 |
Site in French
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Historical
Originally, the 34th Aviation
Regiment was an Observation (GO) unit equipped with Potez 39s. But
from September 1936, the 34th Wing received Amiot 143s, and changed
its speciality by becoming a Bombing unit.
On May 10, 1940, the GB II
/ 34 is attached to the Group No. 9 of the 1st Air Division of the
ZOAN (North Air Operations Area)
Staff
|
Commanders
of the group
GB II/34
|
| Lieutenant-Colonel
DONZEAU Pierre |
|
October
13, 1939
|
|
|
Commander
DEJOBERT André
|
October
14, 1939
|
November
24, 1939
|
|
| Commander
RAVAS Etienne |
November
25, 1939
|
January
8, 1940
|
|
|
Commander
De-LAUBIER Jean
|
January
9, 1940
|
May 14,
1940
|
|
|
Captain
DE-TOURTIER Roger
|
May 15,
1940
|
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|
Commander
of the 3rd Squadron
|
|
Captain
RAUCH
|
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|
Captain
ROUFF Pierre
|
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Captain
GRIMAL Georges
|
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|
Commander
of the 4th Squadron
|
| Captain
DEBRABANT Henri |
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Personnel
|
Pilots
and crew of the Group
|
|
Names
of crew members
|
Rank
|
Function
|
Sqn.
|
Informations
|
Civil-statut
|
Photos
|
Citations
|
| ABELE |
Staff-Sergeant |
Pilot |
|
At
the beginning of 1940, the staff-sergeant ABELE took part in
the experimentation of the Amiot 354 at Marignane. |
|
|
|
| ANKAOUA
Robert |
Sergeant
|
Radio
|
4th Sqn.
|
On May 14, 1940, his
aircraft, the Amiot 143 No. 56, was shot down by the Flak.
Sergeant ANKAOUA parachutes and will be taken prisoner when
arriving on the ground.
|
Born in Algiers on 3
November 1915
Died at Enghien-les-Bains (95 - Val d'Oise) on 26 September
2015
|
|
|
| ASTRUC
Roger |
Sergeant
|
Machine
gunner
|
4th Sqn.
|
Roger
ASTRUC studied at the Lycée CONDORCET in Paris, where
he passed the Sciences-Languages Baccalauréat and continued
to draw. He was hired as an industrial draughtsman at Avions
Marcel BLOCH, then in the design office of the aircraft manufacturer
DEWOITINE in Courbevoie, where he worked from the end of the
1930s until the outbreak of the war and during the Occupation.
In early November 1938, he did his military service in Chartres,
where he was posted as a draughtsman to the Major Commandant.
He then joined the EOR (Ecole Officier de Réserve) platoon
at Dugny air base. In April 1939, he entered the Cazaux Advanced
Training School, where he was certified as Sergeant Machine
Gunner on 13th July 1939: Certificate No. 2077 issued on 6th
November 1939.
. He briefly joined
the Dugny base in August 1939 before being posted to the
GB II/34 - 4th Squadron based at Poix (Somme). Roger flew
day and night bombing missions on Amiot 143s from the Dijon
and Metz areas, among others, before moving to Meknes Air
Base in Morocco when the Group withdrew. In August 1940,
Roger Astruc joined the GB I/31 2nd Escadrille at Istres
Air Base. Finally, he was posted to the GR I/14 based at
Perpignan-Llabanère Air Base until his demobilisation
in March 1941.
In 1943, he joined the ‘Ceux de la Libération-Vengeance’
resistance network; arrested by the Gestapo in 1944 in Paris
for his Jewish-sounding name, he was interned for 4 months
in Fresnes prison, where he was released after persistent
efforts by his wife and the intervention of H. Carol, Director
of the Boulogne plant of Avions Marcel DASSAULT, and Jeff
ROOS, then Chairman of INDAERO, thus narrowly escaping deportation.
He is mentioned in the Order of the Air Force (Croix de
Guerre with a palm).
After the war, Roger worked in the aeronautical industry
until his retirement, starting with S.N.C.A.S.O. (Société
Nationale des Constructions Aéronautiques du Sud-Ouest)
after the company was successively called Sud-Aviation,
then S.N.I.A.S. (Société Nationale de l'Industrie
Aéronautique et Spatiale) and finally Aérospatiale.
