Re: Flotille 1E/344 Sqn
You're welcome. By the way your post gives me idea to check if the same "double number" system applies for US too. I can't find anything for the French Armée de l'Air, but an Aéronavale unit, the 6eme Flotille d'Exploration, was called by the American controlling it VFP-1 (French Patrol Squadron 1). It was then "renamed" VFPB-1 (French Patrol Bombing Squadron 1) at the same time as USN squadrons were renamed with an added B.
I could find its war diary from April to November 1944 on fold3. Or at least an English version of its war diary, that is possibly shorter than the French version. Two fatal crashes occured during the period (in June and July) and the diaries on fold3 give the number of casualties, but not their names.
The Americans also called VFP-2 the 8eme Flotille d'Exploration, another PBY French unit, and VFB-1 and VFB-2 (French Bombing Squadron) the 3eme and 4eme Flotilles de Bombardment, that reequiped in 1944 with SBD Dauntless.
War diaries of VBF-1 is available on fold3 for September and October 1944. On the first page of the reports, the unit is designed as "French Third Bombing Squadron, VFB-1", so mixing both French and US numbers.
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