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Site in French
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Historical
On May 10, 1940, GA0 544
is attached to the 1st Army of the 1st Air Division of the ZOAN
(North Air Operations Area).
Staff
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Commanders
of the group
GAO 544
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| Captain
DE LOISY Philibert |
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Other
Members of the Military Staff
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| Lieutenant
BOSSU |
Mechanic
Officier
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Personnel
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Pilots
and crew of the Group
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Names
of crew members
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Rank
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Function
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Informations
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Civil-statut
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Photos
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Citations
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| CASTIN
Louis - Marius |
Sergeant
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In 1936, Louis CASTIN
was admitted to the Air Force flight crew non-commissioned
officers' training school in Istres. He signed up for five
years of voluntary service at the Istres training base in
early November 1936 and underwent military pilot training
at the Istres training centre. He obtained his military pilot's
licence in August 1937. Promoted to sergeant, he joined the
544th Air Observation Group stationed in Bourges in December
1938. He took part in the French Campaign with this group
in the autumn of 1939, before joining the preparatory platoon
for reserve officer cadets in Tours (Indre-et-Loire) in January
1940. Appointed cadet in May 1940, he attended the observer
school in Bordeaux from May to June 1940. At the armistice,
the school withdrew to Meknes in Morocco on 26 June 1940.
Louis CASTIN joined GB I/23 in June 1940 and took part in
fratricidal fighting against the Free French and the British
in French West Africa, then was transferred to GB I/62 in
Bamako in September 1942. After the Allied landings in North
Africa in November 1942, he attended the active officer cadet
training course in Marrakech (Morocco) from March to December
1943. Appointed second lieutenant, he volunteered in December
1943 for the ‘Normandie’ fighter group, which was
to fight in Russia. He scored five victories before being
wounded and repatriated to France in February 1945.
After three months of convalescence, he was appointed head
of the 3rd office of fighter and air defence group 550. He
was reassigned to the ‘Normandie-Niemen’ group and
then appointed deputy commander of the Salon-de-Provence base
in February 1948. In 1952, his previous injuries forced him
to take temporary leave of absence due to disability. Louis
CASTIN left the Air Force in May 1958 and took over the management
of a family business manufacturing ball bearings.
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Born on 25 August 1918
in Montluçon (03 - Allier)
Died on 26 July 1979 in Lyon (69 - Rhône)
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| CHOCQUET
Gaston - Désiré |
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Pilot
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Born on 23 February
1900 in Saint Jean Appel
Killed on 5 September 1940 in Barthenow (Germany)
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| DE
LOISY Philibert |
Captain
|
Commander
of the Group
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| DELAITRE
Marcel - Jean |
Lieutenant
|
Observer
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Leaves
the Group to join the GR I/35 on March 25, 1940. |
Born on 16 January 1916
in Pavilly (76 - Seine-Maritime)
Died on 5 November 2012 in Dreux (28 - Eure-et-Loir)
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| DUGNAT
Benoit - Georges |
Sergeant
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Machine-Gunner
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Georges DUGNAT joined
the Air Force on 10 November 1938.
He was assigned to GAO 544 on 5 March 1940. Transferred to
GR II/52 on 13 May 1940, he then joined GR II/55 on 22 May
1940.
He was killed in February 1945 while serving with Bombing
Group 2/33 ‘Guyenne’.
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Born on 25 August 1920
in Saint Dier d'Auvergne (63 - Puy-de-Dôme)
Killed on 21 February 1945 in Lollbach (Germany)
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| FARELACCI |
Sergeant
|
Pilot
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Transferred
to GR II/52 on 13 May 1940, he then joined GR II/55 on 22 May
1940. |
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| FINKELSTEIN
Charles |
Sergent
|
Mécanicien
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In November 1938, Charles
FINKELSTEIN enlisted ahead of the call-up and signed up for
three years. He joined the 127th Air Battalion, based at Camp
Avord in the Cher department. In January 1939, he was assigned
to the GAO 544 aerial observation group stationed in Bourges,
with which he would take part in the French Campaign. In June
1940, he joined GAO 511 stationed in Nantes, then Air Company
CA 96/101 in July 1940, and finally Company B of Uzein, stationed
in Pau-Uzein in August 1940. He was then assigned to BA101
stationed in Toulouse-Francazal in September 1940, before
being demobilised in February 1941.