Roger was a proud participant in the Concorde adventure
at the end of the 60s. He was in charge of a group responsible
for designing and producing advertising.
He retired in 1978 and returned with his wife ‘au Pays’
to Espira-de-l'Agly. In the village he made friends with
the Catalan poet Joan CAYROL, with whom he planned to start
drawing again to illustrate his poems, but CAYROL died too
soon.
Source Mr J.C. ASTRUC: see full details in the ‘Stories’
section below.
|
Born
on 1st June 1918
in Corneilla-De-La-Rivière (66 - Pyrénées-Orientales)
Died on 6th April 2000 in Espira-de-L'Agly
|
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| BENOIST |
Staff-Sergeant
|
|
|
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|
|
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| BEUCHER
René - Ferdinand |
Adjutant
|
Mechanic
- Machine-gunner
|
|
|
Born 11 February 1910
in Le Havre (76 - Seine-Maritime)
Died 11 August 1993 in Paris (75)
|
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|
| BLANCHET |
Sergeant
|
Pilot
|
4th Sqn.
|
|
|
|
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| BONHIVERS
Jacques |
Adjutant
|
Navigator
|
|
|
Born in Levallois-Perret
(92 - Hauts de Seine) on 5 April 1909
Died 21 September 1994 in Vitry-le-françois (51 - Marne)
|
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|
| BOUCHARD
Gislain - Ludoniel |
Lieutenant
|
|
|
Gislain BOUCHARD was an
aeronautical engineer before mobilisation.
He was killed on 16 October 1942: ‘Civilian victim of
the French Internal Resistance’.
|
Born on 17 August 1911
in Cherbourg-Octeville (50 - Manche)
Killed on 16 October 1942 in Tunisia
|
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| CHAISE
Robert - Louis |
Adjutant
|
Crew
Chief
|
|
|
Born August 11, 1911
in Troyes (10 - Aube)
Died at Les Angles (30 - Gard) on 10 February 2002
|
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| CHARLON
Roger |
Adjutant
|
Pilote
|
|
|
|
|
|
| CONSTANT |
Staff-Sergeant
|
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| COUZON
Auguste - Adolphe |
Chief
Warrant Officer
|
Pilot
|
4th Sqn.
|
On May
16, 1940, his aircraft, the Amiot 143 No. 27, was hit by the
Flak, while he attacked for the 5th time an armored vehicle.
The aircraft manages to regain the ground but is unusable.
The CHief Warrant Officer COUZON is unscathed.
|
Born on 29 January 1912
in Aubigne-Racan (72 - Sarthe)
Died in Nice (06 - Alpes-Maritimes) on 23 April 1990
|
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| DAGNAUX
Jean - Charles |
Lieutenant-Colonel
|
Crew
Chief
|
|
- May 10,
1940, his aircraft, the Amiot 143 No. 85, is damaged during
a bombardment. Lieutenant-colonel DAGNAUX is unscathed.
- On May
18, 1940, his aircraft, the Amiot 354 No. 29, was shot down
by the Flak during a German armor attack. Lieutenant Colonel
DAGNAUX is killed.
|
Born on 28 November
1891 in Montbeliard (25 - Doubs)
Killed on 17 May 1940
|
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| DEBRABANT
Henri - Charles |
Captain
|
Cder
4th Sqn.
|
4th Sqn.
|
After the
war, he was commander of Bremgarten Air Base from 1954 to
1957. Henri DEBRABANT held the rank of colonel.
|
Born on 3 September
1913 in Jussey (70 - Haute-Saône)
Died in Grimaud (83 - Var) on 3 January 2000
|
|
|
| DEJOBERT
André |
Commander
|
Cder
of Group
|
|
|
Né
le 23 décembre 1893 |
|
|
| DE-LAUBIER
Jean - Dieudonné |
Commander
|
Cder
of Groupand Machine Gunner (Dorsal)
|
4th Sqn.
|
Jean-Dieudonné
DE-LAUBIER enlisted voluntarily in 1914 at the age of 17.
He was posted to the artillery and fought with the Crapouillots.
In September 1918, he asked to join the Air Force and ended
the war with 4 commendations and the rank of second lieutenant.
