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Site in French
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Historical
GAR 548 was created on 15
October 1937 and became GAO 548 on 2 September 1938.
On the date of the outbreak
of the German attack of May 10, 1940, the GAO 548 is attached to
the 5th Army within the Air Cooperation Forces of the ZOAE (East
Air Operations Area).
GAO 548 was disbanded on
1 July 1940.
Staff
|
Commanders
of the group
GAO 548
|
| Commander
ROBERT |
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Commander
THIBON Marcel
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Personnel
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Pilotes
et Membres d'Equipages du Groupe
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Names
of crew members
|
Rank
|
Function
|
Informations
|
Civil-statut
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Photos
|
Citations
|
| ROBERT |
Commander
|
Commander
of Group
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| ROUSSEL
Jean |
Lieutenant
|
Observer
|
Killed
on April 24, 1940 aboard the Mureaux 115 No.83 hit by the Flak. |
Born
on 26 July 1909 in Dijon (21 - Côte d'Or)
Killed on 24 April 1940 in Aulnat (63 - Puy-de-Dôme) |
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| TARASCON
Paul - Alban |
Lieutenant
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Liaison
Officer
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Paul TARASCON was
an ace of the 1914-18 War. He did his military service in
the colonial infantry in 1902. On his return to civilian
life, he bought a second-hand Blériot and made his
first flights at Miramas. Then, on 26 June 1912, just as
he was about to take the French Aeroclub pilot's licence
exams, he crashed in flight after his mechanic forgot to
pin the stabiliser to his aircraft. Seriously injured, he
had to be amputated below the knee, and had to spend long
periods in hospital and undergo rehabilitation to learn
to walk again with a prosthesis. His only wish was to fly
again.
In 1914, he enlisted voluntarily and was posted to the Buc
aviation centre in September 1914. He attended the Pau aviation
school before joining the 2nd aviation group, then No. 3
and finally No. 62 squadrons. He ended the war with 12 victories.
After the war, he was transferred to the colonial infantry
reserve.
Mobilised in 1939, he was posted to GAO 548 as a liaison
officer and then to the Chartres training centre in January
1940.
Paul TARASCON joined the Resistance in 1940. He was retired
in December 1941.
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Born
8 November 1882 in Le Thor (84 - Vaucluse).
Died in Levallois-Perret (92 - Hauts de Seine) on 11 June 1977. |
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| THIBON
Marius - Marcel |
Commander
|
Commander
of Group
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Marcel
THIBON voluntarily enlisted for five years in 1909 and was assigned
to the colonial infantry. Seriously wounded on 25 September
1915, he was hospitalised until June 1916. After recovering,
he joined the Cazaux shooting school in July 1916 to become
an aircraft gunner, before being certified as an aerial photographer
in April 1917. He was assigned to a squadron at the end of 1917.
Marcel THIBON ended the war with the temporary rank of second
lieutenant.
Assigned to the 34th Aviation Regiment, he left for a mission
in Poland from June 1919 to October 1920. He was transferred
to the 12th Aviation Regiment in 1920.
He obtained his military pilot's licence on 25 July 1922. Assigned
to the 32nd Aviation Regiment, he left for Algeria in May 1925.
Recommended for retirement due to an old injury sustained in
1915 and dysentery contracted in North Africa, Marcel THIBON
joined the Rochefort School of Mechanics. He was promoted to
commander and flight officer in March 1938 and assigned to the
Salon Training Centre in April 1938.
Commander THIBON was in command of GAO 548 on 10 May 1940, during
the German attack.
In June 1943, Marcel THIBON was transferred to the Local Administrative
Centre in Salon. |
Born
on 8 June 1890 in Rodez (12 - Aveyron)
Died on 4 February 1956 in Enghien-les-Bains, (95 -Val-d'Oise)
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WIBAUX Jacques - Philippe
(or WIBEAUX Georges?)
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Sergeant
|
Pilot
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Wounded
on 24 April 1940 aboard the Mureaux 115 No. 83, which was hit
by anti-aircraft fire, Sergeant WIBAUX nevertheless managed
to parachute to safety. |
Born
on 11 November 1918 in Cannes (06 - Alpes-Maritimes)
Died on 2 May 1982 in Corsica |
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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
|
Function
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Informations
|
|
Crew
|
WIBAUX
Jacques |
Sergeant
|
Pilot
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Mureaux
115 n°83 : Destroyed by the Flak on April 24, 1940.
Lieutenant ROUSSEL is killed, and Sergeant WIBAUX is wounded. |
| ROUSSEL
Jean |
Lieutenant
|
Observer
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Airfields
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Period
of use of airfields
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Names
|
County
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Fayence
|
83
- Var
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September
3, 1939
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Epinal
Dogneville
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88
- Vosges
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October
17, 1939
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Le
Luc
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83
- Var
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May
17, 1940
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Click
on the map to enlarge :
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Aircrafts
The GAO 548 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 :
Casualties
|
Crewmen
killed
|
1
|
| Lieutenant
ROUSSEL (Combat) |
April
24, 1940
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Crewmen
injured
|
1
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| Sergeant
WIBAUX (Combat) |
April
24, 1940
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- Book : "Ils étaient
là" by Mr Jacqueline and Paul MARTIN - Editions Aéro-Editions
|
