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Fighter Group GARC II/561 & GC III/10

1st Squadron (Ex ERC 3/561)
2nd Squadron(Ex ERC 4/561)


Historical

ERC 3/561 was born on August 24, 1939, from the dissolution of the Villacoublay Air Rescue Training Group, or Group 591. This Group consisted of a Fighter Squadron, a Bomb Squadron and a Training Squadron. At the dissolution of this group, the Fighter Squadron is divided into two, one of which is called ERC 3/561. Composed of experienced pilots, this unit is based upon mobilization on the Calais base. The two squadrons met October 14, 1939 to become the GARC II / 561.

The GARC starts the war with old-fashioned equipment composed of Nieuport 622 and Blériot-Spad 510. He will not receive his first Bloch 151 until December 1939. The last Blériot-Spad 510 will follow the Group throughout the campaign (N ° 24 and 32)

The GARC II / 561 becomes the GC III / 10 on January 18, 1940. It participates actively in the campaign of France and its palmares, in Armisitce will rise to 13 Victories sure and 3 probable.

On the date of the outbreak of the German attack of May 10, 1940, the GC III / 10 belongs to the Hunting Group No. 21 of the ZOAN (North Air Operations Area)

The Group is finally dissolved on July 24, 1940.


Staff

Commanders of the group GARC II/561 & GC III/10
Commander RISACHER
October 19, 1939
July 24, 1940
 
Commanders of the 5th Squadron
Lieutenant LECRIVAIN
August 24, 1939
March 16, 1940
 
Lieutenant MOISEAU
March 17, 1940
April 18, 1940
 
Lieutenant OZANNE
April 18, 1940
July 24, 1940
Commanders of the 6th Squadron
Captain SCHNEIDER
December 28, 1939
 
Captain GUIZARD
December 29, 1939
July 24, 1940
 

 


Pilots

Pilots of Group
Names of pilots
Rank
Squadron
Victories
Informations
Civil Statut
Photo
Citations
Sure
Prob.
BATUT Robert
Sub-Lieutenant
5th Sqn.
Assigned to GC III/10 on May 11, 1940. Killed in air combat on May 17, 1940.
     
BETHEUIL
Sub-Lieutenant
5th Sqn.
Moved to Salon CIC May 31, 1940
     
BOIRIES
Lieutenant
5th Sqn.
Assigned to the Group on June 13, 1940 from the CIC of Oran
     
BREJCHA Vaclav
Master-Corporal
6th Sqn.
Czech pilot assigned to the Group on May 30, 1940. Transferred to GC I/4 on June 1, 1940
     
BRUHAT
Lieutenant
6th Sqn.
     
BURDET
Chief Warrant Officer
5th Sqn.
     
CARBON Yves
Staff-Sergeant
6th Sqn.
2
3
     
DE-GRANDPRE
Staff-Sergeant
5th Sqn.
Assigned to the Group on June 13, 1940 from the CIC of Oran
     
DUVILLARD
Sub-Lieutenant
6th Sqn.
Assigned to the Group on June 7, 1940
     
EVRARD
Sub-Lieutenant
6th Sqn.
Moved to Salon CIC May 31, 1940
     
FELDZER Constantin
Sergeant
5th Sqn.
1
 
 
FRANVEL
Chief Warrant Officer
5th Sqn.
     
GABSZEWICZ Aleksander
Lieutenant
6th Sqn.
Polish pilot assigned to the group from 5 to 20 June 1940.
     
GAULARD Albert
Chief Warrant Officer
5th Sqn.
1
     
GUAY René
Sub-Lieutenant
6th Sqn.
Killed in aerial combat on May 21, 1940.
     
GUIZARD
Captain
Staff 6th Sqn
1
Injured in aerial combat on May 14, 1940.
     
HEFFINGER
Adjutant
6th Sqn.
     
HIBLOT André
Staff-Sergeant
6th Sqn.
1
     
IMHOFF
Lieutenant
5th Esc
     
JERE Bernard
Staff-Sergeant
6th Sqn.
2
Wounded May 14th - Return May 18th.
     
LAPORTE
Staff-Sergeant
5th Sqn.
     
LECRIVAIN
Lieutenant
Staff 5th Sqn.
     
LE PECQ Bernard
Sergeant
5th Sqn.
3
     
LESAULNIER
Sergeant
5th Sqn.
Demobilized on July 21, 1940.
     
MARTIN Georges
Staff-Sergeant
6th Sqn.
Assigned to the Group on March 31, 1940. Wounded in aerial combat and taken prisoner on May 14, 1940.
     
MARTIN Pierre
Sub-Lieutenant
5th Sqn.
Seriously injured in aerial combat on May 14, 1940: he will have to have a leg amputated.
     