After the war, he passed the entrance exam for the Sant-Cyr
Military School. On completion of his training in 1923,
he was posted to the 32nd Aviation Regiment. He first obtained
his Observer's Certificate and then his Pilot's Certificate
in 1924. Appointed Captain in 1929, he took command of a
squadron in 1935, then in 1938, with the rank of Major,
he took command of a Bombardment Group in the 38th Wing,
before being appointed head of GB II/34 in January 1940.
On May 14, 1940, his aircraft, the Amiot 143 No. 56, was
shot down by the Flak. Commander DE-LAUBIER is killed.
|
Born on 17 June 1897
at Saint-Méloir des Ondes (35 - Ille et Vilaine)
Killed on 14 May 1940 at Se(08 - Ardennes)
|
|
|
| DENIS |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
Pilot
|
|
|
|
|
|
| DE
TOURTIER Roger |
Captain
|
Cder
of Group
|
|
Roger DE-TOURTIER
became a colonel after the war.
|
Born 15 July 1906 in
Hermes (60 -Oise)
Died at Antibes (06 - Alpes-Maritimes) on 6 July 2000
|
|
|
| DOMERGUE |
Staff-Sergeant
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| DONZEAU
Pierre - Marcel |
Lieutenant-Colonel
|
Cder
of Group
|
|
Pierre
DONZEAU studied literature and opted for a university career.
However, he was mobilised in 1916 and took part in the Battle
of Verdun as a Reserve Second Lieutenant. He was awarded the
Légion d'Honneur for this battle.
After the war, having become an Active Officer, he decided
to join the air force and took his pilot's licence in 1919.
He studied Russian and stayed in Serbia to perfect his Russian
with an emigrant Russian general. In the early 1930s, he became
an instructor pilot at the Turkish aviation school in Eskisehir.
In February 1934, he was posted as deputy military attaché
to the French embassy in Moscow. He became Air Attaché
when the French Air Force was created in July 1934.
In 1938-1939, Pierre DONZEAU took command of a Bombardment
Group, then briefly served as Air Attaché in Romania.
At the end of 1939, he was appointed head of GB II/34.
At the time of the armistice, he was preparing to go to England,
but gave up after the British attacked the French fleet at
Mers el-Kébir in July 1940. He also refused to join
the Normandy-Niemen squadron because he did not want to serve
under Stalin, whom he knew well.
In 1945, he was sent to Vienna as a military administrator,
before leaving the army in the early 1950s.
|
Born 20 February 1895,
Vieux-Mareuil (24 - Dordogne)
Died 13 May 1976, Draveil (91 - Essonne)
|
|
|
| DUPRE
Pierre - Henri |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
|
4th Sqn.
|
Pierre
DUPRE was posted to GB I/31 before joining GB II/34. |
Born on 6 March 1915
at Nangis (77 - Seine-et-Marne)
Died at Vielle-Adour (65 - Hautes-Pyrénées)
on 4 March 1999
|
|
|
| FAUR |
Staff-Sergeant
|
|
|
|
|
|
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| FERALJean
- Désiré |
Sergeant
|
Bomber
Navigator
|
|
On June
22, 1940, his aircraft, the Amiot 351 No. 80, is destroyed
by accident. The crew is killed.
|
Born 08 June 1921 in
Bessac (81 - Tarn)
Killed 22 June 1940 in Oran (Algeria)
|
|
|
| FERRAND
Raymond - Fernand |
Chief-Warrant
Officer
|
Pilot
|
|
Raymond
FERRAND, assigned to the GLAM at Villacoublay, was killed on
22 December 1945. |
Born 19 December 1913
in Lure (70 - Haute-Saône)
Died at Boissise-la-Bertrand (77 - Seine et Marne) on 22 December
1945
|
|
|
| FIQUET
Jean-Michel |
Lieutenant
|
Crew
Chief
|
4th Sqn.
|
On May
16, 1940, his aircraft, the Amiot 143 No. 27, was hit by the
Flak, while he attacked for the 5th time an armored vehicle.
The aircraft manages to regain the ground but is unusable.
