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Site in French
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Historical
The GC III / 4 was created
on May 15, 1940 from regional squadrons ERC571 (skull) and ERC573
(the serpentine). At the declaration of hostilities, he is based
in Casablanca (Morocco) and flies on Dewoitine 510. The GC III /
4 will not participate in the campaign of France and will not obtain
any air victory.
GC III / 4 is dissolved on
August 25, 1940.
Staff
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Commanders
of the group
GC III/4
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| Commander
DAVY |
May 15,
1940
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June
12, 1940
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| Captain
De PLACE |
June
13, 1940
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August
25, 1940
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Commanders
of the 5th Squadron
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| Captain
DAVY |
May 1,
1937
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January
1, 1938
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| Sub-Lieutenant
AVON |
May 15,
1940
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December
22, 1939
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| Commander
DAVY |
June
14, 1940
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July
4, 1940
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Commanders
of the 6th Squadron
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Captain
HENRIET
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January
1, 1938
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December
21, 1939
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| Captain
PUISTIENNE Jean |
December
22, 1939
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July
3, 1940
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Lieutenant
COTTIN
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July
4, 1940
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August
25, 1940
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Pilots
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Pilots of
Group
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Names
of pilots
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Rank
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Squadron
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Victories
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Informations
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Civil
Statut
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Photo
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Citations
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Sure
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Prob.
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| AVON
Maurice |
Sub-Lieutenant
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Staff
5th Sqn.
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Maurice
AVON, a former student at the Ecole Normale d'Enseignants
in Avignon, discovered Popular Aviation before joining
the Advanced Military Training School. He asked to go
into aviation and obtained a flying scholarship. In 1938,
he joined the Bourges school and learned to fly the Hanriot.
He was awarded a military pilot's licence and was incorporated
at Istres. He was also trained as an observer at Avord.
He was posted to Oran, then to Casablanca with the GG
III/4 in 1940. Demobilised after the Armistice, he was
recalled in 1943 and joined the FAFL. He took part in
the landings with squadron 329.
He was posted to the GC ‘Provence’ in 1947 in
AFN, and was appointed commander of the GC I/2 ‘Cigognes’
in 1948, before being appointed second-in-command of the
7th Fighter Wing in 1953. In 1956, he became second-in-command
of the Meknès training base, then trainee at the
ESGA (Ecole Supérieure de Guerre Aérienne)
in 1958. He was then appointed deputy operational commander
of the 5eme RA in Algiers, then commander of the 9th air
brigade and commander of the Metz air base in 1960. In
1963, he was assigned to the 3rd Bureau of the Air Force
General Staff, and in 1965 became Commander of the southern
air defence zone at Aix-les-Milles. He was appointed head
of the military air traffic service and then director
of air traffic in 1968. Maurice AVON, Air Division General,
was put on aircrew leave in 1972.
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Born
on 6 September 1918 in Monteux (84 - Vaucluse).
Died on 21 November 1996. |
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| BOUBE
Henri |
Sub-Lieutenant
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| COTTIN |
Lieutenant
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Staff
6th Sqn.
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| DAVY |
Comandant
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Staff
5th Sqn.
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| DE-PLACE |
Captain
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Staff
Groupe
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| PUISTIENNE
Jean - Charles |
Captain
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Staff
6th Sqn.
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Jean PUISTIENNE,
a young student, was mobilised in 1915 and posted to the 121st
Infantry Regiment, then to the 105th; seriously wounded in
the face on the Somme in 1916, he asked to join the air force
in 1917. He obtained his pilot's licence and joined the 155th
Squadron, where he fought until the Armistice on 11 November
1918, but his flying career came to a premature end when he
and four other pilots performed acrobatics over the crowds
celebrating the victory, and one of the Spads crashed to the
ground. The 5 pilots were discharged from the Air Force; Jean
PUISTIENNE was however to be found commanding the ERC 571
squadron stationed at Casablanca until May 1940, when this
unit, along with ERC 573, formed GC III/4. Captain Jean PUISTIENNE
took command of the 6th Squadron..
Source Mr Yann PROUILLET
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Born
on 29 October 1896 in Vichy (03 - Allier)
Died at Lagardelle-sur-Lèze (31 - Haute-Garonne) on 23
January 1983 |
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| HENRIET |
Captain
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Staff
6th Sqn.
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| POSLUSNY
Ondrej |
Staff-Sergeant
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Czech Pilot
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| PRIHODA
Josef |
Master-Corporal
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Czech Pilot
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| VINDIS
Frantisek |
Master-Corporal
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Czech Pilot
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Airfields
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Airfields
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Period
of use of airfields
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Names
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County
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| Casablanca |
Morocco
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May
15, 1940 to June 10, 1940
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| Mansouriah |
Algeria
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June
10, 1940 to July 27, 1940
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| Meknès |
Morocco
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July
27, 1940 to August 25, 1940 (Dissolution)
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Click
on the map to enlarge :
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Itinerary
of the GC III/4
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Aircrafts
The GC III/4 was equipped
since its creation on May 1940, following aircrafts :
The used aircrafts
are described in 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 :
The
GC III / 4 doesn't participate in the Campaign of France and will
not obtain air victories.
Casualties
The
GC III / 4 doesn't participate in the Campaign of France and will
have no losses to deplore..
Sources
- Mr Yann PROUILLET - Summary of Jean PUISTIENNE's biography
- 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
- ...
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