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Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
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No 345 (Free French) Sqn Personnel, aircraft and locations
[1944 | ]
Personnel Movements: Feb - Dec 1944
| Rank | Name | Date | Notes |
| February | |||
| Flt Lt | F St K Anderson | 7 Feb 1944 | Arrived at RAF Ayr on posting for duty of Adjutant |
| Flt Sgt | Blackmore | 8 Feb 1944 | Arrived on posting for duty as Interpreter |
| Flt Lt | Park | 11 Feb 1944 | Arrived on attachment from AFL 6 to examine pilots from a security point of view |
| Capt | Guizard | 12 Feb 1944 | Arrived at RAF Ayr on posting in command of the rail party |
| Flt Lt | R B Norman | 12 Feb 1944 | Arrived at RAF Ayr with the rail party as Liaison Officer, DAFL |
| Flt Lt | Park | 12 Feb 1944 | Ceased to be attached on return to DAFL |
| Capt | Guizard | 21 Feb 1944 | Proceeded to No 61 OTU |
| LAC | Scott | 22 Feb 1944 | Clerk/GD arrived on posting |
| Cmdt | Bernard | 23 Feb 1944 | Officer Commanding, rejoined the unit from London |
| Capt | Perdrizet | 23 Feb 1944 | Rejoined the unit from London |
| Lt | Guerin | 24 Feb 1944 | Arrived on posting from London |
| Lt | Guillerme | 25 Feb 1944 | Rejoined the unit from London |
| Cmdt | Bernard | 28 Feb 1944 | Proceeded to No 57 OTU |
| March | |||
| Lt | Jacquemet | 15 Mar 1944 | Promoted to Capt |
| Adjt/Chef | Kausay | 15 Mar 1944 | Promoted to S/Lt |
| Sgt | Ferry | 18 Mar 1944 | Arrived on posting from French HQ |
| April | |||
| Capt | Jacquemet | 15 Apr 1944 | Proceeded on a BAT Course at RAF Wittering |
| Fg Off | Hood | 15 Apr 1944 | Engineer Officer proceeded on a Merlin course at Rolls Royce, Derby |
| Plt Off | White | 23 Apr 1944 | Arrived on attachment for duty as Intelligence Officer |
| Sgt | E Sente | 29 Apr 1944 | Died in Southlands Hospital from injuries sustained in a accident earlier in the day |
| May | |||
| Fg Off | Hood | 3 May 1944 | Engineer Officer returned on completion of Merlin course at Rolls Royce, Derby |
| Lt | Guennebaud | 5 May 1944 | Arrived on posting from RAF West Kirby for duty as Operations Liaison Officer |
| Capt | Remy | 8 May 1944 | Arrived on posting from No 57 OTU |
| Lt | Guillerme | 9 May 1944 | Posted to the French Camp, Camberley |
| Lt | Jochem | 10 May 1944 | Operations Liaison Officer, attached to RAF Tangmere |
| Lt | Guennebaud | 10 May 1944 | Operations Liaison Officer, attached to RAF Tangmere |
| Lt | Polge | 20 May 1944 | Arrived on posting from RAF West Kirby for duty as Medical Officer |
| Asp | Vacher | 21 May 1944 | Medical Officer, posted to RAF West Kirby |
| Sgt | Autret | 8 May 1944 | Arrived on posting from No 3 TEU |
| Lt | Jochem | 25 May 1944 | Operations Liaison Officer, ceased to be attached to RAF Tangmere |
| Lt | Guennebaud | 25 May 1944 | Operations Liaison Officer, ceased to be attached to RAF Tangmere |
| Asp | Roger | 29 May 1944 | Arrived on posting |
| Sgt/Chef | Tavernier | 29 May 1944 | Arrived on posting |
| Sgt | Marchal | 29 May 1944 | Arrived on posting |
| June | |||
| Lt | J Joubert des Ouches | 6 Jun 1944 | Killed in action after baling out over the Channel whilst flying W3843 |
| Sgt | P J M Autret | 7 Jun 1944 | Killed in action whilst flying BM312, which exploded after being hit by flak |
