[Dave Lefurgey]

Hawkeye:

If you're into reading the French material. I'm having trouble getting information on Colonel Georges Ronin, mentioned in my first post. He was head of the air branch within the Deuxieme Bureau. He was quite a character and had an amazing story himself. The original idea to use a civilian spy plane was likely his and he collaborated with Winterbotham (RAF/SIS/MI6). They both began looking for a suitable pilot. Ronin found Cotton through a mutual associate who worked for the American Armaments Corporation based in New York, and run by Alfred and Ignacio Miranda. They were 'gunrunners' and were of Mexican descent, and one of Cotton's daughters told me that Ignacio often reminded her of Pancho Villa with ammunition bandoliers across hia chest, while Alfred was a superb dancer. Alfred contacted Cotton and met him in London, then they went to Paris, where Cotton Met Ronin. Cotton returned to London and was met by Winterbotham. That's how he was recruited. Shortly after that, Pat Conran (Cotton's girlfriend/mistress) was going to visit Lord Bennett (a former Prime Minister of Canada) and called my uncle to see if he wanted to go along. My uncle knew Bennett through his dad and had likely met Pat through him. They discussed his plans after leaving the RAF and Pat suggested he contact her boyfriend, Cotton. he did and the rest, as they say, is history.
I am having trouble getting information from the French air force archives. The French army and archives have been fantastic in their assistance. Air force archives stated they did have a file in Ronin, but that was the end of our correspondence, in spite of messages I've sent them on how to obtain copies of the information. Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions?
Thanks, Dave