departure leo451 from Nantes to England 1940 06 19

[GOFRIDUS]

Have you informations about the arrival of a French LeO 451 in England during the journey of 19th june 1940. I have met the pilot a few months ago !!! the aircraft took of at dawn from Nantes Château-Bougon and landed near Southampton on a little airfield without problem.
Fate of the aircraft unknow?
I thank you very much for all informations about it.
Alain

[CJE]

I had never heard this story before.
I suppose it was one of the last LeOs assembled in Nantes.
PK photos show many wrecks of scuttled LeOs before the Germans arrive. One of the few French plants to have sabotaged their production before it was overrun.
Has your pilot still his log-book and can he confirm the serial number?

CJ

[Alexander]

Hello,

I'm very interested in every publication about the air war above Nantes!!!Has this part of air war history of Nantes ever been published?

Greetings from Belgium

Alexander (son of a "Nantais")

[GOFRIDUS]

About the sabotage at Nantes in june 1940, note I have met one of the five men who took part of this operation... last week! In its memory, only 5 Leo 451 ready to be delivered were destroyed on the taxiways between the SNCAO and the airfield. But others Leo in building were also destroyed in the factory.

About the departure of the last Leo451 from Nantes the story is really incredible... So I search feverishly other informations in UK to invalidate or confirm this evidence...

[GOFRIDUS]

For Alexander
I am writing the history of Nantes airfields between 1909 to 1940...I have still many works to obtain a good idea of this period. Actually I have 250 pages written and many rare pictures never seen... IF friends can help me in sending informations ... I shall be very grateful. All the best

[Bertrand H]

Alain

Does this pilot join Free French Air Force later ? If positive, do you have his service number ?

TIA

bertrand H

[GOFRIDUS]

I have just his name : Lt Yvon Pageot. After a test to Cranwel and training in a OTU near Aberdeen, he maked a mission PHOTO with the squadron 145 above Shark island to prepare a raid with commandos. After that, at the end of 1940, he was affected to Farnborough as "pilote réceptionnaire". After he worked to the BCRA (spy service) and was dropped in Britanny to collect informations about radio navigation X-GUERAT station used to lead the german bombers to Great Britain. A station of this type was located at Vannes Meucon airfield. During this mission, he was arrested by Gestapo and finished the war in concentration camps (Buchenwald, Dora). He survived and obtained Legion d'Honneur by Général De Gaulle in 1966.