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Air Observation Group GAO 513


Historical

Originally, the Group has for designation GAR 513. It will become GAO 513 on September 2, 1938.

On the date of the outbreak of the German attack of May 10, 1940, the GAO 513 is attached to the 8th Army of "Air Force Cooperation" of the ZOAS (South Air Operations Area).


Staff

Commanders of the group GAO 513
Commander BILLOT Louis  
Captain PERRON Michel
 

 


Personnel

Pilots and crew of the Group
Names of crew members
Rank
Function
Informations
Civil-statut
Photos
Citations
BARAT Gilbert - Hervé
Sub-Lieutenant
Observer
Born in Paris (75) on 4 February 1918
Died 27 August 2000 in Lyon (69 - Rhône)
   
BERNARDIE René - Henri
Staff-Sergent
Pilot
Born on 22 February 1917 in Le Havre (76 - Seine-Maritime)
Died at Issoire (63 - Puy-de-Dôme) on 14 July 2005
   
BILLOT Louis - François
Commander
Commander of the Group
Born in Andelot-En-Montagne (39 - Jura) on 19 July 1897
Died at Lapalud (84 - Vaucluse) on 15 August 1973
   
BOUILLER René
Chief-Warrant-Officer
Pilot
Born in Lons-Le-Saulnier (39 - Jura) on 3 June 1906
Died at Magny-Vernois (70 - Haute-Saône) on 5 April 1975
 
CAMUS
Adjutant
Observer
   
CHEVASSUS Fernand - Eugène
Lieutenant
Observer
Fernand CHEVASSUS was a civil engineer with a degree from ECAM (Catholic School of Arts and Crafts) and a doctorate in science. After the war, he ran an engineering consultancy and imported special products for the rubber industry.
Born in Chevrières (60 - Oise) on 10 December 1906
Died at Viroflay (78 - Yvelines) on 2 January 1988
   
CLEMENT Henri - Armand
Sub-Lieutenant
Observer
Killed on May 28, 1940 following an accident on takeoff aboard POTEZ 63-11 n ° 448
Born on 29 November 1915 at La Courtine Massingy les Semur
Killed at Lure (70 - Haute-Saône) on 28 May 1940
   
DEBAISE
Captain
Pilot
   
DUMANOIS Emile - Jean
Sub-Lieutenant
Observer
Born in Toulon (83 - Var) on 17 July 1913
Died at Chalon-sur-Saône (71 - Saône et Loire) on 25 July 2005
 
FERAN
Captain
Pilot
   
GILBERTRAS
Lieutenant
Observer
   
MARINET Gabriel - Michel
Sub-Lieutenant
Pilot
 
MARTINAND-LURIN Paul - Marius
Staff-Sergent
Machine gunner
Wounded on 28 May 1940 following a take-off accident aboard POTEZ 63-11 no. 448
Born August 7, 1916 in El Arrouch (Algeria)
Died at Albi (81 - Tarn) on 9 October 2001
   
MATHY Pierre - Lucien
Sub-Lieutenant
Pilot
He joined the Free French Air Force and was killed on 21 September 1944 in England.
Born on 22 February 1919 in Pantin (93 - Seine-Saint-Denis)
Killed on 21 September 1944 at Fosseway Long (United Kingdom)
 
MEUNIER Jean - Ernest
Chief-Warrant-Officer
   
PERRON Michel - Louis
Captain
Commander of the Group
Born in Brest (29 - Finistère) on 29 September 1904
Died at Nice (06 - Alpes-Maritimes) on 14 February 1978
 
PONCET
Sergeant
Pilot
Seriously injured on 28 May 1940 following a take-off accident on board POTEZ 63-11 no. 448    
ROY
Sergeant
Machine gunner
   
VAULOT Hubert - Charles
Staff-Sergeant
Pilot
Hubert Vaulot obtained his civil pilot's licence in 1921 and joined the Aéroclub de Lorraine in February 1930. He later became its president from 1958 to 1964.
In 1935, he founded Les Forges et Ateliers de la Vezouze after buying out the bankrupt Verrerie Muller in Croismare (Meurthe et Moselle). In 1938, he obtained his Military Pilot's Licence, and on mobilisation joined GAO 513, based at Montbéliard in the Doubs region.
After the Armistice, in 1941 he joined the Resistance and then the French Forces of the Interior under the pseudonym of ‘Corsaire’.
For his feats of arms, he was awarded the Military Medal and made a Knight of the Legion of Honour.
Returning to civilian life in 1945, he became deputy mayor of Lunéville until his death in 1967.