Lieutenant FIQUET is unscathed.
|
Born on 27 March 1917
in Seloncourt (25 - Doubs)
Died on 15 January 2011 in Vesoul (70 - Haute-Saône)
|
|
|
| FOUCHIER |
Lieutenant
|
Crew
Chief
|
|
|
|
|
|
| FRANCOIS |
Colonel
|
Crew
Chief
|
|
|
|
|
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| FREMOND
Frank - Frédéric |
Lieutenant
|
Pilot
|
|
He joined the ranks of EOR (Eleves Officeirs de Réserve)
in October 1935. At the beginning of 1940, he took part in
the experimentation of the Amiot 354 at Marignane. Following
this mission, in April, he flew some new Bombers to the 34th
Wing.
On 18 May 1940, his aircraft,
the Amiot 354 No. 29, was shot down
by Flak during an attack of German armoured tanks. Lieutenant
FREMOND parachuted down and was taken prisoner. He will be
repatriated to France in May 1941.
|
Born on 14 July 1914
in Blankenese-Hamburg, Germany
Died on 28 February 2008 in Le Havre (76 - Seine-Maritime).
|
|
|
| GELLY
Guy - Edmond |
Sergeant
|
Machine
Gunner (Front)
|
4th Sqn.
|
On May
14, 1940, his aircraft, the Amiot 143 No. 56, was shot down
by the Flak. Sergeant GELLY parachutes himself and will be
taken prisoner when he reaches the ground.
|
Born
on 3 November 1916 in Leynhac (15 - Cantal) |
|
|
| GENEST
Pierre |
Adjutant
|
Pilot
|
3rd Sqn.
|
|
Born on 14 April 1909
Died 22 August 2002
|
|
|
| GIRARD
Maurice - Jules |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
Pilot
|
|
He
later joined GB II/54 and was wounded on 9 June 1940. |
Born 9 June 1915
Died 15 January 1966
|
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| GIRAUD |
Sergeant
|
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| GRIMAL
Georges - Fernand |
Captain
|
Cder
3rd Sqn.
|
|
Georges Grimal was
admitted to the École Polytechnique in 1929. On graduating,
he joined the air force and was seconded to the École
militaire et d'application de l'aéronautique in Versailles
in 1931. He was assigned to the 21st bombing squadron in
1933, before being called up to the 3rd office of the Air
Force General Staff in 1937, then to the 5th office in 1938.
He was transferred to the GB II/34 group in 1940, with which
he took part in the French Campaign. He withdrew to AFN
and moved to group I/52 in Marrakech in 1941. In February-March
1942, he was assigned to reconnaissance and bombardment
groups in AFN, and in December 1942 took over command of
the École d'application du Personnel Navigant. He
was posted to 34 Squadron in 1944, then to 31 Squadron as
second-in-command in 1945, and took part in the French and
German campaigns.
He was seconded to
the Ministry of Armament in May 1946, before being called
to the Technical Planning Office of the Air Force General
Staff in 1947. In 1951, he joined the military standardisation
office of the French delegation in London. He was then transferred
to the command of Air Defence Zone 903 in Algiers in 1953.
He was placed at the disposal of the Supreme Allied Commander
in Europe in 1955 and then appointed deputy head of the
French delegation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
Permanent Group in Washington in 1956. He was appointed
Inspector General of Armed Forces Manufacturing and Programmes
in 1959. From 1960, he was deputy to the General Chief of
Staff of the French Air Force for Air Defence. Georges Grimal
left the active army in October 1961 with the rank of Air
Division General.
Returning to civilian life, he became Deputy Managing Director
of Erpi (Engineering, petrochemicals) in 1961, then Managing
Director of Potez Avco in 1963-64. But Georges Grimal is
also a painter, a portrait painter since 1964, and a sculptor:
geopolymer sculptures and the inventor of the dramatised
sculpture formula.
|
Born on 2 October 1908
in Lyon (69 - Rhône).