| Sgt | L T Bonjean | 8 Jun 1944 | Killed in action whilst flying BL927, which crashed into the Channel following an engine failure |
| Capt | Sassard | 11 Jun 1944 | Arrived on posting from No 64 Sqn |
| S/Lt | Decroo | 11 Jun 1944 | Arrived on posting from No 64 Sqn |
| July | |||
| Capt | Sassard | 10 Jul 1944 | He failed to return whilst flying W3771, which was shot down by flak, but later returned after successfully evading |
| Lt | C Dop | 10 Jul 1944 | Killed in action whilst flying AA847, which shot down by flak, |
| Lt | de Longeville | 18 Jul 1944 | Proceeded on a Merlin Handling course at Rolls Royce, Derby |
| Sgt | G Mendes | 22 Jul 1944 | Killed in action after baling out over the Channel whilst flying AR377, following an engine failure |
| Lt | de Longeville | 23 Jul 1944 | Returned from the Merlin Handling course at Rolls Royce, Derby |
| August | |||
| Lt | Boette | 7 Aug 1944 | Arrived on posting from No 3501 SU |
| Asp | Many | 7 Aug 1944 | Arrived on posting from No 3501 SU |
| Sgt | Mathieu | 7 Aug 1944 | Posted to No 1 ADF |
| Sgt | Grubert | 9 Aug 1944 | Arrived on posting from No 3501 SU |
| Lt | Carpentier | 11 Aug 1944 | Arrived on posting from No 329 Sqn |
| Plt Off | White | 15 Aug 1944 | Intelligence Officer, posted to No 141 Wing |
| Asp | Remeau d'Equainville | 21 Aug 1944 | Rejoined the squadron as Liaison Officer |
| Sgt/Chef | Pruneau | 21 Aug 1944 | Posted to Camberley |
| September | |||
| Flt Lt | Holroyd | 4 Sep 1944 | Attached from No 141 Wing for temporary duty as Adjutant |
| Capt | G M F Guizard | 8 Sep 1944 | Promoted to Cmdt |
| Capt | Perdrizet | 8 Sep 1944 | Promoted to Cmdt |
| Lt | Guerin | 8 Sep 1944 | Promoted to Capt |
| S/Lt | Seguy | 8 Sep 1944 | Promoted to Lt |
| S/Lt | Decroo | 8 Sep 1944 | Promoted to Lt |
| Adjt/Chef | Vuillemain | 8 Sep 1944 | Promoted to S/Lt |
| Adjt/Chef | Filidoro | 8 Sep 1944 | Promoted to S/Lt |
| Adjt/Chef | Le Corfec | 8 Sep 1944 | Promoted to S/Lt |
| Adjt/Chef | Maurel | 18 Sep 1944 | Killed in action after ditching in the Channel whilst flying PT913 |
| October | |||
| S/Lt | Filidoro | 9 Oct 1944 | Posted to French Camp, Camberley |
| S/Lt | Le Corfec | 13 Oct 1944 | Posted to French Camp, Camberley |
| Cmdt | Bernard | 23 Oct 1944 | Relinquished command of No 345 Sqn |
| Cmdt | G M F Guizard | 23 Oct 1944 | Assumed command of No 345 Sqn |
| November | |||
| Asp | Roger | 4 Nov 1944 | Failed to return from a sortie |
| Asp | Many | 5 Nov 1944 | Wounded in action |
| Cmdt | G M F Guizard | 16 Nov 1944 | Admitted to hospital with arm injury (football match) |
| S/Lt | V Puchon | 19 Nov 1944 | Killed whilst flying PL427 when he collided with PT855 |
| S/Lt | Y Marchal | 19 Nov 1944 | Killed whilst flying PT855 when he collided with PL427 |
| December | |||
| Lt | G H A Perseval | 4 Dec 1944 | Arrived on posting |
| Fg Off | Robson | 14 Dec 1944 | Engineer Officer, posted to No 413 RSU |
| Capt | Jacquemet | 20 Dec 1944 | Wounded in a V2 attack on the station |
Source - No 345 ORB (AIR 27/1741)
Organisational Movements: Jan - Dec 1944
| Date | Notes |
| January | |
| 30 Jan 1944 | No 345 Squadron was officially formed from GC II/2 'Berry' |
| February | |
