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Site in French
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Historical
GAO 507 has its origins in
the Belfort Aerial Observation Circle, a unit responsible for training
reserve crews. After becoming GAO 507, the Group first joined the
General Reserve and was subsequently attached to the Air Forces
of the Second Army.
On 10 May 1940, GAO 507
was attached to the 2nd Army’s 1st Air Division of the ZOAN (Northern
Air Operations Zone).
Staff
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Commanders
of the group
GAO 507
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| Captain
BITSCH |
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Commander
SCHWANDER Henri
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Personnel
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Pilots
and crew of the Group
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Names
of crew members
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Rank
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Function
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Informations
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Civil
Statut
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Photos
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Citations
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| ARNOLD
Joseph - Léonard |
Staff-Sergent
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Pilot
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Joseph ARNOLD signed
up as a volunteer for three years on 10 October 1935. He
joined the Istres School for Non-Commissioned Officers of
the Flying Crew in May 1936. He was admitted to the Istres
Air Force Academy in October 1936 and obtained his pilot’s
licence in July 1937. Joseph ARNOLD joined GAO 507 on 12
December 1938. He flew, in particular, the Potez 63-11 No.
212, nicknamed ‘La Virgule’.
After the Armistice, Joseph ARNOLD was posted to the 2nd
Company of the Salon Air Battalion. On 24 June 1941, he
embarked at Marseille to travel to Algeria and was granted
Armistice leave on 21 July 1941. He became a primary school
teacher in the town of Duvivier (Algeria).
Following the Allied landings in North Africa on 8 November
1942, Joseph ARNOLD joined the F.A.F.L. on 1 April 1943
and was posted to Blida. He flew to England in May 1944
to attend pilot training schools before returning to mainland
France in March 1945.
In May 1945, he was posted as a flight instructor at the
Châteauroux flying school.
After various postings, Joseph ARNOLD left for Indochina
and arrived in Saigon on 18 May 1954. He returned to mainland
France in May 1955 and continued his career until his retirement
on 1 January 1969 with the rank of Commander.
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Born on 2 March 1915
in Husseren-Wesserling (68 – Haut-Rhin)
Died on 1 February 1980 in Voiron (38 – Isère)
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| AUTERIVES |
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Pilot
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| BARBIER
André |
Sub-Lieutenant
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Pilot
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Wounded
on December 23, 1939 aboard a Mureaux 115: the aircraft, in
foggy weather, crashes on landing. |
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| BEGUIN
Didier |
Sergeant
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Pilot
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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.
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Born in Paris (75) on
14 December 1918
Killed on 26 November 1944 in Arnhem (Netherlands)
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| BERGELIN |
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| BERTHINET |
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| BERTRAND |
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| BIDOT
Jean - Pierre |
Soldat
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Killed
in a road accident on 19 June, during the Group’s withdrawal |
Born on 8 October 1917
in Lyon (69 – Rhône)
Killed on 19 June 1940 in Saucats (33 – Gironde)
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| BIKOWETZ |
Sub-Lieutenant
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Observer
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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. |
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| BITSCH |
Captain
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Commander
of Group
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| BONNAL
Louis - François |
Lieutenant
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Observer
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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.Lieutenant BONNAL was seriously
wounded, having been hit by a bullet in the thigh and another
in the cheek. |
Born on 28 April 1910
in Exireuil (79 - Deux-Sèvres)
Died at Nice (06 - Alpes-Maritimes) on 25 December 2003
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| CHAMPAVIER |
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Pilot
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| CLEMENT
René- Marie |
Lieutenant
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Observer
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| CROCHEFER |
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Observer
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| DUMAS |
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| DUPREZ
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| GABY |
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Observer
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| GAUDRY |
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| GAUTHEROT |
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| KOPPS |
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Joined
the group on 22 May 1940 |
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| LAFONT |
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| LAPANNE
Pierre - Gaston |
Lieutenant
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Pilot
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Born in Saint-Max (54
- Meurthe et Moselle) on 13 April 1905
Died at Nancy (54 - Meurthe et Moselle) on 16 December 1996
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| LEDAUPHIN
Pierre - Charles |
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Pilot
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Born on 2 May 1911 in
Paris (75)
Died on 5 August 1987 in Lille (59 – Nord)
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| LIEBERT |
Chief
Warrant Officer
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Machine-Gunner
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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. He will be interned
at Stalag 369, among other places. |
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| LOUIS |
Lieutenant
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Pilot
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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. |
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| PICQ
André - Marcel |
Lieutenant
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Observer
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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
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| PLOUCARD |
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Observer
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| SCHWANDER
Henri - Emile |
Commander
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Commander
of Group
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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
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| SENN
Henri |
Chief
Warrant Officer
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Pilot
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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 : he is shot twice in the thigh |
Born in Paris (75) on
16 March 1911
Died at Amboise (37 - Indre et Loire) on 12 July 2004
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| SOULEZ
Michel - Maurice |
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Born on 1 June 1913
in Versailles (78 – Yvelines)
Died on 30 August 2002 in Savennières (49 – Maine-et-Loire)
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| TARICHON |
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| TASSIN
DE SAINT-PEREUSE Pierre - Eugène |
Lieutenant
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Observer
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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
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Born on 2 July 1910
in Moulins (03 - Allier).
