sgt Roland Comte de la Poype - air gunner GRB 1?

[keith A]

De La Poype served as an air gunner with the unit in 1940. I assume he was flying in the Lysander or Blenheim because he mentions his pilot (Yves) Ezanno? If he was just an air gunner then the Blenheim seems likely, the Lysander would require an observer/air gunner. However I note that qualification as an observer was part of French air force pilot training pre-war.

He had completed his elementary pilot training in the Armee de l'Air at Angers in February 1940.

He leaves the squadron (GRB1) in November 1940 after service in the Dakar expedition and the Gabon campaign.

Did he fly in the Lysander AND the Blenheim? Neither are mentioned in his autobiography although he briefly mentions his time as an air gunner with Ezanno in GRB1. Free French Westland Lysander aircraft (of GRB 1?) flying from Douala bombed Libreville aerodrome on 9 November 1940.

K

[keith A]

Found my unit...

La France libre utilisa largement l'infrastructure mise en place en Afrique équatoriale avant la guerre. Le détachement permanent des forces aériennes du Tchad fournit des Potez 25 et 29 et quelques Bloch 120 trimoteurs; il transporta, en outre, le général de Gaulle lors de la tournée que celui-ci effectua dans la région en octobre 1940, des unités du même genre avaient vu le jour au Cameroun, sous le commandement du capitaine Biarnais (Lysander), et au Gabon et au Moyen-Congo (lieutenant Ezanno), sur Lysander, Potez 25 et Bloch 120.

De la Poype flew in the Potez 25 and the Lysander, the Bloch was an unarmed transport.

[keith A]

I should mention that based on this he was not a member of GRB1 but of one of the small formations that became GRB1 after his departure. He served in the Ezanno flight but it's official designation is unknown to me.
K

[Many Souffan]

Hello Keith.

Roland de La Poype never flew with GRB-1, because this unit was officially named at the end of November 1940. Our pilot was already in a Ship coming back in England.

He never flew with Ezanno, But he was with him, De La Poype arrived at Douala as the other Free French on the 8th october 40 the next day he began to reassemble the Planes (Lysander & Blenheim). Few days after he was sent alone to Kribi to prepare the airbase (with the help of 200 africans). On 20th october the second flight of Lysander un the command of Ezanno arrived to Kribi. De La Poype flew few missions as observer/gunner with the first flight of Lysander in the beginning of november after the surrender of Gabon the 13th november , all the young French Fighter pilots who follow de Marmier came back to England by sea... to begin to learn to fly in RAF.

I don't think that La Poype flew in Potez 25 or Lysander as pilot but always, as passenger.

Many Souffan.