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Site in French
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Historical
GC III / 6 was established
in May 1939 with elements of GC I / 6 and GC II / 6. It is equipped
from the outset with Morane MS406.
On the date of the outbreak
of the German attack of May 10, 1940, the GC III / 6 is attached
to the Group No. 24 of the "Reserved Air Forces" of the
ZOAS (South Air Operations Area).
On May 31, 1940, GC III /
6 left the theater of operations to join the airfield of Le Luc
to be transformed on D520. He will resume the fight against the
Italians on June 16, 1940 and will fall back to AFN on June 18.
The GC III / 6 finishes the
Campaign of France with a record of 18 victories and 8 probable
for the loss of 6 pilots and 4 wounded.
Staff
|
Commanders
of the group
GC III/6
|
| Captain
DE-PLACE |
September
1, 1939
|
December
7, 1939
|
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| Commander
CASTANIER Pierre |
December
8, 1939
|
May 24,
1940
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| Commander
STEHLIN Paul |
May 25,
1940
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October
14, 1940
|
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| Captain
CHAINAT André (Deputy Commander) |
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Commanders
of the 5th Squadron
|
| Captain
JACOBI Louis |
September
1939
|
June
12, 1941
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Commanders
of the 6th Squadron
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|
Captain
GUERRIER Jacques
|
September
1939
|
March
2, 1941
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Pilots
|
Pilots
of Group
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Names
of pilots
|
Rank
|
Squadron
|
Victories
|
Informations
|
Civil
Statut
|
Photo
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Citations
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Sure
|
Prob.
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| BARANSKI
Wienczyslaw |
Lieutenant
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Polish
Pilot. Joined the Group on 11/05/1940
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| BERNACHE-ASSOLANT
Jean |
Captain
|
Staff
Group
|
2 on
D520
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Joined
the Group on 03/11/1939.
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| BOEDOZ |
Adjutant
|
5th Sqn.
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| BOROWSKI
Jan |
Lieutenant
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Polish
Pilot
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| BOUIN |
Sergeant
|
6th Sqn.
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1 on
MS406
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Joined
the Group on 05/04/1940.
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| BOYMOND
Emile |
Staff-Sergeant
|
6th Sqn.
|
2 on
MS406
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Joined
the Group on 19/10/1939. Killed in aerial combat on May 14,
1940.
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| CAPDEVILLE
André |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
6th Sqn.
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Joined
the Group on 06/03/1940.
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| CASTANIER
Pierre |
Commander
|
Staff
Group
|
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Joined
the Group on 07/12/1939. Killed in aerial combat on May 24,
1940.
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| CAVAROZ
Jean - Georges |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
5th Sqn.
|
1 on
MS406
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|
Jean CAVAROZ
joined the French Air Force in 1937, first at the Avord school
and then at Etampes. He transferred to the Chartres CIC before
being posted to the GC III/6 on 6 March 1940. He was seriously
wounded on 21 May 1940 and withdrew with his group to North
Africa.
He was posted to the Kasba Tadla flying school, then to Marrakech,
before taking part in operations over Corsica and Italy as
part of the ‘Navarre’ group. In 1945, he was posted
to the GC II/9 fighter group at La Reghaïa, and in 1946
to Algiers.
He was sent to Indochina at Nha Trang from April 1948 to January
1949, before being posted to the GC I/4 and then GC I/9 fighter
groups at Sidi Ahmed in Tunisia in 1950. He spent a second
spell in Indochina at Tourane from December 1950 to April
1952. He was posted to SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied
Powers Europe) from 1952 to 1957, at Luxeuil with the 11th
air brigade, then back to SHAPE in 1959. He was appointed
commander of the Reghaïa base (Algeria) in 1963. Jean
CAVAROZ was placed on aircrew leave in 1969 with the rank
of Lieutenant-Colonel.
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Born
on 12 May 1918 in Aix-les-Bains (73 - Savoie).
Died in Paris (75) on 16 November 2009 |
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| CHAINAT
André |
Captain
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| CHARDONNET
André |
Staff-Sergeant
|
5th Sqn.
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| COLONGE
Georges |
Lieutenant
|
5th Sqn.
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1 on
MS406
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Wounded
in aerial combat on May 24, 1940.