Died at Baigts de Béarn (64 - Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
on 27 June 2006
|
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| GUILLAUMIN |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
|
|
|
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|
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| HUGON
Maurice - Georges |
Staff-Sergeant
|
Radio
|
|
On June
22, 1940, his aircraft, the Amiot 351 No. 80, is destroyed
by accident. The crew is killed.
|
Born on 11 March 1915
in Peschadoires (63 - Puy de Dôme)
Killed on 22 June 1940 in Stidia (Algeria)
|
|
|
| JOLY
Claude - Antoine |
Chief
Warrant Officer
|
|
|
|
Born 17 April 1913 in
Echenoz-La-Meline (70 - Haute-Saône)
Died 6 September 1989 in Paris (75)
|
|
|
| JUILLAGUET
Gaston - Adrien |
Lieutenant
|
Crew
Chief
|
3rd Sqn.
|
|
Born on 1 May 1906 in
Premian (34 - Hérault)
Died on 17 June 1986 in Sète (34 - Hérault)
|
|
|
| LAVEYSSIERE |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| LAVOLLEY
Maurice - Louis |
Adjutant
|
Bomber
Navigator
|
|
On May
18, 1940, his aircraft, the Amiot 354 No. 29, was shot down
by the Flak during a German armored attack. Adjutant LAVOLLEY
is killed.
|
Born on 19 February
1911 in Angers (49 - Maine et Loire)
Killed on 18 May 1940 at La Vallée-aux-Bleds (02 -
Aisne)
|
|
|
| LEBEAU
Georges - René |
Sergeant
|
Pilot
|
|
On June
22, 1940 his aircraft, the Amiot 351 No. 80, is destroyed
by accident. The crew is killed.
|
Born 08 May 1901, Villers
Saint Benvist (89 - Yonne)
Killed 23 June 1940, Stidia (Algeria)
|
|
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| LEFEVRE
Fernand |
Lieutenant
|
Crew
Chief
|
|
|
|
|
|
| LEGER
R. |
Corporal
|
|
|
May 31,
1940, his aircraft, the Amiot 143 No. 64, is touched by the
Flak: The Corporal LEGER is wounded
|
|
|
|
| LE-PAPE
Gabriel |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
Crew
Chief
|
|
On June
22, 1940,his aircraft, the Amiot 351 No. 80, is destroyed
by accident. The crew is killed.
|
|
|
|
| LORTSCHER |
Sergeant
|
|
4th Sqn.
|
|
|
|
|
| MAILFERT
Jean - Joseph |
Lieutenant
|
Crew
Chief
|
|
|
Born on 16 February
1906 in Beuveille - (54 Meurthe-et-Moselle)
Died on 23 May 1992 in Toulouse (31 - Haute-Garonne)
|
|
|
| MARCILLAC
Raymond - Theophile |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
Observer
|
|
Raymond
MARCILLAC was called up in 1937. He joined the Avord school
and was posted to the 34th Air Wing. Awarded an observer's certificate,
he was posted to GB II/34 in 1939. After the Armistice, he joined
the Resistance, joining the ‘Duvernois’ network in
March 1943.
After the war, he served several periods in the reserves. |
Born
in Levallois-Perret (92 Hauts de Seine) on 11 April 1917
Died in Paris (75) on 13 April 2007 |
|
|
| MONTEL |
Corporal
|
Mechanic
|
4th Sqn.
|
On May
16, 1940, his aircraft, the Amiot 143 No. 27, was hit by the
Flak, while he attacked for the 5th time an armored vehicle.
The aircraft manages to regain the ground but is unusable.
MONTEL is seriously injured.
|
|
|
|
| MOREAU
Jean |
Sergeant
|
Machine
Gunner
|
|
May 10,
1940, his aircraft, the Amiot 143 No. 85, is damaged during
a bombing.The Sergeant MOREAU is injured.
|
|
|
|
| OCCIS
Georges - Louis |
Staff-Sergeant
|
Pilot
|
4th Sqn.
|
On May
14, 1940, his aircraft, the Amiot 143 No. 56, was shot down
by the Flak. Staff Sergeant OCCIS is killed.
|
Born 27 April 1913,
Conty (80 - Somme)
Killed 14 May 1940, Sedan (08 - Ardennes)
|
|
|
| OEILLARD
Guy |
Sergeant
|
Machine
Gunner Dorsal
|
4th Sqn.
|
On May
16, 1940, his aircraft, the Amiot 143 No. 27, was hit by the
Flak, while he attacked for the 5th time an armored vehicle.
The aircraft manages to regain the ground but is unusable.
