Book on French AF 1939-40?

Ruy, I tried to send you a PM but your box is full. Please do something, thanks.

Originally Posted by Ruy Horta

The high ranking french officers didn't come to the field, the British delegation visits them (at their respective headquarters?).

-Yes this is fully possible but not credible - 0 % credibility - on the day of a massive German air attack aimed at airfields the Allies were aware of! You may be crazy but there are some limits somewhere. Please remember that general Vuillemin was the C-i-C of the French Air Force and on this battle day he had other concerns than drinking a nice cup of tea with a few Rosbifs.

Douglas is just expressing surprise that there is no welcome, which is then explained by the impending air attack. Something that could serve as a confirmation of the date.

- My foot! They probably made a navigation error and landed at a wrong airfield, possibly Orly, Marseille or Bordeaux! Then Douglas didn't want to admit such an error... Coming PRECISELY on June 3 is out of the question. They had about 95 % chances of being shot down by German fighters, or by FRENCH fighters, or by French AAA. This is RI-DI-CU-LOUS, please try to understand at last. Why not on June 1st or 4th, hmmm? Why precilesy June 3? To be able to libel every single Frenchman afterwards? No high-ranking HQ general from any country ever went on sight-seeing PRECISELY at the place and on the day of a big battle.

The talks themselves don't seem out of place either, the British looking for some reassurance in case Italy entered the war. The extended text wasn't quoted by me, so don't be too quick to dismiss events.

- This is all very fine but why the hell precisely on June 3?

His personal courage should not be questioned, he was just being realistic in his assessment.

- Come on! I was just joking about rushing into some shelter. I would have run faster myself and taken shelter first!

I'm disappointed to see a lot of assumptions and at best educated guesses.

- Is this aimed at sweet little me? I only can repeat that the whole Sholto Douglas-story is totally incredible from the first to the last word. It is not true. It was entirely invented, possibly to show (after the war!) what a hero SD was. Remember that his behavior during the Battle of Britain was extremely objectionable in the "big wing" discussion. Later his "nonstop offensive" which achieved nothing but heavy British losses really was no basis for glory (see "The JG 26 War Diary", volume 1, by D. Caldwell, page 212). He needed to show what a great man he was, for he was not.

If the dates and places are correct, - GZ : BUT THEY ARE NOT! - I am not convinced that Douglas did not see numerous fighters, and that he did see air force personnel in the officers' mess. Whatever misinterpretations he may have made, it left a bad impression on him.

Now please let us travel from France to England, namely to many RAF fighter airfields during the Battle of Britain. It certainly happened often that RAF fighters did not take off when German formations were flying overhead and even bombing nearby places. How come? They were waiting, and rightly so, for the order to take off and accomplish their mission within a whole, complex strategical and tactical system. A foreign observer as dumb as Sholto Douglas, possibly a Franek Grabowski, would have been outraged at all the RAF fighter pilots not jumping at the enemy's throat immediately.

See?