- Yes I know, this is correct. Nevertheles when I read the English text (that book was published in France but in both languages - separately - at the same time) I had the strong impression that S. Douglas was just an excuse, convenient to Townsend to publish his own views. In any case he adopted them readily. Did he add that he didn't share these (ludicrous) views? No he didn't so clearly he shared them (otherwise he wouldn't have quoted (?) them anyway). Alledgedly Villacoublay airfield was bombed by the LW on June 3, 1940, precisely when the top commanders of the French and British air forces and navies had a meeting on this very airfield! But both the British and the French were informed of this attack by their respective secret services so I have a few small doubts about this exciting story. (France had even installed a special, powerful radio transmitter on top of the Eiffel Tower to send orders to the fighters on this day, and on the same day all French fighter pilots in the Paris area and eastwards (GC I/5...) were on extreme readiness from dawn on, which proves they were informed, but this is another story). SD/PT :<< At least (or about) FIFTY French fighters were standing on the airfield but the pilots sitting in the mess kept having lunch while German bombs were exploding outside, which didn't seem to interest them in the least. >> ALWAYS THE SAME STORY : enemy bombs exploding and those horrible French pilots not taking off. A bit monotonous. Ain't this a perfect story for an "Indiana Jones" film? Or a Tex Avery cartoon? I say, these "pilots" proved a calmness and a cold-bloodedness of which only very few Britons, in particular RAF marshals, are able. This is even better than "Monty-Pythons". Frankly, who can take such a story seriously? I don't know who was nuts - Townsend or Douglas - and invented this horror story in which four Allied top commanders were involved, but this is a pure invention. Nonetheless it is precisly with such fairy tales that French people are SYSTEMATICALLY libelled in certain countries. Remember the 2nd Iraq-war : "Up yours Chirac!" could be read on almost every newspaper (big headlines) in those same countries. Chirac had DARED disapprove of the new invasion and say so. What a crime! How dared he fail to obey orders from London and Washington! After all he was just a little French president. No : he is a very tall man (and he knows this kind of war : he was a young officer in the Algeria war...).

Oh, just a little detail : French HQ considered this Villacoublay-airfield too close to the city of Paris itself (I am able to confirm this for I know this place) so NO FIGHTER UNIT was based there on this day. You can check on this easily in both editions of Paul Martin's book ("Invisibles vainqueurs" / "Ils étaient là"), which gives the locations of all airfields used by every French unit 1939-40. General Accart, the 1940-44 unique hero, insisted strongly on the part "on this day" when - very upset - I discussed this matter with him. Of course he was right : various fighter units were based at "Villa" at different times, according to circumstances, but NOT on June 3.

Interestingly on most airfields where French fighter units really were stationed - Chantilly, Lognes, Brétigny, Coulommiers, Claye-Souilly - they took off among exploding bombs and under strafing by Me 109s and 110s. This is why many French pilots died on this day : almost all (95 % IIRC) who were shot down were either killed (most of them) or badly wounded, which is exceptional; usually the proportion of survivors is much higher. The alert and take-off in due time had been spoilt by a stupid error made by... the generals (!) as usual. So as you see the REAL story of what ACTUALLY happened proves that French fighter pilots certainly took off among exploding bombs and under attack by enemy fighters already while they were trying to become airborne and also during the climb, when they were sitting ducks. Easy victories for the "Huns".

- Yes, please. You did this already some months, or maybe 1-2 years, ago, which was very kind of you, but repeating this unique piece of literature can only be very instructive.

If Sholto Douglas was fair to the French (but possibly the FREE-FRENCH only… for they were fighting within the RAF!) then Townsend must have invented his whole hair-raising story, in which not one single element CAN be true.