Sergeant OEILLARD is seriously injured.
|
Born 3 April 1916, Paris
(75)
Died 9 January 1983, Chatou (78 - Yvelines)
|
|
|
| PALEWSKI
Gaston |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
|
|
Gaston
PALEWSKI is the former President of the Constitutional Council,
a former minister and a member of the Institut. He joined the
infantry in 1923. He joined the Ecole spéciale militaire
and was posted to the 1st Zouaves regiment in Morocco in 1924.
On his return to France, he was transferred to the reserves.
Recalled in 1939, he was posted to the GB II/34. After the Armistice
on 11 September 1940, he joined the FAFL and was appointed Free
French delegate in East Africa. In 1946, he was appointed Director
of General de Gaulle's cabinet. |
Born
on 20 March 1901 in Paris (75). Died on 3 September 1984 in
Val Saint-Germain (91 - Essone). |
|
|
| PETIT
Jean |
Staff-Sergeant
|
|
4th Sqn.
|
|
|
|
|
| QUEMENER |
Chief
Warrant Officer
|
|
4th Sqn.
|
|
|
|
|
| RAUCH |
Captain
|
Cder
3rd Sqn.
|
3rd Sqn.
|
|
|
|
|
| RAVAS
Etienne - Jean |
Commander
|
Cder
of Group
|
|
In 1934,
Etienne Ravas, then Captain, was seconded to the airline ‘Les
Chargeurs Réunis’. Armed with his knowledge of
the African coast, he carried out a meteorological study with
a view to setting up the Company's trading posts, and thus
contributed to the establishment of the Dakar-Pointe Noire
line.
|
Born 16 December 1896,
Cognac (16 - Charente)
Died 11 April 1982, Antibes (06 - Alpes-Maritimes)
|
|
|
| REGNAULT
Raymond |
Staff-Sergeant
|
Radio
|
|
At
the beginning of 1940, he took part in the experimentation
of the Amiot 354 in Marignane, France.
On
May 18, 1940, his aircraft,
the Amiot 354 No. 29, was shot down
by the Flak during a German armored attack. Sergeant-Sergeant
REGNAULT, wounded, parachutes himself and will be taken
prisoner.
|
|
|
|
| RENARD
August - Adrien |
Staff-Sergeant
|
Machine-gunner
|
4th Sqn.
|
On May 16, 1940, his
aircraft, the Amiot 143 No. 27, was hit by the Flak, while
he attacked for the 5th time an armored vehicle. The aircraft
manages to regain the ground but is unusable. The CHief
Warrant Officer RENARD is unscathed.
It will subsequently
join GB I/31.
He was killed on March
02, 1945 over Germany while serving with the RAF's 142 Squadron;
this unit, specialized at the time in night hunting, was
equipped with Canadian-made Mosquito B MK25s.
|
Born
August 04, 1904 in Magneville (50 - Manche)
Killed on March 2, 1945 in Putzchen (Germany) |
|
|
| ROCHEREAU
Camille - Alexis |
Chief
Warrant Officer
|
|
|
|
Born 1 October 1912
Died 20 July 1945
|
|
|
| ROUFF
Pierre - Jean |
Captain
|
Pilot
and Cder 3rd Sqn.
|
3rd Sqn.
|
|
Born 7 December 1897,
Cannes (06 - Alpes-Maritimes)
Died 19 October 1978, Fréjus (83 - Var)
|
|
|
| SOMMER
François - Noel |
Staff-Sergeant
|
|
|
After brilliant studies,
François SOMMER took over the business of his father,
Chairman and Managing Director of the Mouzon felt factory.
In September 1939, he was mobilised with the rank of Sergeant-Chef
and joined the GB II/34 Bombardment Group at the end of
April 1940. He fought with this group during the French
Campaign, carrying out 25 missions and being injured three
times before the Armistice... For this, he was twice cited
in the Divisional Order.
After the Armistice, he withdrew with his Group to North
Africa before being demobilised in August 1940.
Back in occupied France, he joined the ‘Ceux de la
Libération’ (CDLL) resistance network in December
1940 and became one of the movement's leaders.
Wanted by the Germans, however, he had to go to England
in December 1942; he managed to escape from France via Spain,
where he was interned for a month. François SOMMER
finally reached London in March 1943...
