Site in French

Air Observation Group GAO 507


Historical

On May 10, 1940, the GAO 507 is attached to the 2nd Army of the 1st Air Division of the ZOAN (North Air Operations Area).


Staff

Commanders of the group GAO 507
Captain BITSCH      
Commander SCHWANDER Henri
 

 


Personnel

Pilots and crew of the Group
Names of crew members
Rank
Function
Informations
Civil Statut
Photos
Citations
BARBIER
Sub-Lieutenant
Pilot
Wounded on December 23, 1939 aboard a Mureaux 115: the aircraft, in foggy weather, crashes on landing.  
BEGUIN Didier
Sergeant
Pilot

Didier BEGUIN enlisted in the French Air Force in 1937 and joined the Bourges flying school. He obtained his pilot's licence on 25 August 1937. In January 1938, Sergeant Didier BEGUIN was posted to the Groupe Aérien d'Observation GAO 507, where he flew several missions over Mureaux 115 before joining the Officer Cadet Platoon at Tours in January 1940. He then did a conversion course on Potez 63-11s at Toulouse-Francazal, where the Armistice took him by surprise.

In order to continue the fight, he seized a GOELAND Caudron and, with two other people, managed to reach England. He joined the Free French Air Force and was posted to Sutton Flying School before joining Squadron 245 in October 1940 with the rank of Warrant Officer.

He volunteered for the Normandy-Niemen Group and arrived in Russia in December 1942. After a few weeks' training, he took part in combat and was wounded in July 1943. He resumed flying in August 1943, and became Captain, Head of the "Le Havre" Escadrille. In February 1944, having completed his tour of operations exhausted, he was repatriated to France where he resumed fighting in August 1944 with Squadron 130. In October, he became Commander of the "Strasbourg" Squadron of the "Alsace" Fighter Group.

It was shot down by flak on 26 November 1944 in the Arnhem region. At the time, he had flown a total of 415 war missions and won 8 official victories. He is a Knight of the Legion of Honour, holder of the Croix de Guerre 1939-45, Medal of the Resistance and was decorated by Russia for his combat in the Normandie-Niemen.

Born in Paris (75) on 14 December 1918
Killed on 26 November 1944 in Arnhem (Netherlands)
 
BIKOWETZ
Sub-Lieutenant
Observer
On 20 May 1940, his aircraft, Potez 63-11 n°440, was shot down during a battle with 6 Me109s. Second Lieutenant BIKOWETZ was taken prisoner with minor facial burns.  
BITSCH
Captain
Commander of Group
 
BONNAL Louis - François
Lieutenant
Observer
On September 20, 1939, the Mureaux 115 No. 21, badly damaged following a fight against the 5 Me109, must land in the field. Lieutenant BONNAL is seriously injured.
Born on 28 April 1910 in Exireuil (79 - Deux-Sèvres)
Died at Nice (06 - Alpes-Maritimes) on 25 December 2003
CLEMENT René- Marie
Lieutenant
Observer
LAPANNE Pierre - Gaston
Lieutenant
Pilot
Born in Saint-Max (54 - Meurthe et Moselle) on 13 April 1905
Died at Nancy (54 - Meurthe et Moselle) on 16 December 1996
LIEBERT
Chief Warrant Officer
�Machine-Gunner
On May 20, 1940, his aircraft, the Potez 63-11 No. 440 was shot down during a fight against him at 6 Me109. Chief Warrant Officer LIEBERT, seriously injured, is taken prisoner.  
LOUIS
Lieutenant
Pilot
On May 20, 1940, his aircraft, the Potez 63-11 No. 440 was shot down during a fight against him at 6 Me109. Lieutenant LOUIS, wounded, is taken prisoner.  
PICQ André - Marcel
Lieutenant
Observer
Killed on December 23, 1939 aboard a Mureaux 115: the aircraft, in foggy weather, crashes on landing.
Born on 17 November 1912 at Saint-Dié-des-Vosges (88 - Vosges)
Killed at Flavigny (54 - Meurthe et Moselle) on 23 December 1939
 
SCHWANDER Henri - Emile
Commander
Commander of Group
Henri SCHWANDER fought in both World Wars. In the First World War, he fought with the 82nd Artillery Regiment.
Born in Montbéliard (25 - Doubs) on 14 November 1891
Died at Montbéliard on 7 January 1957
 
SENN Henri
Chief Warrant Officer
Pilot
On September 20, 1939, the Mureaux 115 No. 21, badly damaged following a fight against the 5 Me109, must land in the field. Chief Warrant Officer SENN is injured.
Born in Paris (75) on 16 March 1911
Died at Amboise (37 - Indre et Loire) on 12 July 2004
TASSIN DE SAINT-PEREUSE Pierre - Eugène
Lieutenant
Observer
Pierre TASSIN DE SAINT-PEREUSE enlisted in the army in 1930, joining the Cavalry and being incorporated into the 8th Regiment of Mounted Chasseurs. He entered the École militaire des sous-officiers de cavalerie in Saumur in 1934. He was posted to the 4th RDP in 1936. In September 1938, he attended a training course for aircraft observers at the Avord school.
He received his observer's certificate and was called up to the GAO 507 observation air group based at Luxeuil in 1938. A student pilot at the Melun and Meknès flying schools, he obtained his pilot's licence in November. Having heard General DE GAULLE's call, he escaped from Casablanca aboard a Glenn-Martin to Gibraltar in June 1940.

