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Air Observation Group GAO 511


Photos

 

 

 


Historical

GAR 511 (Groupement Aérien Régional) is the military evolution of the Centre Aérien Régional which was based at Château-Bougon, Nantes airport, on 15 June 1937.
On 2 September 1938, GAR 511 became GAO 511, which was disbanded on 12 July 1940, in Pau, where the unit was found after having experienced fire at Villers-les-Guise and Signy-le-Petit, then after the descent southwards at the time of the debacle and the Armistice.
On May 10, 1940, the GAO 511 is attached to the 9th Army of the 1st Air Division of the ZOAN (North Air Operations Area).


Staff

Commanders of the group GAO 511
Commander MAINGUY
 

 


Personnel

Pilots and crew of the Group
Names of crew members
Rank
Function
Informations
Civil-statut
Photos
Citations
DE-LA-ROCQUE DE SEVERAC Jean- François - Louis - Marie
Sub-Lieutenant
Pilot
Killed on May 13, 1940 aboard Potez 63-11 No. 288 shot down by the Flak.
Born on 28 September 1916 at Versailles (78 - Yvelines)
Killed on 13 May 1940 at Bouvignes (Province of Namur - Belgium)
 
DE SORBIER DE POUGNADORESSE Jean
Lieutenant
Observer
After the Armistice, Jean DE SORBIER DE POUGNADORESSE joined the Resistance and, under the alias "Sales", became Chief of Staff to Colonel Claude MONOD, alias "Calude Morait", leader of the Chatillonais Maquis in Burgundy; Jean DE SORBIER DE POUGNADORESSE took part in the battle of Maisey Le Duc from 9 to 11 September 1944, which pitted the Resistance against a heavily armed German column of 400 men. This column was put to flight after fierce fighting and the support of armoured elements of General LECLERC's 2nd DB.
Born 15 March 1911 in Pougnadoresse (30 - Gard)
Died at Nice (06 - Alpes-Maritimes) on 31 March 1973
 
FAGET
Sergeant
Pilot
   
GESSIAUME Jean - Gabriel
Sub-Lieutenant
Machine-Gunner
Killed on May 13, 1940 aboard Potez 63-11 No. 288 shot down by the Flak.
Born 23 November 1913 at Lorient (56 - Morbihan)
Killed on 13 May 1940 at Bouvignes (Province of Namur - Belgium)
 
GOURDIN-SERVENIERE
Sergeant
Pilot
   
LAFOND Gilbert
Sub-Lieutenant
Observer
 
MAINGUY Paul - Victor
Commander
Commander du Groupe
Paul MAINGUY left the French Air Force on 15 March 1949 with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.
Born in Le Pellerin (44 - Loire-Atlantique) on 17 November 1896
Died at Rezé (44 - Loire-Atlantique) on 30 August 1979
   
PEIGNE René - Pierre
Captain
Observer
Killed on May 13, 1940 aboard Potez 63-11 No. 288 shot down by the Flak.
Born on 12 October 1893 in Nantes (44 - Loire-Atlantique)
Killed on 13 May 1940 at Bouvignes (Province of Namur - Belgium)
ROBIC Pierre
Staff-Sergeant
Pilot
 

 

 

 

Group Mechanics
Names
Rank
Function
Information
Civil Statut
Photo
FINKELSTEIN Franck
Soldier
Mechanic
In November 1938, Franck Finkelstein joined the French Air Force for 3 years and was posted to the Bataillon de l'Air 127, based at Avord.
In January 1939, he was transferred to GAO 544, which he left on 7 June 1940 to join GAO 511.
After the Armistice, he was transferred to Compagnie de l'air CA 96/101; he then joined Compagnie B at Uzein, stationed at Pau, before being posted to BA 101 at Toulouse-Francazal.
He was transferred to air base 155 in Casablanca, probably at the end of 1940, and was demobilised in February 1941.
A Jew, Franck FINKELSTEIN was arrested on 29 July 1942 and interned at Drancy. He was transferred to several camps in France (Pithiviers, Beaune-La-Rolande, Drancy), before being deported to Auschwitz, where he died on 17 November 1942.

Source http://finkelstein.free.fr/shoah/

Born in Paris on 17 July 1919.
Killed on 17 November 1942 in Auschwitz camp
GUIHENEUF Auguste
Staff-Sergeant
Radio-Mechanic
The staff sergeant Auguste GUIHENEUF carried out the whole French Campaign within the GAO 511 before being demobilised.
After the Liberation, he gave "sound reading" courses for the Air Force at Château-Bougon airport.
He ended his career as Inspector of Technical Education in the Academy of Nantes.
 
PICHOT
Staff-Sergeant
Mechanic ?
Staff Sergeant PICHOT of GAO 511 appearing on a photo next to the Mechanic Staff Sergeant Auguste GUIHENEUF, I made the hypothesis that he is himself a Mechanic, but that remains to be confirmed.  
VIARD
Staff-Sergeant
Mechanic ?
Staff Sergeant VIARD of GAO 511 appearing on a photo next to the Mechanic Staff Sergeant Auguste GUIHENEUF, I made the hypothesis that he is himself a Mechanic, but that remains to be confirmed.  

 

 

Stories of crews

Crews of Group
Names of crew members
Rank
Function
Informations
Crew
DE-LA-ROCQUE Jean-François
Sub-Lieutenant
Pilot
Potez 63-11 n° 288 :On 20 May 1940, the aircraft carried out a mission in the Meuse Valley to check the advance of German troops. Flying at low altitude in the valley, the Potez was particularly vulnerable: it was shot down by flak. The crew was killed.
PEIGNE René
Captain
Observer
GESSIAUME Jean
Sub-Lieutenant
Machine-Gunner

 


Airfield

Airfields
Period of use of airfields
Names
County
Nantes
44 - Loire-Atlantique
September 3, 1939
Lesquielles-Saint-Germain
02 - Aisne
September 21, 1939
Le Cannet-Des-Maures
83 - Var
October 24, 1939
Sisteron Thèze
04 - Alpes Haute-Provence
December 8, 1939
Monceau-Le-Waast
02 - Aisne
March 29, 1940
Villers-lès-Guise
02 - Aisne
April 11, 1940
Versigny
89 - Yonne
May 11, 1940
Beaulieu
?
May 13, 1940
Chéry-les-Pouilly
02 - Aisne
May 14, 1940
Bouresches
02 - Aisne
May 16, 1940
Tours Mettray
14 - Carpiquet
May 18, 1940
Bordeaux-Mérignac
33 - Gironde
June 06, 1940
Denguin
64 - Pyrénées-Atlantiques
June 18, 1940

Click on the map to enlarge :

Itinerary of the GAO 511

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Aircrafts

The GAO 511 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 :

  • 6 Potez 390
  • 1 Potez 63-11

 


Casualties

Crewmen killed
3
Captain PEIGNE (Combat)
May 13, 1940
Sub-Lieutenant DE-LA-ROCQUE (Combat)
May 13, 1940
Sub-Lieutenant GESSIAUME (Combat)
May 13, 1940

 


Sources

- Mr Pascal GUIHENEUF - Staff Sergeant Auguste GUIHENEUF was his paternal Grandfather
- 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