He joined the Free
French Air Force and was assigned to the ‘Lorraine’
Bombardment Group as an observer with the rank of second
lieutenant.
At the end of October 1944, after 53 war flights, he was
appointed Lieutenant and Chief of Staff to General Valin,
Chief of Staff of the French Air Force, before being demobilised
at the end of 1945.
François SOMMER returned to civilian life and joined
his father at the head of the company. Under his impetus,
this French company took on a European dimension
François SOMMER, a great specialist in hunting and
safaris, was awarded the Académie Française
prize for his book La Chasse Imaginaire in 1969.
He has also been a member of the Conseil de l'Ordre de la
Libération since November 1963.
|
Né le 25 décembre
1904 à Mouzon (08 - Ardennes)
Décédé
le 8 janvier 1973 à Paris (75)
|
|
|
| TOUREL
Gaston - Georges |
Chief-Warrant-Officer
|
Machine-Gunner
|
|
After
the Armistice, Gaston TOUREL joined the Free French Air Force.
He was assigned to the ‘Tunisia’ Bombardment Group,
with which he flew 39 war missions. |
Born 3 January 1911
in Belgium
Died 23 November 1995 in Varilhes (09 - Ariège)
|
|
|
| VAUZELLE
Jean - Eloi |
Lieutenant
|
Crew
Chief
|
4th Sqn.
|
On May
14, 1940, his aircraft, the Amiot 143 No. 56, was shot down
by the Flak. Lieutenant VAUZELLE is killed.
|
Born in Château-D'Oléron
(17 - Charente Maritime)
Killed on 14 May 1940
|
|
|
|
Group
Mechanics
|
|
Name
|
Rank
|
Function
|
Sqn.
|
Informations
|
Photo
|
| ABRAHAM |
Staff-sergeant
|
Mechanic
|
1st
Sqn.
|
|
|
| ABRANT |
Sergeant
|
Mechanic
|
2nd
Sqn.
|
|
|
Stories
|
Names
|
Photos
|
Descriptive
|
| Sergeant
Roger ASTRUC |
|
Source
Mr J.C. ASTRUC, son of Sergeant Robert ASTRUC, machine-Gunner |
Stories
of crews
|
Crews
of Group
|
|
Names
of crew members
|
Rank
|
Function
|
Sqn.
|
Informations
|
|
Crew
|
DAGNAUX
Jean |
Lieutenant-Colonel
|
Crew
Chief
|
|
Amiot
143 No 85 : The aircraft was damaged during a bombing
on May 10, 1940. Sergeant MOREAU is injured. |
| MOREAU
Jean |
Sergeant
|
Machine
Gunner
|
|
Crew
|
OCCIS
Georges |
Staff-Sergeant
|
Pilot
|
4th Sqn.
|
Amiot
143 No 56 : : The aircraft was shot down by the
Flak on May 14, 1940. Lieutenant VAUZELLE, Commander DE-LAUBIER
and Staff Sergeant OCCIS are killed. Sergeant GELLY and Sergeant
ANKOUA are prisoners. |
| VAUZELLE
Jean |
Lieutenant
|
Crew
Chief
|
| ANKOUA
Robert |
Sergeant
|
Radio
|
| GELLY
Guy |
Sergeant
|
Machine
Gunner (Front)
|
| DE-LAUBIER
Jean |
Commander
|
Machine
Gunner (Dorsal)
|
|
Crew
|
COUZON
Auguste |
Chief
Warrant Officer
|
Pilot
|
4th Sqn.
