FAFL units in Kongo, 1944-45

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Escadrille Arras was a part of Groupe Artois (a escadrille was roughly a flight in RAF, a groupe = a RAF squadron). The other escadrille of the Groupe was the Escadrille Béthune.

Groupe Artois was based in French Central Africa with Wellington, Anson, Oxford and Lysander and was flying coastal missions, but also transport missions.

Known losses (to me):
4/Nov/1943: Anson EG 359 crashed off Pointe-Noire during training flight, 4 crew + 3 passengers killed, 1 survivor
9/Feb/1944: Lysander P9102 destroeyd during Pointe-Noire to Libreville liaison flight
14/Apr/1944: Anson E351 crashed at take-off (no location...): 1 KIA, 1 WIA, 2 unhurt

The Groupe Bretagne was a medium bomber unit, formed in Africa with Blenheim but that moved to Great Britain and used Boston in 2 Group RAF from 1943 to the end of the war.
The details of his operations and losses can be found in Shore's book series "2nd TAF"

There is no link between the Groupe Bretagne and Congo in 1944-45, except that some crew could have come from this part of the French Empire.

Maybe there is a confusion between the Escadrille Béthune and the Groupe Bretagne.