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| CWYNAR
Michal |
Master-Corporal
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Polish
Pilot. Joined the Group on 11/05/1940.
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| DE-PLACE |
Commander
|
Staff
Group
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| DIAZ
Jean |
Adjutant
|
6th Sqn.
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Joined
the Group on April 15 from GC I/2
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| GABARD
Raymond |
Sergeant
|
6th Sqn.
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1 on
MS406
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Joined
the Group on April 12, 1940 from the CIC of Montpellier.
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| GAUTHIER
Georges |
Sergeant
|
6th Sqn.
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1 on
MS406
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| GUERRIER
Jacques |
Captain
|
Staff
6th Sqn.
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| GOUJON
Charles |
Adjutant
|
5th Sqn.
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2 on
MS406 2 on D520
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1 on
MS406
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| GROSDEMANCHE |
Sergeant
|
6th Sqn.
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Seriously
injured on September 30, 1939
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| HARDOUIN |
Sergeant
|
6th Sqn.
|
1 on
MS406
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Joined
the Group on 6/03/1940
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| JACOBI
Louis |
Lieutenant
|
Staff
5th Sqn.
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| JAPIOT
Guy |
Adjutant
|
6th Sqn.
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2 on
MS406
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Joined
the Group on 21/10/1939
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| KAWNIK
Erwin |
Sub-Lieutenant
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1 on
MS406
|
1 on
MS406
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Polish
Pilot. Joined the Group on 29/03/1940
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| KULLING
Joseph |
Adjutant
|
5th Sqn.
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Left the
Group on 24/04/1940 to join the Romilly Transformation Center
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| LAMAZOU
Pierre |
Staff-Sergeant
|
5th Sqn.
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Joined
the Group on 17/10/1939. Accidentally killed on 25 November
1939: Caught in the fog, he crashes to the ground
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| LAURENT |
Sergeant
|
5th Sqn.
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Left the
Group on 5/10/1939 to join an EOR (Ecole des Officiers de
Réserves)
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| LE-GLOAN
Pierre |
Staff-Sergeant
|
5th Sqn.
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4 on
MS406 7 on D520
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1 on
MS406 1 on D520
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| LEGRAND
Georges |
Lieutenant
|
6th Sqn.
|
1 on
MS406
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1 on
MS406
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| LE-GUENNEC
Alain |
Staff-Sergeant
|
6th Sqn.
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1 on
MS406
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1 on
MS406
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| LE-TALLEC
Léon |
Adjutant
|
5th Sqn.
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Joined
the Group on 17/10 / 1939. Accidentally killed on 25 November
1939: Caught in the fog, he crashes on the ground
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| LOI |
Sergeant
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4
|
1
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| MAIGRET
Charles |
Sergeant
|
6th Sqn.
|
2 on
MS406
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Joined
the Group on 6/03/1940. Killed in air combat on May 25, 1940.
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| MARTIN
Robert |
Lieutenant
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3 on
MS406
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| MENNEGLIER
Jean |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
6th Sqn.
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Joined
the Group on 6/03/1940 from the CIC de Chartres
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| MERTZISEN
Gabriel |
|
5th Sqn.
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| PIMONT
Roger |
Sergeant
|
6th Sqn.
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1 on
MS406
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| RICHARD
Léon |
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| ROUFFIGNAC
Daniel |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
5th Sqn.
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| ROUSSEL |
Staff-Sergeant
|
6th Sqn.
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Left the
Group on 4/12/1939 following an illness.
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| RYCHLICKI
Boleslaw |
Sub-Lieutenant
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Polish
Pilot. Joined the Group on 29/03/1940.
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| SALAUN
Jean-Nicolas |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
|
1 on
MS406
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Seriously
injured and prisoner May 21, 1940
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| SATGE
Henri |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
6th Sqn.
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|
1 on
MS406
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Joined
the Group on 12/05/1940.
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| STEHLIN
Paul |
Commander
|
Staff
Group
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| STEUNOU
Marcel |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
6th Sqn.
