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Site in French
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Historical
Fighting Group I / 9 was
created on November 1, 1939 on Oran Air Base 141 along with 9 Wing
Fighter. Equipped with MS 406 and placed under the command of the
Cptn Rousseau-Dumarcet, I / 9 will have the essential mission to
perfect the training of staff from the metropolis. However, the
I / 9 will not have the opportunity to leave North Africa if not
to make a course stay on the BA 108 Marignane during which it participates
in air operations of the Alps.
Back in North Africa, the group is based on the BA 157 of Tunis
where it takes part in air cover operations of sensitive points
of Tunisia. It is also during one of these missions that the I /
9 will claim an air victory won by Lieutenant VEZELY on June 17
on an Italian bomber SM 79 Savoi-Marchetti. On July 31, the group
moved on the BA 156 Bizerte to be dissolved on August 22, 1940.
Staff
|
Commanders
of the group
GC I/9
|
| Captain
ROUSSEAU-DUMARCET |
November
15, 1939
|
May 19,
1940
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| Commander
LEGRIX-DE-LA-SALLE |
May 20,
1940
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June
16, 1940
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|
| Captain
ROUSSEAU-DUMARCET |
June
17, 1940
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August
22, 1940
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Commanders
of the 1st Squadron
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| Captain
HOARAU-DE-LA-SOURCE |
November
15, 1939
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| Captain
RICHARD |
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August
22, 1940
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Commanders
of the 2nd Squadron
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| Captain
BORDIER |
December
23, 1939
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August
22, 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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| BLETON
Pierre - Charles |
Sergeant
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Pierre BLETON enlisted
voluntarily in 1939 in Istres. He attended flying schools
at Aulnat and Istres before being posted to the GC I/9 and
then the GC II/9. Armisticie surprised him in Tunisia, and
he made two unsuccessful attempts to reach London. He joined
the national college of instructors and athletes in Antibes
in 1941, then was posted to the GC II/7 in Bizerte and to
the GC I/5. In November 1942, after the Allied landings in
AFN, he volunteered for the ‘Normandy-Niemen’ squadron
in Russia, joining the unit in June 1944.
In 1947, he was posted to the DTIA, then to the Brétigny
flight test centre. He was sent to the Far East with the 3rd
Fighter Wing from March 1949 to May 1950. Pierre BLETON was
demobilised on 7 September 1950..
Note: I have been able
to identify another Sergeant BLETON who fought in GC I/10
and then GC III/5, but there is apparently no link between
the two. I have therefore decided to consider these two men
as two separate pilots, although this remains to be confirmed,
particularly with the first names of Sergeant BLETON of GC
I/10 & GC III/5.
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Born
on 13 October 1919 in Haïphong (Tonkin).
Died in Paris (75) on 5 April 1996 |
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| BORDIER |
Captain
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Staff
2nd Sqn.
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| BREJEAN |
Sergeant
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| CHARREIRE |
Lieutenant
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| DE-GRANDPRES |
Sergeant
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| DURANTHON
André - Henri |
Sub-Lieutenant
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André
Duranthon enlisted voluntarily in 1931. He qualified as a
mechanic. He was posted to the III/6 in 1936 before being
admitted to the Ecole de l'Air in 1938. He took part in the
French campaign with the GC II/2 and then with the GC I/9
from 8 April 1940. He joined AFN in Casablanca.
He was posted to the Marrakech school in 1945, then to Indochina
in 1952 as commander of the Bach Maï base. He was posted
to the Inspectorate General of the French Air Force in 1954.
He took command of the Telergma base in 1955, then was posted
to SHAPE in 1957. He took part in the Berlin airlift. André
DURANTHON was placed on leave from the Air Force in 1961 with
the rank of Colonel.
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Born
on 21 November 1910 in Saint-Meard-de-Drone (24 - Dordogne)
Died in Aubervilliers (93 - Seine-Saint-Denis) on 13 December
2009 |
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| FIALA
Oldrich |
Sergeant
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Czech Pilot.
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| FOIT
Emil |
Sub-Lieutenant
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1st Sqn.
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Czech Pilot.
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| HOARAU-DE-LA-SOURCE |
Captain
|
Staff
1st Sqn.
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| JALLIER |
Sub-Lieutenant
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| KASLIK
Viktor |
Sub-Lieutenant
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Czech Pilot.
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| LEGRIX-DE-LA-SALLE |
Commander
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Staff
Group
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| LEPAGE |
Sergeant
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| MACIA |
Staff-Sergeant
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| MICHAUD |
Sergeant
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| MIQUET |
Sergeant
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| NOVAK
Jaroslav |
Staff-Sergeant
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Czech Pilot.
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| RICHARD |
Captain
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Staff
1st Sqn.
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| RONCIN |
Staff-Sergeant
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| ROUSSEAU-DUMARCET |
Captain
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Staff
Group
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| VEZELY
Vlastimil |
Lieutenant
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1
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Czech Pilot.
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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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| Oran-La-Sénia |
Algérie
|
November
1st, 1939
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| Marignane |
13
- Bouches du Rhône
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April
and May 1940
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| Tunis
El Aouina |
Tunisie
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June
1, 1940
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| Bizerte
Sidi Ahmed |
Tunisie
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July
31 to August 22, 1940 (dissolution)
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Click
on the map to enlarge :
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Aircrafts
The GC I/9 was equipped since
its creation in Novembre
1939, 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 :
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Confirmed
Victories
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1
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Savioia
Marchetti SM79
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Juny
17, 1940
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Casualties
GC I / 9 had no losses to lament during the Campaign of France
Sources
- 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
- Livre "Morane
MS406" Ouvrage collectif- Editions LELA Presse
- ...
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