York plaque honours WW2 French airman's heroism

Discussion in 'The War In The Air' started by 4jonboy, May 2, 2014.

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  1. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

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  2. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    A plaque has been unveiled in York to honour a French World War Two fighter pilot who defended the city from a German air raid.
    Yves Mahé intercepted a wave of bombers, shooting down two in the York Blitz of 29 April 1942.
    Ian Richardson, from the Yorkshire Air Museum, said his actions "drove the bombers away" from the city.
    Read more

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-27255340
     
  3. NickFenton

    NickFenton Well-Known Member

    Fantastic story - Where is Von poop? French man defending Betty's!!!! True accolade to Yorkshire Cuisine.

    To me, it is great that we are still remembering these acts of heroism, when others are changing their name to remove that and become more 'Modern'.

    Well done York from a very proud Yorkshireman born in your fair City.

    Regards,

    Nick
    KenFentonsWar.com
     
  4. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    The York Blitz-Wednesday 29th April 1942
    http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/features/history/blitz/


    (Text from The York Blitz-1942, published by the Yorkshire Air Museum)
    http://www.yorkshireairmuseum.org/

    Called in at York yesterday and there was a display about Yves Mahe, with a Hawker Hurricane on display in the town centre

    "Yves Mahe, a 23 year old Free French pilot with 253 Squadron RAF Fighter Command saw the City ablaze from some distance and came screaming into the middle of the German bombers in his Hawker Hurricane fighter with its 8 machine guns blazing.

    Yves had joined the French Air Force in 1939 but following the French armistice in June 1940 he stole a plane and despite the threat of execution he flew with other French airmen to Gibraltar to join the Royal Air Force during the dark days of the Battle of Britain.

    On 29th April he arrived over the burning City and immediately attacked a Heinkel 111 twin engined bomber. It crashed in flames over the River Ouse and Yves turned to take on a Junkers Ju88 bomber. The Germans decided it was time to leave and the intense smoke above the City made it easy to avoid detection. One Dornier Do217 crashed near Castle Howard and the others fled as the "All Clear" sirens began to sound across the ravaged City.

    It turned out that Yves' arrival in the scene was none too soon. In a secret part of Rowntree's Main Factory, ammunition was being filled with high explosive. If the Germans had carried out their planned attack on the factory, the destruction in York would have been unimaginable.

    Pilot Officer Yves Mahe was later given a civic reception at the Mansion House. The Free French flag flew over the City and later General de Gaulle presented Yves with the Croix de Guerre. He went on to fly with the French squadrons fighting with the Soviet Air Force and was shot down in August 1944 over Smolensk. He was captured by the Germans, condemned to death, went into hiding, escaped and eventually returned to France in August 1945.

    He served with the French Air Force until 29th March 1962 when he was killed in a Gloster Meteor NF11 in Belgium. He was 42" :poppy:

    http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/12917693.Hurricane_lands_in_York/?ref=arc

    A couple of photos taken yesterday
    NRM 139.JPG NRM 137.JPG
     
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  5. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Well done York.

    I would not live anywhere else.

    FdeP
     
  6. Quarterfinal

    Quarterfinal Well-Known Member

    Coney Street is at left of picture:
    upload_2022-12-19_15-47-21.jpeg
     
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