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Site in French
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Photos
Historical
GAR 511 (Groupement Aérien
Régional) is the military evolution of the Centre Aérien
Régional which was based at Château-Bougon, Nantes
airport, on 15 June 1937.
On 2 September 1938, GAR 511 became GAO 511, which was disbanded
on 12 July 1940, in Pau, where the unit was found after having experienced
fire at Villers-les-Guise and Signy-le-Petit, then after the descent
southwards at the time of the debacle and the Armistice.
On May 10, 1940, the GAO
511 is attached to the 9th Army of the 1st Air Division of the ZOAN
(North Air Operations Area).
Staff
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Commanders
of the group
GAO 511
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| Commander
MAINGUY |
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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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| DE-LA-ROCQUE
DE SEVERAC Jean- François - Louis - Marie |
Sub-Lieutenant
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Pilot
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Killed
on May 13, 1940 aboard Potez 63-11 No. 288 shot down by the
Flak. |
Born on 28 September
1916 at Versailles (78 - Yvelines)
Killed on 13 May 1940 at Bouvignes (Province of Namur - Belgium)
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| DE
SORBIER DE POUGNADORESSE Jean |
Lieutenant
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Observer
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After
the Armistice, Jean DE SORBIER DE POUGNADORESSE joined the Resistance
and, under the alias "Sales", became Chief of Staff
to Colonel Claude MONOD, alias "Calude Morait", leader
of the Chatillonais Maquis in Burgundy; Jean DE SORBIER DE POUGNADORESSE
took part in the battle of Maisey Le Duc from 9 to 11 September
1944, which pitted the Resistance against a heavily armed German
column of 400 men. This column was put to flight after fierce
fighting and the support of armoured elements of General LECLERC's
2nd DB. |
Born 15 March 1911 in
Pougnadoresse (30 - Gard)
Died at Nice (06 - Alpes-Maritimes) on 31 March 1973
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| FAGET |
Sergeant
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Pilot
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| GESSIAUME
Jean - Gabriel |
Sub-Lieutenant
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Machine-Gunner
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Killed
on May 13, 1940 aboard Potez 63-11 No. 288 shot down by the
Flak. |
Born 23 November 1913
at Lorient (56 - Morbihan)
Killed on 13 May 1940 at Bouvignes (Province of Namur - Belgium)
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| GOURDIN-SERVENIERE |
Sergeant
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Pilot
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| LAFOND
Gilbert |
Sub-Lieutenant
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Observer
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| MAINGUY
Paul - Victor |
Commander
|
Commander
du Groupe
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Paul
MAINGUY left the French Air Force on 15 March 1949 with the
rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. |
Born in Le Pellerin
(44 - Loire-Atlantique) on 17 November 1896
Died at Rezé (44 - Loire-Atlantique) on 30 August 1979
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| PEIGNE
René - Pierre |
Captain
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Observer
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Killed
on May 13, 1940 aboard Potez 63-11 No. 288 shot down by the
Flak. |
Born on 12 October 1893
in Nantes (44 - Loire-Atlantique)
Killed on 13 May 1940 at Bouvignes (Province of Namur - Belgium)
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| ROBIC
Pierre |
Staff-Sergeant
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Pilot
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Group
Mechanics
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Names
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Rank
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Function
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Information
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Civil
Statut
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Photo
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| FINKELSTEIN
Franck |
Soldier
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Mechanic
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In November 1938, Franck
Finkelstein joined the French Air Force for 3 years and was
posted to the Bataillon de l'Air 127, based at Avord.
In January 1939, he was transferred to GAO 544, which he left
on 7 June 1940 to join GAO 511.
After the Armistice, he was transferred to Compagnie de l'air
CA 96/101; he then joined Compagnie B at Uzein, stationed at
Pau, before being posted to BA 101 at Toulouse-Francazal.
He was transferred to air base 155 in Casablanca, probably at
the end of 1940, and was demobilised in February 1941.
A Jew, Franck FINKELSTEIN was arrested on 29 July 1942 and interned
at Drancy. He was transferred to several camps in France (Pithiviers,
Beaune-La-Rolande, Drancy), before being deported to Auschwitz,
where he died on 17 November 1942.
Source http://finkelstein.free.fr/shoah/
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Born in Paris on 17 July
1919.
Killed on 17 November 1942 in Auschwitz camp
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| GUIHENEUF
Auguste |
Staff-Sergeant
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Radio-Mechanic
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The staff sergeant Auguste
GUIHENEUF carried out the whole French Campaign within the GAO
511 before being demobilised.
After the Liberation, he gave "sound reading" courses
for the Air Force at Château-Bougon airport.
He ended his career as Inspector of Technical Education in the
Academy of Nantes.
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| PICHOT |
Staff-Sergeant
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Mechanic
?
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Staff
Sergeant PICHOT of GAO 511 appearing on a photo next to the Mechanic
Staff Sergeant Auguste GUIHENEUF, I made the hypothesis that he
is himself a Mechanic, but that remains to be confirmed. |
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| VIARD |
Staff-Sergeant
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Mechanic
?
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Staff
Sergeant VIARD of GAO 511 appearing on a photo next to the Mechanic
Staff Sergeant Auguste GUIHENEUF, I made the hypothesis that he
is himself a Mechanic, but that remains to be confirmed. |
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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
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Crew
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DE-LA-ROCQUE
Jean-François |
Sub-Lieutenant
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Pilot
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Potez
63-11 n° 288 :On 20 May 1940, the aircraft carried
out a mission in the Meuse Valley to check the advance of German
troops. Flying at low altitude in the valley, the Potez was
particularly vulnerable: it was shot down by flak. The crew
was killed. |
| PEIGNE
René |
Captain
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Observer
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| GESSIAUME
Jean |
Sub-Lieutenant
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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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| Nantes |
44
- Loire-Atlantique
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September
3, 1939
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| Lesquielles-Saint-Germain |
02
- Aisne
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September
21, 1939
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| Le
Cannet-Des-Maures |
83
- Var
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October
24, 1939
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| Sisteron
Thèze |
04
- Alpes Haute-Provence
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December
8, 1939
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| Monceau-Le-Waast |
02
- Aisne
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March
29, 1940
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| Villers-lès-Guise |
02
- Aisne
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April
11, 1940
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| Versigny |
89
- Yonne
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May 11, 1940
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| Beaulieu |
?
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May
13, 1940
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| Chéry-les-Pouilly |
02
- Aisne
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May
14, 1940
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| Bouresches |
02
- Aisne
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May
16, 1940
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| Tours
Parçay-Meslay / Mettray |
37
- Indre et Loire
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May
18, 1940
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| Bordeaux-Mérignac |
33
- Gironde
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June 06, 1940
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| Denguin |
64
- Pyrénées-Atlantiques
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June
18, 1940
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Click
on the map to enlarge
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Aircrafts
The GAO 511 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 :
- 6 Potez 390
- 2 Potez 63-11
Casualties
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Crewmen
killed
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3
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| Captain
PEIGNE (Combat) |
May 13,
1940
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| Sub-Lieutenant
DE-LA-ROCQUE (Combat) |
May 13,
1940
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| Sub-Lieutenant
GESSIAUME (Combat) |
May 13,
1940
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Sources
- Mr Pascal GUIHENEUF - Staff
Sergeant Auguste GUIHENEUF was his paternal Grandfather
- Book : "Ils étaient
là" by Mr Jacqueline and Paul MARTIN - Editions Aéro-Editions
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