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Reconnaissance Group GR I/55
1st Squadron
2nd Squadron


Historique

On the date of the outbreak of the German attack of May 10, 1940, the GR I / 55 is attached to the 8th Army of the "Air Force Cooperation" of the ZOAS (South Air Operations Area).

 


Staff

Commanders of the group GR I/55
Commander BISSON André      
Commander DE-TARLE
 
Commander of the 1st Squadron
Captain GIRIER André
     
Lieutenant LE-BRUN Jean
 
Commander of the 2nd Squadron
Captain PERRIER Auguste      
Lieutenant DA Pierre
 
Other Members of the Military Staff
Lieutenant BOIRON
Doctor
   
Lieutenant SERENE
Doctor
   

 


Personnel

Pilots and crew of the Group
Names of crew members
Rank
Function
Sqn.
Informations
Civil Statut
Photos
Citations
ARGAUD Elie - Marcel
Lieutenant
Born on 8 April 1916 in Saint-Agreve (07 - Ardèche)
Died on 12 March 1990 in Lyon (69 - Rhône)
   
ARPURT Raymond - Jean
Lieutenant
After the Armistice, Lieutenant ARPURT joined the Youth and Mountain movement.
Born on 25 January 1914 in Mourmelon-Le-Grand (51 - Marne)
Died on 22 April 1995 in Châteauneuf-Grasse (06 - Alpes-Maritimes)
   
AUZEING Jean
Lieutenant
Observer
On May 27, 1940, Potez 63-11 No. 679 was seriously hit by the Flak and crashed. The crew is unscathed, manages to leave the aircraft before its explosion.
Born on 14 March 1912 in Cannes (06 - Alpes-Maritimes)
Died at Montpellier (34 - Hérault) on 24 November 1996
 
BALTZ Charles
Lieutenant

Born on 4 December 1914 in La Walck (67 - Bas-Rhin)
Died on 21 April 1990 in Strasbourg (67 - Bas-Rhin)

   
BISSON André - Louis
Commander
Staff Group
Born 9 June 1919, Caen (14 - Calvados)
Died at Couchey (21 - Côte d'Or) on 20 October 1987
   
BOURDOT René
Lieutenant
After the Armistice, Lieutenant BOURDOT joined the Jeunesse et Montagne movement.

Born on 13 June 1909 in Baigneux-Les-Juifs (21 - Côte-d'Or)
Died on 11 December 2005 in Chalon-sur-Saône (71 - Saône-et-Loire)

   
BOUTIERE
Adjutant
Pilot
 
BOYRON
Lieutenant
   
DA Pierre - Joseph
Lieutenant
Pilot
Staff 2nd Sqn.
Born on 6 August 1914
Killed on 28 April 1951
 
DARNAUDY
Lieutenant
After the Armistice, Lieutenant DARNAUDY became an instructor at the Moroccan Officer Cadet School in Darel Beida.    
DE BALATIER
Adjutant
Pilot
   
DE LESSAN Robert - Marie
Lieutenant
Observer
On June 17, 1940, his aircraft, a Potez 63-11 is hit by the Flak, at the observer's station. The pilot managed to bring the aircraft back to his field, but Lieutenant DE-LAISSANS was killed.
Born in Paris on 4 May 1911
Killed on 17 June 1940 at Montbard (21 - Côte d'Or)
 
DE-TARLE
Commander
Staff Group
   
FICHET Léon
Chief-Warrant-Officer
Pilot
Born in June 1902 in Bantanges (71 - Saône et Loire)
Died in Créteil (94 - Val de Marne) on 6 October 1989
 
FLOTARD Jacques
Captain
Observer
After the Armistice, Lieutenant FLOTARD joined the 7th Regiment of Moroccan Riflemen in Meknes.
22nd December 1909
Died in June 1965
 
GALLAVARDIN Pierre - Emmanuel
Lieutenant
Observer

Pierre GALLAVARDIN will join GR II/14

He was killed on 4 August 1940 by a German officer.

Born in Lyon (69 - Rhône) on 23 April 1915
Killed on 4 August 1940 at Redding (57 - Moselle)
   
GIRIER André
Captain
Staff 1st Sqn.
   
GOUZIAN Georges - Auguste
Lieutenant
Observer
Born in Toulon (83 - Var) on 16 September 1914
Died at Toulon on 26 May 1999
 
GRANCHER Auguste
Staff-Sergeant
Pilot
1st Sqn.
On May 27, 1940, Potez 63-11 No. 679 was seriously hit by the Flak and crashed. The crew is unscathed, manages to leave the aircraft before its explosion.
Born on 18 July 1913
Died 30 August 1957
 
GUILLAUME
Lieutenant
   
HECKER
Sergeant
Pilot
 
JOUBERT
Lieutenant
After the Armistice, Lieutenant JOUBERT returned to his position as an engineer in Lyon.    
JOZON Pierre - Claude
Lieutenant
After the Armistice, Lieutenant JOZON returned to his position as an engineer in Grenoble.

Born on 30 August 1914 in Villers-sur-Mer (14 - Calvados)
Died on 6 January 2007 in Eaubonne (95 - Val d'Oise)

   
JUILLE Michel - Robert
Captain
Observer
After the Armistice, Captain JUILLE joined the 2nd Regiment of Moroccan Riflemen in Meknes.
He later became a Brigadier General.
Born on 17 January 1908 in Paris (75)
Died on 7 May 1983 in Saint-Mandé (94 - Val de Marne)
 
LAMBERT
Sub-Lieutenant
   
LE-BRUN Jean
Lieutenant
Pilot
Staff 1st Sqn.
 
