On November 13, 2023, La Poste will issue a stamp and a mini-sheet from the Airmail series bearing the image of Commander René MOUCHOTTE on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of his disappearance.
René Mouchotte was born on August 21, 1914 in Saint-Mandé, in Val-de-Marne. From the age of 18, he learned to fly and did his military service in the Air Force, obtaining the rank of sergeant and his pilot's license. In 1939, he was mobilized and assigned to training schools, despite his requests to join a fighter squadron. In May 1940, stationed in Oran, Algeria, and revolted by the request for an armistice, he decided to join England. On June 29, he went to Gibraltar aboard a twin-engine Caudron C.440 Goéland, then to England by boat.
On July 13, 1940, René Mouchotte signed his enlistment in the Royal Air Force. The character quickly establishes itself. Once his training was completed, he first took part in surveillance operations in the Irish Sea. In October 1940, he was assigned to Squadron 615, the “Churchill Squadron”, with the rank of warrant officer and took part in the Battle of Britain. In March 1941, he was a second lieutenant and took command of a section of six aircraft. After a first citation in July, he was appointed lieutenant and flight commander, the first Frenchman to command a British squadron. He obtained his first aerial victory on August 26.
At the end of 1941, René Mouchotte was assigned to the “Ile-de-France” fighter group and received command of the “Paris” squadron in February 1942. He was then captain. On July 14, the Croix de Guerre was solemnly presented to him by General de Gaulle. On January 9, 1943, recently promoted to commander, he received command of the “Alsace” fighter group, winning two aerial victories on May 15 and 17. But, exhausted by the missions, René Mouchotte was shot down on August 27 over the English Channel. His body was not found until September on a Belgian beach.
Knight of the Legion of Honor, Companion of the Liberation, War Cross with six citations, British Distinguished Flying Cross, René Mouchotte had 408 war missions, 1,743 flight hours and three aerial victories. He was 29 years old. In 1949, Flammarion editions published his flight logs.
