Saint-André De L'Eure
27 - Eure
June 8, 1940
Voves Baignolet
28 - Eure et Loir
June 11, 1940
Romorantin
41 - Loir et Cher
June 14, 1940
Sainte-Gemme
17 - Charente-Maritime
June 18, 1940
Bordeaux Mérignac
33 - Gironde
June 23, 1940
Moissac
82 - Tarn et Garonne
June 24, 1940

Click on the map to enlarge :

Itinerary of the GAO 501

 


Aircrafts

The GAO 501 was equipped since its creation, following aircrafts :

- Potez 63-11 from December 1939
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 :

  • 4 Potez 63-11
  • 1 Mureaux 117
  • 3 Mureaux 115

 


Casualties

Crewmen killed
8
Lieutenant COQUETON (Combat)
May 13, 1940
Captain WICCAERT (Combat)
May 13, 1940
Sergeant LEYGNAC (Combat)
May 13, 1940
Staff-Sergeant CANONNE (Combat)
May 19, 1940
Sub-Lieutenant BENOIST (Combat)
June 5, 1940
Staff-Sergeant CUVILLIER (Combat)
June 5, 1940
Staff-Sergeant RABUEL (Combat)
June 5, 1940
Sub-Lieutenant ROUSSEAU (Accident)
June 11, 1940
Crewmen injured
4
Commander MOGUEZ (Combat)
May 19, 1940
Staff-Sergeant COCU (Combat)
May 19, 1940
Sub-Lieutenant PAQUEZ (Combat)
May 19, 1940
Captain GARDEUR (Combat)
May 25, 1940
Crewmen prisoner
3
Captain GARDEUR
May 25, 1940
Chief Warrant Officer DUFOUR
May 25, 1940
Chief Warrant Officer LEGRAND
May 25, 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
- ...