No 346 (Guyenne) and No 347 (Tunisie) Squadrons, Free French Air Force.

A neighbour has asked me for some help regarding the above two Squadrons believed to be flying from Elvington, York.

Does anyone know anything about them and if their ORB's exist at the National Archives?

Would the chaps service records be held at Cranwell?

Cheers
Andy

 

No. 346 The squadron was formed at RAF Elvington on 15 May 1944 from GB H/23 ‘Guyenne’ airmen who had been based in the Middle East. It was equipped with British Halifax heavy bomber aircraft and then took part in night bombing raids over Germany.
The squadron moved to Bordeaux in October 1945 after hostilities had ceased and transferred from RAF to French control on 15 November 1945

 

No.347 The squadron was formed at RAF Elvington on 20 June 1944 from GB I/25 ‘Tunisie’ airmen who had been based in the Middle East. It was equipped with British Halifax heavy bomber aircraft and then took part in night bombing raids over Germany.
The squadron moved to Bordeaux in October 1945 after hostilities had ceased and transferred from RAF to French control on 15 November 1945.

 

Collections listing for "AMERICAN (US) EMBASSY SECOND WORLD WAR PHOTOGRAPH LIBRARY: CLASSIFIED PRINT COLLECTION" | Imperial War Museums

this is the link to photo at the iwm

 

The National Archives | Access to Archives
national archives

 

You chaps are spoiling me tonight. Many thanks !

 

Hi,
This French blog has loads of info, lots of photo's too

EQUIPAGES DU GROUPE TUNISIE - HALIFAX GROUPES LOURDS FRANCAIS SQUADRONS 346 et 347 R.A.F

EQUIPAGES DU GROUPE GUYENNE - HALIFAX GROUPES LOURDS FRANCAIS SQUADRONS 346 et 347 R.A.F

Easiest way I found to translate was to google "halifax346et347" then use google translate.

 

Hi Andy,

As noted both the squadron ORBs are in the AIR 27 microfilm series.

Depends on the dates you are looking for as to which reels.

Now the question of who holds the service record depends on what force your chap was with.

The units were mostly staffed with FAFL airmen and so their records were sent to Paris when the government reformed.

The contact address for the FAFL is:

Service historique be l'armee de l'air
Chateau de Vincennes
B.P. 110
00481 Armees

If the man was RAF/RAFVR or AAF then Cranwell is the responsible body.

Regards
Ross

 

Many thanks Snailer and Ross

 

There is a memorial to these two FAF bomber squadrons in the heart of Elvington village.Worth visiting after a longer visit to the YAM....the memorial is just down the road.

 

There is a memorial to these two FAF bomber squadrons in the heart of Elvington village.Worth visiting after a longer visit to the YAM....the memorial is just down the road.

Just out of curiousity - Does anyone have any pictures?

I guess I should Google Image it.

 

No. 346 The squadron was formed at RAF Elvington on 15 May 1944 from GB H/23 ‘Guyenne’ airmen who had been based in the Middle East. It was equipped with British Halifax heavy bomber aircraft and then took part in night bombing raids over Germany.
The squadron moved to Bordeaux in October 1945 after hostilities had ceased and transferred from RAF to French control on 15 November 1945

Hi,

I'm looking for information about my Grandfather.

He served as Ground Staff in the Free French Forces based in Elvington.

His name was or is Joseph Garcia and is believed to have been born in 1917 as he was 28 in 1945.

He is also believed to have been injuried in battle as he walked with a limp.

He was originally from Lyon in France and returned to France in 1945 and my mother never met him.

Could someone please assist as this has been a missing piece of my Mothers life and the not knowing is the worst I thing.

Thanks in advance.

Christopher Green
christopher_green2@btinternet.com

 

Ha - Hello Chris, It was me that started this thread for you after chatting on NFV. I'd edit ya email address a bit mate to stop you getting spammed. Replace the @ with (at).

Cheers
Andy

 

I just ran across this discussion while searching for some information on 346 (Guyenne).

My father flew with 346 - Bombardier and 2nd Pilot. I had the privilege of attending two reunions with him - one at Elvington in the 1990s and the other in Normandy around 2000. Sadly, given the average age of those veterans, their numbers had already decreased notably by the second reunion I attended. My father passed away in 2006 but at least during the reunions I managed to get him to speak about his experiences, both at Elvington and during missions. That was all captured on video.

For those interested in these two squadrons, there is an association in France that was formed to maintain contact between their members. I don't recall the exact name but if there is interest, I can dig into the files for the newsletters. I'm not sure it is still active though as at the Normandy reunion I believe the youngest member of the association was just about to turn 80 (he'd lied about his age to enlist in WW II) so he'd be about 94 now ...

In addition to the memorial in the villiage of Elvington, there is also a memorial in Normandy at Grandcamp-Maissy (also home to the Rangers Museum). The reason for the memorial was that the night before D-Day these two French squadrons actually bombed Normandy - the first and only time they bombed their home country. It is well worth the visit if you are headed to Normandy.

 

HI

Just to add a little to this… the target for the French Bomb Group was the Maisy Battery - just outside Grandcamp-Maisy.

The Batteries (3 of them) were positioned to fire on both Utah and Omaha Beaches and did so successfully until they were silenced by the US Army Rangers on the 9th of June 1944. Unfortunately the French bomber mission did not succeed in silencing the guns.

In reality the monument in Grandcamp should be located at the battery 1 mile away… but the battery was still buried at the time when the monument was erected - so another smaller monument has recently been placed at the Maisy Battery by French veterans. Each year on the anniversary they visit and lay flowers at the site.

There is a lot more info on this largely forgotten RANGERS operation in Normandy at www.maisybattery.com

I hope this helps.

 

PS I have some photographs of log books of the Maisy bombings and some photos of the guys if you want to contact me.

 

Nos 346 and 347 Squadrons were given the responsibility of breaking down the Royan festung on the Gironde estuary when the rest of France had been overrun apart from such festungs as L'Orient in Brittany.

Royan held out until Germany surrendered....badly damaged...now has a concrete cathedral,an outstanding feature as viewed from across the Medoc side of the Gironde.

Services are arranged for Remembrance Sunday, 9 November at the Yorkshire Air Museum and at the Squadron memorial in the village.

 

Hello, it appears my Mothers father was in this squadron. My mother was born illegitimately as her mum was married at the time.
I know her name but not his and he isn't on the birth certificate. I would guess I have zero chance to ever trace him ?
Anyone else been down this path ?
I was adopted and so was my mother so I have only just found this information so don't have much to go on. My Mum was born January 1946 so he was still alive in '45 on return to France I imagine.

Vicky