Ex-Luftwaffe pilots in French Military Aviation After WWII

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,

Was there any examples of Luftwaffe pilot veterans serving in French military aviation after World War II? There were ex-pilots of the Luftwaffe in the French Foreign Legion but they served as ground infantryman since the FFL doesn't have any flying machines. I was thinking that the French Army Light Aviation might had some Luftwaffe veterans of WWII.

Edward L. Hsiao

[Russell]

Gentlemen

Siegfried Freytag in FFL flew helicopters according to an interview on Australian TV a year before his death.

Cheers
Russell

[FalkeEins]

interesting. As Edward says - the Légion was transported by regular Armée de l’Air units. Freytag served for eighteen years in the 5e régiment étranger d’infanterie

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,

So the ex-Luftwaffe pilots of WWII who were in the French Foreign Legion may have a chance of flying French flying machines especially helecopters after all. The French military higher ups may had called for volunteers in the FFL who were ex-pilots to fly again. The topic about Luftwaffe pilot veterans flying and fighting in other air forces of the world after WWII especially the French military is unknown but interesting. It takes time and research. I sincerely hope we can come up with more examples of WWII Germans pilots in a foreign air force soon.

Edward L. Hsiao

[hanshauprich]

Hello,

Fhj-Uffz. René Darbois, born 1924 in Metz/France.
Served with 3./JG 4, chanced sides at 25. July 1944 in Italy.
Bf 109G-6, WNr. 160 756. Plane still in NASM marked as plane from JG 27.

Darbois chanced his name and flow Spitfire with an french unit in the RAF and flown 122 Missions as an helicopterpilot during the war in Indochina. Suizid 14.2.1955!!
h.

[kaki3152]

Gerhard Thyben (157V -JG54) served as pilot with the Colombian AF.

[ouidjat]

René Darbois
https://www.amazon.fr/Darbois-Pilote.../dp/2876929015
Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur, 21 Décembre 1954.
There is a René Darbois at Metz, born 1949, and councillor at Metz (ecologist).
...
Source internet.

[hanshauprich]

Hello,
Rene Darbois was also an member of the Patrouille d'Etampes in 1948, today known as Patrouille de France.
h.

[Alex Smart]

How about Syria and Turkey ?

[Schlageter]

Originally Posted by Alex Smart

How about Syria and Turkey ?

Regarding Syria I have found something. Two German pilots served at the Military aviation school in Aleppo as instructors, Fritz Stehle and Alwin Meyer (both former members of ZG 26 and JG 7). They also trained the nucleus of the Lebanese Air Force there.


https://www.globalsecurity.org/milit...d-airforce.htm


https://medium.com/war-is-boring/how...a-804f0e1d1283



Walther Schuck and Hartmann Grasser also served as instructors/ advisors to the Syrian Air Force but I haven't found any further details about their service there.


Another former Luftwaffe pilots who supposedly worked for the Syrian Air Force are:


-Siegfried Keil (or Keyl)
-Erwin Holm
-Herbert Liebker (or Luebkehr or Lübker)
-Hans Möhr


Jupp Förster (former NJG 2 and NJG 3 pilot) made his international pilot license 1948 in Lebanon in order to be employed by "Middle East Airlines".


Hope this helps!