| 7 Feb 1944 | French personnel of the squadron in Liverpool awaiting to travel to Ayr by rail |
| 12 Feb 1944 | 22 x Officers and 191 x other ranks arrived at RAF Ayr |
| 13 Feb 1944 | 5 x officer and 2 x NCO pilots proceeded to London for further intorrogation |
| 15 Feb 1944 | 4 x officer and 3 x NCO pilots proceeded to No 53 OTU |
| 21 Feb 1944 | 6 x officer and 2 x NCO pilots proceeded to No 61 OTU |
| 28 Feb 1944 | OC and 4 x officer pilots proceeded to No 57 OTU |
| March | |
| 18 Mar 1944 | 10 x airmen arrived on posting from French HQ |
| 22 Mar 1944 | Squadron office was moved to No 1 Hangar |
| 23 Mar 1944 | 12 x airmen arrived on posting from French HQ |
| 25 Mar 1944 | 5 x airmen arrived on posting from French HQ |
| 27 Mar 1944 | The first batch of British airmen arrived on posting to assist in the formation of the unit |
| 28 Mar 1944 | Pilots began returning from OTUs |
| 30 Mar 1944 | 1 x Spitfire VB, AB986 arrived as the unit's first aircraft |
 |
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| April | |
| 4 Apr 1944 | All original French (untrained) member of No 6345 Servicing Echelon (except 10 admin personnel) departed for West Kirby pending posting overseas |
| 5 Apr 1944 | A new contingent of French personnel (mostly trained mechanics) arrived from the French Camp, Camberley |
| 22 Apr 1944 | Advance departed RAF Ayr for RAF Shoreham |
| 25 Apr 1944 | Road party departed RAF Ayr for RAF Shoreham Main party departed RAF Ayr for RAF Shoreham by rail |
| 26 Apr 1944 | Personnel arrived at St Pancras Station and
conveyed to Shoreham by road Air party departed RAF Ayr for RAF Shoreham |
| 27 Apr 1944 | Baggage party arrived at RAF Shoreham |
| May | |
| No relevant entries recorded in this month's ORB | |
| June | |
| No relevant entries recorded in this month's ORB | |
| July | |
| 26 Jul 1944 | The squadron landed in France for the first time, returning to Shoreham later in the day |
| 29 Jul 1944 | 13 x Spitfire LF VB (LR) were collected |
| August | |
| 14 Aug 1944 | Advance party departed RAF Shoreham for ALG Deanland |
| 16 Aug 1944 | The squadron moved from RAF Shoreham to ALG Deanland |
| September | |
| 6 Sep 1944 | The squadron received the last Spitfire IX to complete its re-equipment |
 |
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| 10 Sep 1944 | Permission given for aircraft to fly on operations with French markings |
| October | |
| 10 Oct 1944 | 10 pilots and aircraft proceeded to No 11 APC for air firing training |
| 12 Oct 1944 | Remaining 11 pilots and aircraft proceeded to No 11 APC for air firing training |
| 18 Oct 1944 | The squadron moved from Deanland to RAF Biggin Hill |
| 28 Oct 1944 | The air party arrived at RAF Biggin Hill from No 11 APC |
| November | |
| 1 Nov 1944 | The squadron departed RAF Biggin Hill in three Dakotas and landed at B55 Weveigeim |
| 17 Nov 1944 | Advance party departed B55 for B70 Antwerp |
| 23 Nov 1944 | 'A' Party of the Servicing Echelon departed B55 for B70 Antwerp |
| 25 Nov 1944 | The squadron aircraft landed at B70 following an operation with the remainder following later in the day |
| December | |
| No relevant entries recorded in this month's ORB | |
Source - No 345 ORB (AIR 27/1741)
This entry was last updated on 06/08/25
