Missing airman : RAF matricule 48949

[arnaud]

Hello,

I have many Hurricane to investigate in the region Nord – Pas-de-Calais. But as the « Direction Région des Affaires Culturelles de la région Nord - Pas de Calais » forbid to French historians to make any historical researches on aircraft shot down in this région, I am afraid I can’t help you much with this case at Neuvilly. What a pity not only for French historians but also for history.

If the Royal Air Force or anyone in Great-Britain or in France (Armée de l’Air) support French historians to change this DRAC position from Nord – Pas-de-Calais, it would be a big improvement for aviation history. This is urgent because witnesses are not as big in number as it used to be.

If we could work peacefully in Nord – Pas-de-Calais, it would be so easy to have answers to our questions about aircraft shot down in May and June 1940.

For the missing pilot buried at Poix du Nord with May 18th 1940 written on the stone: I have information confirming that this body does not come from Neuvilly but from Poix du Nord:
1. I have a red cross report that at Poix du Nord a English a/c was shot down indeed at Poix du Nord on May 18th 1940: pilot dead and buried in the cemetery.
2. I have made researches at that village by letter (French historians are banned in this region): I know where this a/c was shot down at Poix du Nord. I have witnesses saying that this a/c was shot down indeed on May 18th 1940 at about 12.00 am. I have the name of the person who took this body from the crash site to cemetery at Poix du Nord.

I am fully opened to R.A.F. or any people, but I need some supports! I work for more than 20 years on losses during only 2 months: May and June 1940. I am asking for French aviation historians to be in FREE in FRANCE. I am also asking for British aviation historians to be FREE in France. French and British historians could work together indeed and I have already worked with great pleasure with British teams (Billy Drake, Michael Smith, Paul Richey digs...).

We and I live in a country where three words are important: Liberté, égalité, fraternité.

Yours sincerely

Arnaud Gillet




P.S: Bon courage à tous mes amis historiens en France et aussi en Grande-Bretagne spécialisés en aviation militaire qui rencontrent tous ces difficultés dans le Nord – Pas-de-Calais... Nous ne sommes pas libres dans le Nord! Vive notre très chère liberté...