|
Amiot
143 No 27 : The aircraft was wounded
by the Flak on May 16, 1940, while attacking for the 5th time
an armored vehicle. The aircraft manages to regain the ground
but is unusable. Sergeant OEILLARD and Corporal MONTEL are wounded |
| FIQUET
Jean |
Lieutenant
|
Crew
Chief
|
| RENARD
Auguste |
Chief
Warrant Officer
|
Observer
|
| MONTEL |
Corporal
|
Mechanic
|
| OEILLARD
Guy |
Sergeant
|
Machine
Gunner (Dorsal)
|
|
Crew
|
FREMOND
Franck |
Lieutenant
|
Pilot
|
|
Amiot
354 No 29 : : The aircraft was shot down by the
Flak on May 18, 1940 during a German armor attack. Lieutenant-Colonel
DAGNAUX and Adjutant LAVOLLEY are killed. Lieutenant FREMOND
and and Staff Sergeant REGNAULT are prisoners. |
| DAGNAUX
Jean |
Lieutenant-Colonel
|
Crew
Chief
|
| REGNAULT
Raymond |
Staff-Sergeant
|
Radio
|
| LAVOLLEY
Maurice |
Adjutant
|
Bomber
navigator
|
|
Crew
|
LEBEAU
Georges |
Sergeant
|
Pilot
|
|
Amiot
351 No 80 : The aircraft was destroyed by accident
on June 22, 1940: the crew is killed. |
| LE-PAPE |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
Crew
Chief
|
| HUGON
Maurice |
Staff-Sergeant
|
Radio
|
| FERAL
Jean |
Sergeant
|
Bomber
navigator
|
Airfield
|
Airfields
|
Period
of use of airfields
|
|
Names
|
County
|
|
Poix
Terron
|
08
- Ardennes
|
September
3, 1939
|
|
Dijon
|
21
- Côte d'Or
|
December
26, 1939
|
|
Roye
Amy
|
60
- Oise
|
April
10, 1940
|
|
Montdidier
|
80
- Somme
|
May
10, 1940
|
|
Nangis
|
77
- Seine et Marne
|
May
11, 1940
|
|
Briare
|
45
- Loiret
|
June
1, 1940
|
|
Avord
|
18
- Cher
|
June
9, 1940
|
|
Moulins-Sur-Yèvre
|
18
- Cher
|
June
12, 1940
|
|
Agen
La Garenne
|
47
- Lot et Garonne
|
June
15, 1940
|
|
Bergerac
|
24
- Dordogne
|
June
16, 1940
|
|
Lézignan
|
11
- Aude
|
June
19, 1940
|
|
Oran
La Sénia
|
Algérie
|
June
20, 1940
|
|
Kalaa-Djerda
|
Tunisie
|
June
22, 1940
|
|
|
Click
on the map to enlarge
:
|
|
Itinerary
of the GB II/34
|
|
|
|
Aircrafts
The GB II/34 has been mainly
equipped since its creation with the following Aircraft :
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 :
- 26 Amiot 143
- 4 Amiot 351
- 2 Amiot 354
Casualties
|
Crewmen
killed
|
9
|
|
Lieutenant
VAUZELLE (Combat)
|
May 14,
1940
|
|
Staff-Sergeant
OCCIS (Combat)
|
May 14,
1940
|
|
Commander
DE-LAUBIER (Combat)
|
May 14,
1940
|
|
Lieutenant-Colonel
DAGNAUX (Combat)
|
May 18,
1940
|
|
Adjutant
LAVOLLEY (Combat)
|
May 18,
1940
|
|
Sub-Lieutenant
LE-PAPE (Accident)
|
June
22, 1940
|
|
Sergeant
LEBEAU (Accident)
|
June
22, 1940
|
|
Staff-Sergeant
HUGON (Accident)
|
June
22, 1940
|
|
Sergeant
FERAL (Accident)
|
June
22, 1940
|
|
Crewmen
injured
|
5
|
| Sergeant
MOREAU (Combat) |
10-May-40
|
| Corporal
MONTEL (Combat) |
16-May-40
|
| Sergeant
OEILLARD (Combat) |
16-May-40
|
| Staff-Sergeant
REGNAULT (Combat) |
18-May-40
|
| Corporal
LEGER (Combat) |
31-May-40
|
|
Crewmen
prisoner
|
4
|
| Sergeant
GELLY |
May 14,
1940
|
| Sergeant
ANKAOUA |
May 14,
1940
|
| Staff-Sergeant
REGNAULT |
May 18,
1940
|
| Lieutenant
FREMOND |
May 18,
1940
|
Sources
- Mr Jean-Charles
ASTRUC, son of Sergeant Roger ASTRUC
- 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
- Book
: "Amiot 143 " byJérome RIBEIRO / Michel LEDET - Editions LELA-PRESSE
(Immatriculations of Amiot 143 of the aircraft list)
|