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2 on
MS406
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| SULERZYCKI
Mieczyslaw |
Captain
|
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Polish
Pilot. Joined the Group on 29/03/1940
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| THIROUX-DE-GERVILLIER
Arnould |
Sergeant
|
6th Sqn.
|
2 on
MS406
|
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Joined
the Group on 6: 12/1939. Killed in aerial combat on May 21,
1940.
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| TRINEL
Napoleon |
Sergeant
|
5th Sqn.
|
1 on
MS406
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Joined
the Group on March 6, 1940
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| VILLEMIN
Alphonse |
Sub-Lieutenant
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2 on
MS406
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1 on
MS406
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Group
mechanics and non-flying personnel
|
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Names
|
Rank
|
Function
|
Sqn.
|
Informations
|
Civil
Statut
|
Photo
|
| DANET
René - Jean |
Sergeant
|
Radio mechanic
|
|
René
DANET enlisted voluntarily in 1938. He qualified as a radio electrician
and was posted in 1939 to the GC III/6 fighter group, with which
he withdrew to AFN. He was appointed instructor at the Nîmes
training centre, passed the competitive examination for telecommunications
officer cadets and was posted to Nîmes in 1952. He was appointed
head of the Orléans signals station in 1956, then Orange.
He took command of 804 squadron in Aix-les-Milles in 1961, then
became head of the organisation and administration office in Taverny
in 1962 before being posted to the Air Force signals command in
1965. He was appointed head of technical resources at Orléans
in 1969. René DANET left the Air Force in 1972 and was
transferred to the reserves with the rank of Colonel. |
Born
in Radenac (56 - Morbihan) on 24 February 1920
Died in Radenac on 22 March 2007. |
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Airfields
|
Airfields
|
Period
of use of airfields
|
|
Names
|
County
|
| Villacoublay |
78
- Yvelines
|
August
28, 1939
|
| Betz-Bouillancy |
60
- Oise
|
September
4, 1939
|
| Wez
Thuisy |
51
- Marne
|
November
15, 1939
|
| Chissey |
39
- Jura
|
April
30, 1940
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| Coulommiers |
77
- Seine et Marne
|
May
20, 1940
|
| Le
Luc |
83
- Var
|
May
31, 1940
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| Perpignan
la Salanque |
66
- Pyrénées Orientales
|
June
18, 1940
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| Alger
Maison-Blanche |
Algeria
|
June
20, 1940
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| Constantine |
Algeria
|
June
24, 1940
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Click
on the map to enlarge :
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Itinerary
of the GC III/6
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Aircrafts
The GC III/6 was equipped
since its creation on May 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 :
- 86 Morane
MS406
- 63 Dewoitine
D520
Records
1/2 or 1/3
of victories were obtained in association with another Group.
|
Confirmed
Victories
|
17.5
|
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MS
406
|
D520
|
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Dornier
Do 17
|
4.5
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Heinkel
He111
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6
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Fiat
BR20
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3
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Fiat
CR42
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4
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Likely Victories
|
8
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Messerschmitt
BF110
|
2
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Heinkel
He111
|
3
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Dornier
Do 17
|
3
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Casualties
|
Killed Pilots
|
6
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Adjutant
LE-TALLEC (Accident)
|
November
25, 1939
|
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Sergeant
LAMAZOU (Accident)
|
November
25, 1939
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Staff-Sergeant
BOYMOND (Combat)
|
May 14,
1940
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Sergeant
DE-GERVILLIER (Combat)
|
May 21,
1940
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Commander
CASTANIER (Combat)
|
May 24,
1940
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Sergeant
MAIGRET (Combat)
|
May 25,
1940
|
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Wounded
Pilots
|
5
|
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Sergeant
GROSDEMANCHE (Accident)
|
September
30, 1939
|
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Sub-Lieutenant
SALAUN (Combat)
|
May 21,
1940
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Sub-Lieutenant
CAVAROZ (Combat)
|
May 21,
1940
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Sub-Lieutenant
COLONGES (Combat)
|
May 24,
1940
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Sub-Lieutenant
VILLEMIN (combat)
|
May 25,
1940
|
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Prisoners
Pilots
|
2
|
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Sub-Lieutenant
SALAUN
|
May 21,
1940
|
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Sub-Lieutenant
COLONGES
|
May 24,
1940
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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
- Book"Morane
MS406" Collective work - Editions LELA Presse
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