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Site in French
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Historical
Created in January 1937 as
GAR 503, the Group became GAO 503 on 2 September 1938.
On May 10, 1940, the GA0
503 is attached to the 1st Army of the 1st Air Division of the ZOAN
(North Air Operations Area).
Staff
|
Commanders
of the group
GAO 503
|
| Commander
PEILLARD Charles |
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Captain
LABBE DE-LA-GENARDIERE
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| Commander
THABAULT Léon |
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Personnel
|
Pilots
and crew of the Group
|
|
Names
of crew members
|
Rank
|
Function
|
Informations
|
Civil
Statut
|
Photos
|
Citations
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| DENOMAISON
André - Robert |
Captain
|
Pilot
|
Captain
André Denomaison was wounded on 31 May 1940. |
Born on 25 January 1898,
Rouen (76 - Seine-Maritime)
Died at Bois-Guillaume (76 - Seine-Maritime) on 11 January
1994
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| GOURDON
René |
Chief
Warrant Officer
|
Pilot
|
On
May 16, 1940 his aircraft, Potez 63-11 No. 375 was shot down
by the Flak. Unwilling, he manages to parachute himself. |
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| LABBE
DE-LA GENARDIERE Etienne - Edgard |
Commander
|
Commander
of Group
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Former officer cadet at
the Ecole Militaire Spéciale de Saint-Cyr: "Mangin"
class (1929 - 1931)
After the war, General Labbé de La Génardière
commanded the operational air groups of the Eastern Sahara
at Ouargla, then the Western Sahara at Colomb-Béchar
between October 1956 and June 1958.
Subsequently, from 1960, he commanded the Sahara Specialised
Air Units Group.
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Born 15 February 1910,
Autun (71 - Saône et Loire))
Died February 17th 1985 at Saint-Mandé (94 - Val de
Marne)
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| MANN
Pierre - André |
Sous-Lieutenant
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Observer
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On
16 May 1940, Potez 63-11 n°375 was shot down by Flak and
crashed in flames. Second Lieutenant André MANN was ejected
from the aircraft. Seriously injured, he was evacuated to a
hospital in La Halle, but died the next day. |
Born on 9 August 1914
at Ben Thuy (Tonkin)
Killed on 17 May 1940 at La Halle (Belgium)
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| MAUREL
Fernand - Paul |
Lieutenant
|
Observer
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Born on 4 October 1904
in Bains (43 - Haute-Loire)
Killed on 3 July 1940 at Baudens (Algeria)
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| NOURRY
Georges - André |
Adjutant
|
Machine-Gunner
|
On
16 May 1940, Potez 63-11 n°375 was shot down by Flak and
crashed in flames. Warrant Officer Georges NOURRY managed to
parachute out, but was wounded on landing by... Allied troops
and was taken to Binche Hospital. |
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| PEILLARD
Charles - Eugène |
Commander
|
Commander
of Group
|
Charles
PEILLARD, a schoolteacher in civilian life, enlisted on 24 August
1914 and was posted to the Foot Hunter Battalion. He joined
the Air Force in July 1917 and became a pilot. |
Born
on 6 December 1894 |
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| THABAULT
Léon |
Commander
|
Commander
of Group
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|
Born
on 20 November 1892 |
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Stories
of crews
|
Crews
of Group
|
|
Names
of crew members
|
Rank
|
Function
|
Informations
|
|
Crew
|
GOURDON
René |
Chief
Warrant Officer
|
Pilot
|
Potez
63-11 n° 375 : Shot down by the Flak on May 16,
1940. Sub-Lieutenant MANN is killed, Adjutant NOURRY parachuted
is wounded, and Chief Warrant Officer GOURDON is unharmed. |
| MANN
André |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
Observer
|
| NOURRY
Georges |
Adjutant
|
Machine-Gunner
|
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Airfields
|
Period
of use of airfields
|
|
Names
|
County
|
| Méaulte |
80
- Somme
|
September
2, 1939
|
| Lille
Séclin |
59
- Nord
|
September
10, 1939
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| Valenciennes
La Briquette |
59
- Nord
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October
10, 1939
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| Denain
Prouvy |
59
- Nord
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November
10, 1939
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| Valenciennes
La Briquette |
59
- Nord
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December
15, 1939
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| Haynecourt |
59
- Nord
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May
17, 1940
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| Bacqueville-en-Caux |
76
- Seine-Maritime
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May
18, 1940
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| Chappes |
63
- Puy De Dôme
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May
25, 1940
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| Albi |
81
- Tarn
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June
18, 1940
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| Carlus |
81
- Tarn
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June
21, 1940
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Click
on the map to enlarge :
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Aircrafts
The GAO 503 was equipped
since its creation, 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 :
Casualties
|
Crewmen
killed
|
1
|
| Sub-lieutenant
MANN (combat) |
May 16,
1940
|
|
Crewmen
injured
|
1
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| Adjutant
NOURRY (combat) |
May 16,
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
- ...
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