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Remembered Today:

French military aviation


Albin DENIS

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Hello in all, :D

Newcomer among you, I appear quickly :

The former serviceman of the French Air Force, speciality armament plane, I work on the French military aviation.

I published in 2001 a historic of 720 pages completely dedicated to the Fighter Squadron 1/3 "Navarre" and in those squadrons of traditions, the "Escadrilles" SPA 95, SPA 153 and SPA 62. The part dedicated to the Great War contains 165 pages.

This squadron flies on Mirage 2000 D from Nancy-Ochey's air base, in the east of France.

I work at present on a book dedicated to the Squadron 62 "Fighting cocks". I take advantage of these lines to seek any written documents or photographs susceptible to come to complete my searches.

For information, this squadron occupied the airfields following ones : Breuil-le-Sec, Knitting, Moreuil, Cachy, Chippilly, Grivesnes, Fismes, Ambrief, Autheuil-en-Valois, Saconin-Breuil, May-en-Multien, Charmentray, Coupru ( Belgium ), Beveren ( Belgium), Diest ( Belgium), Azelot, Walheim ( Germany), Marxheim ( Germany), Thionville. If you have photos of these airfields, think of me.

For my part, I can help for the identification of photos or for quite other questions concerning the French squadrons of the Great War. You can seek me in English or in French.

A part of my Internet site is dedicated to the squadron 62. The pages, which you already can read, are extracted from my first book. Study to be gone out will be even more precise.

Address of the site: http://albindenis.free.fr/dossiers/plan_site_spa62.html

I wish you all a very good day

Goodbye

Albin DENIS

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For my part, I can help for the identification of photos or for quite other questions concerning the French squadrons of the Great War. You can seek me in English or in French.

Hi Albin,

I can't help I'm afraid but I'm looking for information about 32 Escadrille. In March 1916 4-5 RNAS pilots (among them Flt Lt Sippe and FSL Dallas) were attached to 32 and flew in combats over Verdun and St Michel. I have jusyt had a book on dallas published but have never been able to discover much about this detachment to the French. Can you shed any light on the whole thing?

Cheers

Stan

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Albin,

I'm afraid I can't help you in your research, but I wish to say that in my life I saw the American ace Eddie Rickenbacker with my own eyes. When I was a kid in the 1960s my late dad took me me to work with him to his job at the Washington Post. As the bus moved to National Airport (now called Reagan-National) dad said, "See that guy, that's Eddie Rickenbacker!" If I recall correctly Rickenbacker was then a senior officer in charge of American Airlines.

Pete

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Hello Stan and good day in all,

Here is what I can say on the Squadron 32 for 1918.

Nominate SAL 32 (for 32-nd squadron flying on Salmson 2A2), on December 29, 1917.

AR 32 (for 32-nd squadron flying on plane Dorand AR 1) becomes, in 1918.

To see the drawing of the successive badges of the squadron 32

escadrille32.jpg

Airfields occupied in 1918 :

- Issoncourt from August 6, 1917 till April 22, 1918.

- Raray from April 22 till May 3, 1918.

- Viefvillers from May 3 till July 10, 1918.

- Noiremont from July 10 till September 9, 1918.

- Etelfay from September 9 till September 19, 1918.

- Sommereux from September 19 till September 27, 1918.

- Dognéville from September 27, 1918 till December 1-st, 1918.

Squadron Leader :

- Captain Marc Sourdillon from May 27, 1917 till January, 1919.

Great Unity hierarchical :

- 2-nd group of aviation of the 1-st quarter 1917 in March, 1918.

- 2-nd army from March, 1918 till April, 1918.

- 5-th army from April, 1918 till July, 1918.

- 1-st army from July, 1918 till January, 1919.

Used planes :

- 1917 in the beginning 1918 planes Letord I and II.

- Of the beginning 1918 planes Salmson 2A2 and Dorand AR 1.

On February 7, 1918, the squadron possesses the following planes :

Dorand AR 1 n ° : 101 - 133 - 135 - 166 - 189 - 284 - 3096.

Letord I : n ° 24 - 79.

Letord II : n ° 231.

Dead and disappear in the fight for 1918 :

- "Maréchal des Logis" Pierre Menandais and Lieutenant Bessec, shot down with their Dorand AR 1 by the DCA in the southwest of Dommartin, on January 25, 1918.

- Lieutenant Clément Plane, Second lieutenant René Garrier, "Maréchal des Logis" Mail, shot down with their Dorand AR 1par the DCA (Flakbatterie 563, OFSTV Von Kolada), on February 17, 1918.

- Lieutenant Cazaux, died for France, on August 9, 1918.

The squadron gained 5 victories confirmed for all the Great War.

I hope that this information will serve you.

Very friendly

Albin DENIS

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Great info, unfortunatly it's is 1916 I'm after. I believe they were flying Nieuport Bebes then and were a fighter squadron.

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Hello Stan,

Very sorry, but you have to make a mistake because the squadron 32 has never flown on Nieuport 11 (Baby Nieuport).

In 1916, the squadron fly at first on MF 11 and 11 bis, then on Farman F 40, then on Caudron R4.

Airfields used in 1916 :

- Ste Menehould from August 12, 1915 till July 1-st, 1916.

- Plessis-Belleville from July 1-st till July 3, 1916.

- Rouvrel from July 3 till July 16, 1916.

- Moreuil from July 16 till January 4, 1917.

The period which interests you is the first : Ste Menehould is near Verdun

Squadron leaders of units in 1916 :

- Captain Maurice Dutreuil from November, 1915 in August 24, 1916.

- Captain Maistre of August 24 in November, 1916.

- Captain de Moustier of November, 1916 in the beginning of 1917.

Great unity hierarchical :

3-rd army - 1-st and 2-nd quarters 1916

1-st group of aviation of the 2-nd quarter in November, 1916.

Very friendly

Albin DENIS

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Every little bit of information helps the picture. The RNAS detachment also had experience with the Caudron R4 (at least I can state with certainty that FSL RS Dallas did). They also definitely were flying Nieuport 11's which they brought with them from PARIS. Dallas notes that they were the first Commonwealth pilots to fly them. I presume they acted as escorts for the 32 escadrille machines. Can you find any record of their attachment?

Cheers

Adrian

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Hello Stan,

Verry sorry, I do not work on this subject and I go to Paris only twice a year.

I can not help you.

Very friendly

Albin DENIS

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You have already been of help! I already know more than I did before! Do you have any friends who might be able to help or know who I might contact?

Cheers

Adrian

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  • 4 months later...

Fighting the Flying Circus by Eddie Rickenbacker

This on-line edition of Eddie Rickenbacker's World War One memoirs dates from the original version published by Stokes in 1919. It is presented in 36 short and downloadable chapters.[CEF Study Group - Dec 2006]

http://richthofen.com/rickenbacker/

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