MAZO
Sergeant
5th Sqn.
1
     
MIERZWA Boguslaw
Sub-Lieutenant
6th Sqn.
Polish pilot assigned to the Group from 5 to 20 June 1940.
     
MIGNOT
Sub-Lieutenant
5th Sqn.
Assigned to the Group June 13, 1940 from the CIC of Oran
     
MIKSA Wlodzimierz
Sub-Lieutenant
5th Sqn.
Polish pilot assigned to the Group on June 5, 1940.
     
MOIZEAU
Sub-Lieutenant
Staff 5th Sqn.
     
MOTTE Rémy
Staff-Sergeant
6th Sqn.
Killed in aerial combat on May 14, 1940.
     
MULLER Eugène
Adjutant
5th Sqn.
Moved May 31, 1940 to Salon CIC
     
MUSIAL Jan
Master-Corporal
5th Sqn.
Polish pilot assigned to the Group on June 5, 1940.
     
NOVOTNY Frantisek
Sergeant
6th Sqn.
Czech pilot assigned to the Group on May 30, 1940. Transferred to GC I/4 on June 1, 1940
     
OZANNE
Lieutenant
Staff 5th Sqn.
Moved to GC III/10 on April 15 from GC I/1
 
PINON
Sergeant
6th Sqn.
     
RAOULT Fernand
Sub-Lieutenant
6th Sqn.
     
RISACHER Louis
Commander
Staff Group
     
RYTKA Marian
Master-Corporal
6th Sqn.
Polish pilot assigned to the group from 5 to 20 June 1940.
     
SAWICZ Tadeusz
Lieutenant
5th Sqn.
Polish pilot assigned to the Group on June 5, 1940.
     
SCHNEIDER Marcel
Chief Warrant Officer
             
SCHNEIDER
Captain
Staff 6th Sqn.
1
     
SICARD
Sergeant
6th Sqn.
     
SINGEOT Marcel
Staff-Sergeant
6th Sqn.
2
1
     
VANTILLARD Roger
Chief Warrant Officer
6th Sqn.
Transferred to CRAS on December 3rd, 1939
 
 
VELEBNOVSKY Antonin
Lieutenant
6th Sqn.
Czech pilot assigned to the Group on May 30, 1940. Transferred to GC I/4 on June 1, 1940
     
WATTINE
Sub-Lieutenant
6th Sqn.
     
WINGLERT
Chief Warrant Officer
5th Sqn.
Transferred to CRAS on December 3rd, 1939.
     

 


Airfield

Airfields
Period of use of airfields
Names
County
Villacoublay
78 - Yvelines
August 27, 1939
Le Havre-Octeville
76 - Seine-Maritime
October 22, 1939
Deauville Saint-Gatien
14 - Calvados
May 22, 1940
Les Grandes-Chapelles
June 10, 1940
Anglure-Vouarces
51 - Marne
June 10, 1940
Troyes-Barberey
10 - Aube
June 12, 1940
Montbard
21 - Côte d'Or
June 13, 1940
Clermont-Ferrand
63 - Puy de Dôme
June 15, 1940
Ussel
19 - Corrèze
June 18, 1940
Bergerac
24 - Dordogne
June 20, 1940
Toulouse-Francazal
31 - Haute-Garonne
June 25, 1940

Click on the map to enlarge :

Itinerary of the GAR II/561 & GC III/10

 


Aircrafts

The GARC II/561 then GC III/10 was equipped since its creation on August 24, 1939, following aircrafts :

n the accessible file by the link below. You will find Nb of series, Registration, date of affectation to the group, and fate of the plane there.

In this list are identified :

    - 15 Blériot-Spad 510
    - 13 Bloch MB151
    - 38 Bloch MB152

Records

1/2 or 1/3 of victories were obtained in association with another Group.

Confirmed Victories
12
Messerschmitt BF110
0.5
Messerschmitt BF109
9
Dornier Do 215
0.5
Dornier Do 17
2
Likely Victories
3
Messerschmitt BF110
2
Dornier Do 17
1

 


Casualties

Killed Pilots
3
Staff-Sergeant MOTTE (Combat)
May 14, 1940
Sub-Lieutenant BATTUT (Combat)
May 17, 1940
Sub-Lieutenant GUAY (Combat)
May 21, 1940
Wounded Pilots
3
Staff-Sergeant MARTIN Georges (Combat)
May 14, 1940
Sub-Lieutenant MARTIN P. (Combat)
May 14, 1940
Captain GUIZARD (Combat)
May 14, 1940
Prisoners Pilots
1
Staff-Sergeant MARTIN Georges
May 14, 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
- Book "Bloch 152" from S. Joanne - Editions LELA Presse
- ...