French Pilots in Spanish Civil War

[TykoPe]

From various web sites and published sources , including Air Aces by Chris Shores there are quite a few names of pilots serving in Spain. At least two are supposed to have served in the 1914-1918 War. Jean Darre credited with anywhere from 3 to 5 Victories and another (last name only) Rayneau credited with 5 Victories all in SCW. Darre is supposed to have 5 Victories, all unconfirmed in WWI and for Rayneau ? in WWI. Some other names and SCW Victories are Abel Guides (10), William Laboussiere (5) plus 2 vs Thai aircraft in 1940-1941, Michel Bernay (2), Matheron (2) last name only, F. Mouillenet (1), Guinet (1) again last name only, and Victor Veniel (1).

Anyone have more information on these men ? Service in WWI, WWII ? units and dates of service, victories etc.etc.

TykoPe

[DTB]

It's a complicated subject.

Most of the french pilots you tell were in the international escadrille, led by the writer André Malraux.

But we have very few archives about them and their operational activity. The escadrille Malraux was created in august 1936 around Madrid and flew Potez 54 bombers, with a few fighters planes (Old Spanish Nieuport 52, French Dewoitine 372, and one Loire 46). Some of them were just mercenaries, more interested in money than fighting he fascists, and some of them were communists-sympathisers. All the victories you list are subject to caution, in fact the only victory I could prove was a Heinkel 51 shot by the gunners of a Potez 54 bomber, on 27 december 1936 (loss confirmed by nationalist archives).

I can talk for hours about these pilots, but I will focus on WW1 veterans.

Some of them were WW1 veterans, the most of them were bomber-gunners or mechanics. Only two fighters pilots were proven WW1 veterans.

- Jean Dary (not Darre, nor Darry) was a WW1 pilot. In 1916, aged 20, he was a fighter pilot in N 38 and won médaille militaire and croix de guerre (3 citations), but apparently scored no victories. He married an american girl and lost his fortune in the following divorce... So he tried to win money by selling stolen cars, but was arrested and condemned in France. In 1936, he volonteered for Spain and according to the testimony of a spanish general, was the best of all the french pilots. After the dissolution of escadrille Malraux in february 1937, he flew in a soviet-equiped fighter squadron (I 15) but could'nt stand the soviet political commissaires. So he left and came back to France, where he committed suicide in 1939. In all the photos of Malraux Escadrille, you see Dary always perfectly dressed in a complete uniform, very elegant.

- Robert Brancard few with N 89 and N 100. Not a very efficient fighter pilot : no medal, and was forbidden to fly for health problems. In 1936 he was a right-wing activist and enlisted in Malraux escadrille for spying purposes. He reported all what he saw to the nationalists. But he was discovered and expelled back to France by Malraux.

- An other pilot is subjected to caution. François Bourgeois declared to be a WW1 veteran (I could not find is name in the database) and to have flown for the Latecoere airlines (idem, no François Bourgeois in the archives). He became a bottlegger in USA during the prohibition, flying for Dillinger... Too many adventures to be true, in my opinion. He he did all this, François Bourgeois was not his real name.

E-mail me in private if you want details about the other pilots.

Regards,

DTB

[TykoPe]

Hi DTB,

Thank you for the information concerning the French pilots in the SCW. I had known that victories claimed there were somewhat suspect; perhaps due (at least in part) to the intense propaganda that was generated on all sides.

TykoPe

[TykoPe]

DTB,

Please check for a Private Message........

TykoPe