LEPAPE
Lieutenant
After the Armistice, Lieutenant LEPAPE became a civil servant in Orange-Caritat.    
MARIN
Lieutenant
   
MATTEI
Captain
After the Armistice, Captain MATTEI became a civil servant in Clermont-Ferrand.    
MAUFROY
Lieutenant
After the Armistice, Lieutenant MAUFROY returned to his position as an engineer in Lyon.    
PAQUET
Staff-Sergeant
Machine-Gunner
   
PERINEL
Staff-Sergeant
Pilot
 
PERRIER Auguste
Captain
Staff 2nd Sqn.
Born on 4 August 1900
Died 1 July 1956
 
POLI
Lieutenant
After the Armistice, Lieutenant POLI joined the Jeunesse et Montagne movement.    
POUZOL Louis - Augustin
Adjutant
Machine-Gunner
On May 27, 1940, Potez 63-11 No. 679 was seriously hit by the Flak and crashed. The crew is unscathed, manages to leave the aircraft before its explosion.
Born in Annonay (07 - Ardèche) on 9 October 1913
Died in Lyon (69 - Rhône) on 3 January 1997
 
ROUX
Lieutenant
   
SOURBIER Adrien - Georges
Lieutenant

Born on 27 January 1913 in Saint-Laurent (973 - Réunion)
Died on 3 December 1998 in Viriat (01 - Ain)

   
TUFFAL Louis
Commander
Born on 5 April 1903    

 

 
Group mechanics and non-flying personnel
Name
Rank
Function
Sqn.
Informations
Civil-Statut
Photo
ALVAZIAN
Soldat
   
AMARDELL
Chief-Warrant-Officer
   
AURIOL
Staff-Sergeant
   
BARBERO
Soldat
   
BERGOEN
Soldat
   
BILLON
Adjutant
   
BOIRON
Lieutenant
Doctor
After the Armistice, Lieutenant BOIRON became an obstetrician in Saint Etienne.    
BORDAT
Staff-Sergeant
   
BOURGEAT
Master-Corporal
   
BROSSET
Staff-Sergeant
   
CAGNIN
Soldat
   
CHABERT
Adjutant
   
CHATELET
Sergeant
   
CHAVE A.
Soldat
   
CHAVE C.
Soldat
   
CLAVAUD
Sergeant
   
COMBAZ
Sergeant
   
COTON
Soldat
   
DARGAUD
Soldat
   
DESNOYER
Adjutant
   
DUCLOS
Adjutant
   
FAGE
Sergeant
   
FAURITE
Chief-Warrant-Officer
   
FERRANDO
Soldat
   
FONTANA
Soldat
   
FOUDRAZ
Sergeant
   
FROBERT
Sergeant
   
GAUTHIER
Adjutant
   
HELTZMANN
Staff-Sergeant
   
JUNG
Adjutant
   
LANFRANCHI
Soldat
   
MAISSIAT
Soldat
   
MARION
Adjutant
   
MAURIN
Soldat
   
MAURY
Staff-Sergeant
   
MELEY
Soldat
   
MELLODON
Adjutant
   
MOREAU
Soldat
   
NARBOUD
Soldat
   
NOYER
Chief-Warrant-Officer
   
PAUTRAT
Staff-Sergeant
   
PELISSON
Soldat
   
PELLIGRINO
Staff-Sergeant
   
PETITFILS
Soldat
   
PEYRON
Sergeant
   
PIRLOT
Sergeant
   
RASPILARE
Sergeant
   
ROCHE A.
Master-Corporal
   
RODIN
Adjutant
   
RODRIGUEZ
Staff-Sergeant
   
ROUCH
Sergeant
   
SAMBARDIER
Sergeant
   
SAUNIER
Soldat
   
SCLIPPA
Soldat
   
SERENE
Lieutenant
Doctor
After the Armistice, Lieutenant SERENE became a doctor in Solliès-Pont (83 - Var).    
SOUTEYRAT
Chief-Warrant-Officer
   
SUTOUR
Staff-Sergeant
   
TOUTEVOIX
Staff-Sergeant
   
VERDEAU
Soldat
   
VIANO
Staff-Sergeant
   
VIGNON
Soldat
   

 

 


Stories of crews

Crews of Group
Names of crew members
Rank
Function
Informations
Crew
GRANCHER Auguste
Staff-Sergeant
Pilot
Potez 63-11 n° 679 : Shot down by Flak on May 27, 1940. The crew is unscathed
AUZEING Jean
Lieutenant
Observer
POUZOL Louis
Adjutant
Machine-Gunner

 


Airfield

Airfields
Period of use of airfields
Names
County
Orange Plan-De-Dieu
84 - Vaucluse
September 3, 1939
Chambaran Marcilloles
38 - Isère
December 12, 1939
Lure Malbouhans
70 - Haute-Saône
March 20, 1940
Pontarlier
25 - Doubs
June 15, 1940
Nantua-Port
01 - Ain
June 15, 1940
Feurs
42 - Loire
June 17, 1940
Saint Rambert D'Albon
26 - Drôme
June 17, 1940
Lézignan
11- Aude
June 18, 1940
Marignane
13 - Bouches du Rhône
June 18, 1940
Orange Plan-De-Dieu
84 - Vaucluse
June 19, 1940
Perpignan La Salanque
66 - Pyrénées orientales
June 21, 1940
Alger Maison-Blanche
Algeria
June 22, 1940
Oran-La-Sénia
Algeria
June 23, 1940

Click on the map to enlarge :

Itinerary of the GR I/55

 


Aircrafts

The GR I/55 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 :

  • 4 Potez 542
  • 3 Potez 63-11

 


Casualties

Crewmen killed
1
Lieutenant DE-LAISSANS (Combat)
June 17, 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
- ...