Source : https://www.aviation-luneville.fr/laero-club-de-lorraine

Born in Salmagne (55 - Meuse) on 4 June 1901
Died at Lunéville (54 - Meurthe et Moselle) on 28 September 1967
 
VERANT Henry - François
Sergeant
Pilote
Assigned to the Group from 9 January 1940 to 9 September 1940
Born in Locquenole (29 - Finistère) on 27 June 1913
Died at Loos (59 - Nord) on 29 June 1973
   
WEINMAN Jacques - André
Sergeant
Pilot
After the war, employed in the insurance industry, Jacques Weinman became a Besançon town councillor from 1947 to 1959, then a Member of Parliament (Right: UNR, UD, UDR, RPR) from November 1958 to 7 May 1977, the date of his death. He served five successive terms.
Born in Besançon (25 - Doubs) on 7 August 1906
Died at Roche-les-Beaupré (25 - Doubs) on 7 May 1977
 

 

 

Group mechanics and non-flying personnel
Name
Rank
Function
Informations
Civil Statut
Photo
JAFFEUX Jean
Adjutant
Mechanic

 

 

Stories of crews

Crews of Group
Names of crew members
Rank
Function
Informations
Crew
DEBAISE
Captain
Pilot
Potez 390 A2 n° 1:The aircraft was destroyed at Chaux on 29 February 1940.
CAMUS
Adjutant
Observer
Crew
BERNARDIE René
Staff-Sergeant
Pilot
Potez 390 A2 n° 36:The aircraft crashed at Chaux on 23 April 1940: suffering a loss of lift on landing, the tail wheel hit the ground hard and separated from the aircraft. The pilot still managed to land, but the aircraft was severely damaged.
BARAT Gilbert
Sub-lieutenant
Machine-Gunner
Crew
FERAN
Captain
Pilot
Potez 63-11 n° 443 : Slightly damaged on landing at Lure on 28 May 1940. The crew was unhurt
GILBERTRAS
Sub-lieutenant
Observer
ROY
Sergeant
Machine-Gunner
Crew
PONCET
Sergeant
Pilot
Potez 63-11 n° 448 : Crashed on take-off on 28 May 1940 after the left engine accidentally stopped... Sub-Lieutenant CLEMENT was killed. Sergeant PONCET and Staff Sergeant MARTINAND-LURIN were wounded.
CLEMENT Henri
Sub-Lieutenant
Observer
MARTINAND-LURIN Paul
Staff-Sergeant
Machine gunner
Crew
VERANT Henry
Sergeant
Pilot
Potez 390 A2 n° 55 : This aircraft, the Group's last Potez 390, crashed at Feurs airfield on 16 June 1940 during the Group's withdrawal. The aircraft, piloted by Sergeant Henry VERANT, lost its left wheel on landing.
     

 


Airfield

Airfields
Period of use of airfields
Names
County
Montbéliard
25 - Doubs
September 3, 1939
Belfort Chaux
90 - Territoire de Belfort
May 10, 1940
Roye sur Saône
70 - Haute-Saône
May 30, 1940
Pontarlier
25 - Doubs
Juny 14, 1940
Nantua
01 - Ain
Juny 15, 1940
Feurs
42 - Loire
Juny 16, 1940
Feurs / Darsac
43 - Haute-Loire
Juny 17, 1940
Millau
12 - Aveyron
Juny 18, 1940
Servian
34 - Hérault
Juny 19, 1940
Saint-André-de-Roquelongue
11 - Aude
Juny 24, 1940

Click on the map to enlarge :

Itinerary of the GAO 513

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Aircrafts

The GAO 513 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 :

  • 10 Potez 390
  • 3 Potez 63-11

 


Casualties

Crewmen killed
1
Sub-Lieutenant CLEMENT (Accident)
May 28, 1940
Crewmen Injured
2
Sergeant PONCET (Accident)
May 28, 1940
Staff-Sergeant MARTINAND-LURIN (Accident)
May 28, 1940

 


Sources

- Source : Mr BRIAND Philippe : The Sergeant Henry VERANT was his Uncle
- 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