 |
Site in French
|
|
Historical
Created as G.A.R. 543 in
June 1937 in Valdahon, he becomes G.A.O. 543 on January 1, 1938
On the date of the outbreak
of the German attack of May 10, 1940, the GAO 543 is attached to
the 8th Army of "Air Force Cooperation" of the ZOAS (South
Air Operations Area).
Staff
|
Commanders
of the group
GAO 543
|
|
Captain SACQUIN
(Cder GAR 543 then
GAO 543)
|
|
December
1938
|
|
| Commander
GARRABOS |
January
1st, 1939
|
August
1939
|
|
| Captain
DUBOSCQ |
August
1939
|
|
|
Personnel
|
Pilots
and crew of the Group
|
|
Names
of crew members
|
Rank
|
Function
|
Informations
|
Civil-statut
|
Photos
|
Citations
|
| BARRIBERE |
Sergeant
|
Flight
Mechanic
|
|
|
|
|
| BAUDIN |
Sergeant
|
Machine-gunner
|
|
|
|
|
| BERVEILLER
François |
Captain
|
Pilot
|
- On June 8, 1940, he managed to put Potez 63-11 No336 in the
field after being damaged by the Flak.
- He will be killed June 9, 1940 in aerial combat aboard Potez
63-11 No. 682. This Potez was equipped with a reinforced armament,
7 machine guns of 7.5 in hunting, and the pilot succeeds in
shooting down 3 ME109E before being himself shot. |
|
|
|
| DELORME
Joseph |
Master-Corporal
|
Machine
Gunner
|
Killed
aboard Potez 63-11 No. 682 shot down by German Fighters on June
9, 1940. Before succumbing, the pilot managed to kill 3 Me109,
thanks to the reinforced armament of his Potez. |
|
|
|
| DUBOSQ |
Captain
|
Commander
of the group
|
|
|
|
|
| FAUGERAS
Joseph - Jacques |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
Observer
|
Joseph
FAUGERAS was called up in 1937. He was posted to GAO 543 in
1938, with which group he took part in the French campaign.
Seriously wounded on 8 June 1940 when he landed on board Potez
63-11 n°336, which had been damaged by Flak, he was hospitalised
for eight months - then demobilised. He escaped from France
via Spain in 1943, and was sent to flying school in the United
States. Joseph Faugeras was assigned to the National Defence
staff, but was discharged in 1946. |
Born
on 16 June 1916 in Captieux (Gironde)
Died on 10 June 2007 at Châtenay-Malabry (92 - Hauts de
Seine). |
|
|
| FRANCOIS |
Sergeant
|
Radio
|
|
|
|
|
| GARDEN |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
Pilot
|
On May 30, 1940, he
must put his Potez 63-11 No. 677 in campaign following a power
failure. The Sub-Lieutenant
GARDEN is unharmed.
|
|
|
|
| GONZALES-LUCAS
Fernand |
Lieutenant
|
Observer
|
Killed
aboard Potez 63-11 No. 682 shot down by German fighters on June
9, 1940. Before succumbing, the pilot managed to kill 3 Me109,
thanks to the reinforced armament of his Potez. |
|
|
|
| LE-BLEVENNEC
Guy - Alexis |
Sub-lieutenant
|
Observer
|
Guy
LE-BLEVENNEC enlisted in 1937 and joined the Saint-Maixent school.
He was posted to GAO 543 in 1939. He joined the FAFL at Kairoman
in June 1943 and was posted to the Bretagne group, with which
he took part in missions over Italy.