Arriving in England on 13 July, he joined the Free French Air Force and was posted to the Topic Bomber Squadron, which left England for Takoradi on the Gold Coast in October 1940. This formation was attached to the Free French Equatorial Air Forces and on 24 December 1940, along with the ‘Menace’ squadron, became the Groupe réservé de bombardement n°1 (GRB1), under the command of Major Jean Astier de Villatte.
In February 1941, it took part with the GRB1 in the Koufra operations in Libya in support of Colonel LECLERC's troops. In September 1941, the GRB1 became the ‘Lorraine’ bombing group in Damascus. Captain DE SAINT-PEREUSE was in charge for a month, before taking part in the Libyan campaign with massive bombing raids on enemy motorised columns and then, in January 1942, on Bardia and Halfaya. It carried out more than forty bombing missions during the campaign.
At the end of January 1942, the ‘Lorraine’ returned to Syria; shortly afterwards, Pierre DE SAINT-PEREUSE, promoted to Major, left the Group to take command of the ‘Bretagne’ Bombardment Group based at Moussoro in July 1942.
At the end of January 1943, after a number of missions, the group commanded by Pierre DE SAINT-PEREUSE moved to Sebha, then to Ben Gardane in southern Tunisia in April 1943. There, it began a series of training flights for night bombing before carrying out another twenty war missions.
Promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 15 June 1943, the following month he handed over command of ‘Le Bretagne’ to lieutenant-colonel Vuillemin for just a few days and went to Algiers to receive his orders concerning the Group's future.
On his return from Algiers on 15 July 1943, a plane crash claimed the lives of four of the passengers, including lieutenant pilot Marcel Lebois. Seriously injured and with his right leg amputated, Pierre DE SAINT-PEREUSE was replaced by Captain de MAISMONT at the head of the ‘Bretagne’. After a long and painful convalescence, he was posted to the FAFL headquarters in Great Britain.
After the war, he continued his military career, was promoted to colonel in May 1952 and served as head of the Air Force Historical Service until 1958. Assigned to command the 2nd RA in 1961, he was retired in 1962.

Source : https://www.ordredelaliberation.fr/fr/compagnons/pierre-tassin-de-saint-pereuse

Born on 2 July 1910 in Moulins (03 - Allier).
Died at Saint-Péreuse (58 - Nièvre) on 29 December 1995
   

 

 

Stories of crews

Crews of Group
Names of crew members
Rank
Function
Informations
Crew
SENN Henri
Chief Warrant Officer
Pilot
Mureaux 115 n° 21 : Destroyed in air combat on September 20, 1939. Both crew members are wounded
BONNAL Louis
Lieutenant
Observer
Crew
BARBIER
Sub-Lieutenant
Pilot
Mureaux 115 n° ? : Crashes at the landing in fog on December 23, 1939. Lieutenant PICQ is killed and Second Lieutenant BARBIER is wounded
PICQ André
Lieutenant
Observer
Crew
LOUIS
Lieutenant
Pilot
Potez 63-11 n° 440 : Shot down by German Fighter May 20, 1940. The crew is taken prisoner. Lieutenant LOUIS and Chief Warrant Officer LIEBERT are injured, the latter seriously.
BIKOWETZ
Sub-Lieutenant
Observer
LIEBERT
Chief Warrant Officer
 Machine-Gunner

 


Airfield

 

Airfields
Period of use of airfields
Names
County
Châlon-sur-Saône Champforgueil
71 - Saône et Loire
September 3, 1939
Delmes
57 - Moselle
September 10, 1939
Thales
?
September 12, 1939
Morhange
57 - Moselle
September 28, 1939
Delmes
57 - Moselle
October 3, 1939
Attigny
08 - Ardennes
April 2, 1940
Challerange
08 - Ardennes
May 14, 1940
Suippes
51 - Marne
May 15, 1940
Remenécourt
55 - Meuse
May 19, 1940
Caen Crépon
14 - Calvados
June 1, 1940
Fontenay-Le-Comte
85 - Vendée
June 15, 1940
Cazaux
33 - Gironde
June 18, 1940
Bordeaux-Mérignac
33 - Gironde
June 19, 1940
Perpignan La Salanque
66 - Pyrénées-Orientales
June 22, 1940
Alger Maison-blanche
Algéria
22 Juin 1940

Click on the map to enlarge :

Itinerary of the GAO 507

 


Aircrafts

The GAO 507 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 :

  • 2 Mureaux 115
  • 5 Potez 63-11

 


Casualties

Crewmen killed
1
Lieutenant PICQ (Accident)
December 23, 1939
Crewmen injured
5
Lieutenant BONNAL
September 20, 1939
Chief Warrant Officer SENN
September 20, 1939
Sub-Lieutenant BARBIER (Accident)
December 23, 1939
Lieutenant LOUIS (Combat)
May 20, 1940
Chief Warrant Officer LIEBERT (Combat)
May 20, 1940
Crewmen Prisoner
3
Lieutenant LOUIS
May 20, 1940
Chief Warrant Officer LIEBERT
May 20, 1940
Sub-Lieutenant BIKOWETZ
May 20, 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
- ...