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Bécourt-Foch, Jean

Date of birth:
August 19th, 1911 (Ploujean, France)
Date of death:
August 15th, 1944 (Oran, Algeria)
Buried on:
Commonwealth War Cemetery Le Petit Lac
Nationality:
French (1870-present, Republic)

Biography

Son of captain Bécourt KIA 22 August 1914 and grandson of marshal Foch by his mother.
Studied in military prepschool Prytanée militaire in La Flèche, entered the military academy of Saint-Cyr in 1932 with the promotion "de Bournazel".
1934 : after attending the cavalry school in Saumur, appointed as 1st lieutenant in the 4e Régiment de Cuirassiers in Reims.
June 1937 : detached to the French Air force to follow the air observer course in Avord.
October 1937 : appointed to the Air Observation Group (Groupe aérien d'observation) 552 in Reims.
November 1939 : entered the French Air Force and followed a pilot training course in Royan.
March 1940 : promoted captain. Married and father of three children.
24 June1940 : embarked on the Polish ship 'Ettrick' sialing from Saint Jean de Luz to England.
July 1940 : entered the Free French forces in the Groupe mixte de combat n° 1 led by lieutenant-colonel de Marmier.
1940 : missions in Dakar, Douala and Chad.
December 1940 : appointed to the French military mission in Cairo - Egypt.
March 1941 : British fighter training course in Iraq.
June to October 1941 : British fighter training course in Rhodesia.
November 1941 to April 1942 : deputy commander of the Air Base in Damas - Syria.
May 1942 : appointed to the 451st Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force in Rayack - Lebanon.
September 1942 : detached to the 208th Squadron of the Royal Air Force after a technical and reconnaissance training course in the 74th Operationnal Training Unit in Palestine.
End 1942 : campaign in Egypt and Battle of El Alamein where his reconnaissance and intelligence gathering piloting a single seat air plane are noticed.
2 November 1942 : WIA by Flak and hospitalized.
March 1943 : appointed to the 117th Squadron RAF operating in Tripolitania - took part to the air operations on convoys around Malta.
6 April 1943 : badly WIA to the eyes during an incident on the airfield in Luga (Malta).
December 1943 : promoted commandant (major) and second in command of the French Air Group 2/63 "Sénégal" training in anticipation of fighting for the liberation of France.
15 August 1944 : died together with 7 other comrades during a training flight on 'Maraudeur' in Oran and buried in the military cemetery of the Petit Lac in Oran.

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Compagnon - commandant
Unit:
commandant en second du groupe 2/63 "Sénégal (second in command of the French Air Group 2/63 'Senegal')
Awarded on:
November 21st, 1944
awarded poshumously
l' Ordre de la Libération
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
capitaine
Awarded on:
April 1940
Pilote
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
capitaine
Awarded on:
November 2nd, 1942
WIA by ennemy Flak to the arm when performing reconnaissance flights during the battle in El Alamein
Médaille des blessés de guerre
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
received with 1 palm
Croix de Guerre (1939-1945)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Officer
received with rosette (officer class)
Médaille de la Résistance Française
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
received with clasps "Libye", "Tripolitaine"
Médaille Coloniale

Sources

Photo