ANDRAL François
 

Hello
I am looking for information about a French aviator named François Charles ANDRAL who died on August 28th, 1942 in Neunmünster, Germany.
The French website listing the French soldiers "Mort pour la France", indicates that it would have belonged to No163 Squadron. But I do not find any mention of his name on this Squadron's ORB, nor mention of his belonging to the French Air Force (Free French).
Would anybody has knowledge of an allied aircraft that could have been shot down in the Neunmünster area on the same date?
Thanks in advance
Best regards
Franck

Re: ANDRAL François
 

No help as such, but a listing with No 163 Sq sounds really odd.

It was a rather short lived unit which had been formed at Suez on 10 July 1942, went to Eritrea and disbanded at Asmara, Ethiopia on 16 June 1943
The reference must be to some other unit, based in Europe. Since I also believe you mean Neumünster and not Neunmünster, it feels likely the unit he belonged to was based in Britain.

Checking the usual suspects, ie Fighter Command, Bomber Command and 8th AF, I cannot see any of them coming close to Neumünster on that day.

Quite a mystery Franck

B Rgds
Stig

Re: ANDRAL François
 

Hello Stig
"you mean Neumünster and not Neunmünster" you're right, it is just a "finger trouble" on my keyboard from my side.

Thanks to French sources, he was not pilot, nor air gunner...

Another idea came to me: maybe he was belonging to the French Bomber Group "GB 1/63" and has been taken prisoner in May or June 1940.

I will continue my search.

Best regards
Franck

Re: ANDRAL François
 

Hello
I have just found why ANDRAL does not appear in the accounts of the French Air Force: simply because it belongs to the Army and the 163rd Fortress Artillery Regiment,..... in French "163e Régiment d'Artillerie de Forteresse (163e RAF).

Thanks to those who have searched.
Best regards
Franck