12 - 13 November 1940
Northern Front
The French of the Escadrille d’Aden ara still active on 12 November 1940 with a reconnaissance flight over Dire Dawa, Shinile, Urso and Djibouti in the Glenn Martin 167 F No. 102 (Flight Lieutenant Jacques Dodelier ; Warrant Officer Yves Trécan ; Flight Sergeant Ronan Michel) between 10h20 and 14h45[1].
Jacques Dodelier
[1] No.8 (RAF) Squadron : Operations Record Book (Form 540 and Form 541). Kiew : TNA, AIR 27/114.
3 Responses
Were the French cooperating with the British at this time in the Northern Front?
Hello,
It is not really the French. But a few French pilots and airmen (ground staff).
L’Escadrille d’Aden or No.1 French Bomber Flight is made up of members of the French Air Force (essentially based in Lebanon and Syria, French colonies at the time) who refused the armistice of 22 June 1940 and wished to continue the fight and and fled to Egypt (or or Gibraltar for those based in North Africa). They therefore decided to join the RAF locally to form the Escadrille d’Aden, which is then attached to No.8 (RAF) Squadron (based in Aden). L’Escadrille d’Aden is officially created on 8 or 13 July 1940 with two bombers : Glenn Martin 167 F No.82 and No.102.
You can find more info here : http://aerostories2.free.fr/acrobat/AA/aden.pdf (in French) or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_French_Flight (in English)
Free French Flight should not be confused with the later creation of the FAFL (Forces Aériennes Française Libres : Free French Air Forces), which were created by Free France. The Free French Flight is, in fact, composed of airmen (and their French aircraft) who fled French territories after the armistice of June 1940 to join the RAF and continue the fight.
Thank you for your excellent explanation. I also appreciate the links you provided. I will follow them. Again, thank you.