He was arrested by the French police in July 1942 and deported
to Auschwitz, where he died on 17 November 1942.
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Born on 17 July 1919
in Paris (75)
Killed on 17 November 1942 in Auschwitz
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| JEAN |
Lieutenant
|
Observer
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On
May 12, 1940, he was taken prisoner after his aircraft, the
Mureaux 115 No. 42 , was hit by the Flak. |
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| LARPENT
Serge - Louis |
Lieutenant
|
Observer
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Leaves
the Group to join the GR I/35 on March 25, 1940. Her will be
killed on June 4, 1940. |
Born on 17 April 1918
in Salbris (41 - Loir-et-Cher)
Killed on 4 June 1940 in Auger Saint Vincent (60 - Oise)
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| MONTAGNON
Jean - Hubert |
Captain
|
Pilot
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On
May 12, 1940, he was taken prisoner after his aircraft, the
Mureaux 115 No. 42, was hit by the Flak. |
Born on 17 November
1904 in Nevers (58 - Nièvre)
Died on 5 September 1981 in La Charité-sur-Loire (58
- Nièvre)
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| TINLAND
Maurice - Félix |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
Observer
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Maurice TINLAND obtained
his law degree in 1938 and became a lawyer.
Mobilised in 1940, he joined GAO 544 before being transferred
to GR II/52 on 13 May 1940, then to GR II/55 on 22 May 1940.
After the Armistice, he was demobilised and resumed his career
as a lawyer. He joined the Resistance and became a member
of the Combat Group. He was arrested by the Gestapo in January
1944 and interned in Moulins, where he was tortured by the
German police. He was released in September 1944.
In 1947, Maurice TINLAND was elected mayor of Moulin and remained
in office until 1959, when he returned to his career as a
lawyer.
In March 1963, on his way back from a court hearing, he died
suddenly after suffering a headache.
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Born on 20 March 1915
in Valence (26 - Drôme)
Died on 29 March 1963 in Moulins (03 - Allier)
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Stories
of crews
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Crews
of Group
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Names
of crew members
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Rank
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Function
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Informations
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Crew
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DUGNAT
Georges |
Sergeant
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Machine-gunner
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Potez
63-11 n°439 : On 11 May 1940, the aircraft and
its crew were detached to GR II/52 before being permanently
transferred to this Group on 13 May 1940. |
| TINLAND
Maurice |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
Observer
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| FARELACCI |
Sergeant
|
Pilot
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Crew
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MONTAGNON
Jean |
Captain
|
Pilot
|
Mureaux
115 n°42 : Shot down by the Flak on May 12, 1940.
The crew is taken prisoner. |
| JEAN |
Lieutenant
|
Observer
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Airfield
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Airfields
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Period
of use of airfields
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Names
|
County
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| Romilly
sur Seine |
10
- Aube
|
August
1939
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| Saint-Omer |
62
- Pas de Calais
|
November 10, 1939
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| Couvron |
02
- Aisne
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| Villers-lès-Guise |
02
- Aisne
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March 24, 1940
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| Brêtigny-sur
Orge |
91
- Essone
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May
13, 1940
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| Tours
Parçay-Meslay / Mettray |
37
- Indre et Loire
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May
18, 1940
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| Clermont-Ferrand |
63
- Puy de Dôme
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| Bordeaux-Mérignac |
33
- Gironde
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Juny
05, 1940
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| Pau |
64
- Pyrénées-Atlantiques
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Juny
14, 1940
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Click
on the map to enlarge :
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Aircrafts
The GAO 544 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 :
- 3 Mureaux 115
- 1 Potez 63-11
Casualties
|
Crew
prisoners
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2
|
| Captain
MONTAGNON |
May 12,
1940
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| Lieutenant
JEAN |
May 12,
1940
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- Book : "Ils étaient
là" by Mr Jacqueline and Paul MARTIN - Editions Aéro-Editions
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