Died at Saint-Péreuse (58 - Nièvre) on 29 December
1995
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| WOLFF |
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Pilot
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Group
mechanics and non-flying personnel
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Name
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Rank
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Function
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Sqn.
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Informations
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Civil-Statut
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Photo
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| VIGUIE
Paul - Emile |
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Mechanic
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Born
on 23 January 1915
Died on 12 December 1971 |
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Stories
of crews
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Crews
of Group
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Names
of crew members
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Rank
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Function
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Informations
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Crew
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SENN
Henri |
Chief Warrant Officer
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Pilot
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Mureaux
115 n° 21 : Destroyed in air combat on September
20, 1939. Both crew members are wounded |
| BONNAL
Louis |
Lieutenant
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Observer
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Crew
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BARBIER |
Sub-Lieutenant
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Pilot
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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
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Observer
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Crew
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LOUIS |
Lieutenant
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Pilot
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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
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Observer
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| LIEBERT |
Chief Warrant Officer
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Machine-Gunner
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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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Châlon-sur-Saône
Champforgueil
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71
- Saône et Loire
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September
3, 1939
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Delmes
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57
- Moselle
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September
10, 1939
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Thales
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?
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September
12, 1939
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Morhange
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57
- Moselle
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September
28, 1939
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Delmes
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57
- Moselle
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October
3, 1939
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Attigny
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08
- Ardennes
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April
2, 1940
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Challerange
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08
- Ardennes
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May
14, 1940
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Suippes
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51
- Marne
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May
15, 1940
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Remenécourt
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55
- Meuse
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May
19, 1940
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Caen
Crépon
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14
- Calvados
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June
1, 1940
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Fontenay-Le-Comte
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85
- Vendée
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June
15, 1940
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Cazaux
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33
- Gironde
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June
18, 1940
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| Bordeaux-Mérignac |
33
- Gironde
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June
19, 1940
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Perpignan
La Salanque
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66
- Pyrénées-Orientales
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June
22, 1940
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Alger
Maison-blanche
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Algéria
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22
Juin 1940
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Click
on the map to enlarge
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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
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Crewmen
killed
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1
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| Lieutenant
PICQ (Accident) |
December
23, 1939
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Crewmen
injured
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5
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| Lieutenant
BONNAL |
September
20, 1939
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| Chief Warrant Officer
SENN |
September
20, 1939
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| Sub-Lieutenant
BARBIER (Accident) |
December
23, 1939
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| Lieutenant
LOUIS (Combat) |
May 20,
1940
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| Chief Warrant Officer
LIEBERT (Combat) |
May 20,
1940
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Crewmen
Prisoner
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3
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| Lieutenant
LOUIS |
May 20,
1940
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| Chief Warrant Officer
LIEBERT |
May 20,
1940
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| Sub-Lieutenant
BIKOWETZ |
May 20,
1940
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Sources
- Mme Luce ARNOLD, daughter
of Staff Sergeant Joseph ARNOLD
- 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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