Base aérienne Le Valdahon

[Nick Beale]

There's this online: http://www.anciens-aerodromes.com/?p=29530

[Pegasus123]

Thanks a lot for your help, Bertrand, Larry and Nick.
The reason for my question is: I passed Valdhon 2 months ago on my way to Besançon, and I remembered reading a French book many many years ago - unfortunately I don't remember the title - where a French reconnaissance or fighter unit at Valdhon, close to the Swiss border, was mentioned. Together with a second base aérienne, which I don't remember either. I'm getting old!!!
So I got curios. Back home, I looked through many Orders of battle of the Armée de l'air in 1940, but coulden't find any trace of a reconnaissance or fighter unit at Valdahon.
So, as you all said, it was a small airfield indeed, certainly only used for training and practising. But I keep on searching.
Thanks again.
Best regards
Harry

[rof120]

In the book "Invisibles vainqueurs" published 1991 by Éditions Yves Michelet Paul Martin included large annexes giving many details on all Armée de l'Air combat units (not training, transport etc.) including (it seems) all airfields they used 1939-40, often approx. six to sixteen. I screened all these lists for fighter and GAO units (GAO is Groupe aérien d'observation, close recce squadrons) and I found nothing. I guess "your" airfield was not too small for their comparatively light aircraft, fighters or close recce AC (Mureaux 113, 115 and mainly 117, NOT Potez 63.11, which was much heavier) but this is only my guess. GAOs were very numerous, their list is long. Most of them sooner or later shifted from Mureaux to the much better twin-engined, twin-fin Potez 63.11. Some GAOs also used some odd types like Potez 25 or 39, Breguet 27. I think eventually (= in the end) all old, odd types were replaced by the modern Potez 63.11s. Most GAOs suffered appalling losses.

[Pegasus123]

Thank you Rof120.
From the size of the airfield I agree that GAO units could have used it, maybe as an auxiliary airfield during the German advance and pursuit to the South (Fall Rot).

Thanks a lot to you all.
Regards
Harry