Michael collect
Base aéronavale / Air-sea base, Rochefort
Handley-Page Halifax B.II Series IA devant le hangar aux dirigeables "Piketty".
Photographe inconnu, vers 1950
D'après négatif gélatino-bromure d'argent sur film, 13x18 cm
"On October 6, 1945, after flying with the RAF for 11 months and making 1,479 sorties, No 346 Guyenne Sqn transferred to the French Air Force. Its sister unit, No 347 Tunisie Sqn transferred in November after ten months and 1,355 sorties with Bomber Command. By the end of October, the two squadrons had returned home.
In France, a revitalised Armée de l’Air incorporated the two Halifax squadrons into its Groupes de Bombardement as GB. II/23 Guyenne and GB. I/25 Tunisie, based at Bordeaux-Marignac. To maintain serviceability on their B. VIs, the French requested and received from the RAF at least four Halifax B. IIs and Vs for ground training at Rochefort."
"Armée de l’Air Halifaxes France began its association with the Handley Page Halifax following the establishment of `Free French’ squadrons in Britain in 1940, initially with Spitfires and later with Boston light bombers. In 1944, personnel who had experience on the twin-engine Loire et Olivier 451 bomber in the Middle East were brought together in England to form two heavy bomber squadrons equipped with Handley Page Halifaxes.
Established with RAF help, the two squadrons were No 346 Guyenne Sqn and 347 Tunisie Sqn".
Extraits de weaponsandwarfare.com/2019/04/28/halibag/
Base aéronavale / Air-sea base, Rochefort
Handley-Page Halifax B.II Series IA devant le hangar aux dirigeables "Piketty".
Photographe inconnu, vers 1950
D'après négatif gélatino-bromure d'argent sur film, 13x18 cm
"On October 6, 1945, after flying with the RAF for 11 months and making 1,479 sorties, No 346 Guyenne Sqn transferred to the French Air Force. Its sister unit, No 347 Tunisie Sqn transferred in November after ten months and 1,355 sorties with Bomber Command. By the end of October, the two squadrons had returned home.
In France, a revitalised Armée de l’Air incorporated the two Halifax squadrons into its Groupes de Bombardement as GB. II/23 Guyenne and GB. I/25 Tunisie, based at Bordeaux-Marignac. To maintain serviceability on their B. VIs, the French requested and received from the RAF at least four Halifax B. IIs and Vs for ground training at Rochefort."
"Armée de l’Air Halifaxes France began its association with the Handley Page Halifax following the establishment of `Free French’ squadrons in Britain in 1940, initially with Spitfires and later with Boston light bombers. In 1944, personnel who had experience on the twin-engine Loire et Olivier 451 bomber in the Middle East were brought together in England to form two heavy bomber squadrons equipped with Handley Page Halifaxes.
Established with RAF help, the two squadrons were No 346 Guyenne Sqn and 347 Tunisie Sqn".
Extraits de weaponsandwarfare.com/2019/04/28/halibag/