Guy LE-BLEVENNEC was posted successively to the Cognac, Avord
and Marrakech schools, then to Algeria in 1947. He was appointed
to the 3rd bureau, then to the DAT in 1951 before returning
to Algeria in Blida, commanding the GATAC in Algiers. A trainee
at the ESGA in 1958, he was then posted to the Direction centrale
du matériel in 1960 before becoming commander of the
Maison-Blanche base in 1961. In 1964, he was appointed Chief
of Staff of COTAM. In 1967, he was appointed commander of the
Rochefort school and base, and left the active army in 1970
with the rank of Colonel. |
Born
17 October 1917 in Nice (Alpes-Maritimes)
Died in Saint-Germain en Laye (78 - Yvelines) on 21 November
1996 |
|
|
| MOLLE |
Staff-Sergeant
|
Machine
Gunner
|
On
June 8, 1940, his aircraft, Potez 63-11 No 336 was destroyed
on landing after being damaged by the Flak. Lieutenant GONZALES
is unharmed. |
|
|
|
| ORSAT |
Sergeant
|
Machine
Gunner
|
Injured
on May 30, 1940 following an engine failure aboard the Potez
63-11 No 677: The pilot managed to land in the field, but Sergeant
ORSAT had already jumped, and was injured during the evacuation
of the aircraft. |
|
|
|
| PERRET |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
Observer
|
On May 30, 1940, his
Potez 63-11 No 677 was forced to land in the field following
an engine failure: the
Sub-Lieutenant PERRET is unharmed.
|
|
|
|
| SAINT-BONNET
Aimé |
Sergeant
|
Pilot
|
|
|
|
|
Stories
of crews
|
Crews
of Group
|
|
Names
of crew members
|
Rank
|
Function
|
Informations
|
|
Crew
|
GARDEN |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
Pilot
|
Potez
63-11 n° 677 : Put in campaign on May 30, 1940 following
an engine failure. Sergeant ORSAT gets injured while parachuting. |
| PERRET |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
Observer
|
| ORSAT |
Sergeant
|
Machine
Gunner
|
|
Crew
|
BERVEILLER |
Captain
|
Pilot
|
Potez
63-11 n° 336 : Damaged by the Flak on June 8th,
1940, it is destroyed on landing: Sub-Lieutenant FAUGERAS is
seriously injured |
| FAUGERAS |
Sub-Lieutenant
|
Observer
|
| MOLLE |
Staff-Sergeant
|
Machine
Gunner
|
|
Crew
|
BERVEILLER
François |
Captain
|
Pilot
|
Potez
63-11 n° 682 : Shot down by German Fighterson June
9, 1940: the crew is killed. This aircraft was equipped with
a reinforced weapon with 7 machine guns on the hunt, and the
pilot managed the feat of shooting down 3 BF 109E before being
himself shot. |
| GONZALES
Fernand |
Lieutenant
|
Observer
|
| DELORME
Joseph |
Master-Corporal
|
Machine
Gunner
|
|
Airfields
|
Period
of use of airfields
|
|
Names
|
County
|
|
Belfort
Chaux
|
90
- Territoire de Belfort
|
September
3, 1939
|
|
Chambran
Marcilloles
|
38
- Isère
|
November
1939
|
|
Saint-Etienne
De Saint-Geoirs
|
38
- Isère
|
|
Luxeuil
saint-Sauveur
|
70
- Haute-Saône
|
April
1940
|
|
Montbéliard
|
25
- Doubs
|
|
Villeneuve-Renneville-Chevigny
|
51
- Marne
|
May
27, 1940
|
|
Romilly
sur Seine
|
10
- Aube
|
Juny
1940
|
|
Gisy-les-Nobles
|
89
- Yonne
|
|
Briare
|
45
- Loiret
|
|
Le
Subdray
|
18
- Cher
|
|
Cognac
Segonzac
|
16
- Charente
|
|
Toulouse
Francazal
|
31
- Haute-Garonne
|
|
Perpignan
La Salanque
|
66
- Pyrénées Orientales
|
|
Béziers
|
34
- Hérault
|
|
Sisteron
Thèse
|
04
- Alpes Haute Provence
|
Juny
24, 1940
|
|
|
Click
on the map to enlarge
:
|
|
|
Aircrafts
The GAO 543 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
|
3
|
| Lieutenant
GONZALES (Combat) |
Juny
9, 1940
|
| Captain
BERVEILLER (Combat) |
Juny
9, 1940
|
| Master-Corporal
DELORME (Combat) |
Juny
9, 1940
|
|
Crewmen
injured
|
2
|
| Sergeant
ORSAT (Accident) |
May 30,
1940
|
| Sub-Lieutenant
FAUGERAS (Combat) |
Juny
8, 1940
|
Sources
- Mr Dominique SAINT-BONNET : The Sergeant Aimé
SAINT-BONNET was his Father
- Book : "Ils étaient
là" by Mr Jacqueline and Paul MARTIN - Editions Aéro-Editions
|
