Base aérienne Le Valdahon
 

Good evening gentlemen

I have a question concerning Base aérienne No.543 /Le Valdahon/Région Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.

Does anybody know if and which French umit used this base during the Western campaign in 1940, maybe in the final part?

Was it just an emergency landing ground, like mentioned on ww2.dk, and no active base?

Thank you, I appriciate every answer.
Regards
Harry

Re: Base aérienne Le Valdahon
 

The classification "Emergency Landing Ground" refers just to the period it was occupied by the Germans. Before 22 June 1940, it was a French military airfield, albeit a very small one that was probably used mostly by fighters. The dimensions were too small and the infrastructure too sparse for it to have been a permanent station for bomber units.

L.

Re: Base aérienne Le Valdahon
 

Hi,

Little size of the airfield of Besancon-Le Valdahon is quoted on this Guide aérien Michelin (1935)

Attachment 18300

Bertrand

Re: Base aérienne Le Valdahon
 

Thanks, Bertrand -

Additionally, Michelin says it was used for flight training, probably as a practice field, and that is why it had almost no infrastructure. The trainers flew in and the trainers flew out, but they were not stationed there permanently.

L.

Re: Base aérienne Le Valdahon
 

There's this online: http://www.anciens-aerodromes.com/?p=29530

Re: Base aérienne Le Valdahon
 

Thanks a lot for your help, Bertrand, Larry and Nick.
The reason for my question is: I passed Valdhon 2 months ago on my way to Besançon, and I remembered reading a French book many many years ago - unfortunately I don't remember the title - where a French reconnaissance or fighter unit at Valdhon, close to the Swiss border, was mentioned. Together with a second base aérienne, which I don't remember either. I'm getting old!!!
So I got curios. Back home, I looked through many Orders of battle of the Armée de l'air in 1940, but coulden't find any trace of a reconnaissance or fighter unit at Valdahon.
So, as you all said, it was a small airfield indeed, certainly only used for training and practising. But I keep on searching.
Thanks again.
Best regards
Harry

No fighters, no close-recce AC, it seems
 

In the book "Invisibles vainqueurs" published 1991 by Éditions Yves Michelet Paul Martin included large annexes giving many details on all Armée de l'Air combat units (not training, transport etc.) including (it seems) all airfields they used 1939-40, often approx. six to sixteen. I screened all these lists for fighter and GAO units (GAO is Groupe aérien d'observation, close recce squadrons) and I found nothing. I guess "your" airfield was not too small for their comparatively light aircraft, fighters or close recce AC (Mureaux 113, 115 and mainly 117, NOT Potez 63.11, which was much heavier) but this is only my guess. GAOs were very numerous, their list is long. Most of them sooner or later shifted from Mureaux to the much better twin-engined, twin-fin Potez 63.11. Some GAOs also used some odd types like Potez 25 or 39, Breguet 27. I think eventually (= in the end) all old, odd types were replaced by the modern Potez 63.11s. Most GAOs suffered appalling losses.

Re: Base aérienne Le Valdahon
 

Thank you Rof120.
From the size of the airfield I agree that GAO units could have used it, maybe as an auxiliary airfield during the German advance and pursuit to the South (Fall Rot).

Thanks a lot to you all.
Regards
Harry