Spitfire in France, May-June 1940

[rof120]

Perhaps 6-10 years ago someone asked about Spitfire(s) on French airfields in May-June 1940. As you know the Spit was still considered secret and too precious to be risked on the continent where the German army was on the rampage. Nevertheless one or two photo-reconnaissance Spits, possibly more, were briefly based on French airfield(s) to be able to penetrate more deeply over German territory for strategic reconnaissance.

What follows is from the French book "Le Morane-Saulnier MS 406", a very comprehensibe monograph published 1998 by Lela Presse (12 authors), page 142:

On June 1, 1940 the French fighter unit GC III/7 landed at Coulommiers (-airfield) at 7.15 hours. The RAF was there already with a squadron of "Blenheims" flying night missions and one reconnaissance "Spitfire" "fiercely guarded in a hangar, nobody is able to come nearer. All these aircraft disappeared discretely on June 4."

The city of Coulommiers is exactly East of Paris at a distance of about 50 km. That's at least one airfield (there is still a small aerodrome near Coulommiers (except if it was removed recently), NW of the city. I think at least one PR Spit (possibly the same one) was based elsewhere in France for a few days in May, more in the northern part of the country - the fine French review "Icare" mentioned this in one of the 17 or 19 issues on the 1940 French Campaign.