What happened to the French Halifaxes?

Lots of the US stuff was sent back after French use. No French Marlins to be found either…

And what happened to those French Privateers? Also broken up without trace?

While you’re at it you can add a lot of other types in French post-WW2 service which seem to have disappeared essentially without a trace, such as Hellcats, Helldivers, M-S Vanneau etc.

Seems that aircraft preservation was not so big in France in those days as it is now?

Thanks Jan,

What can our French contributors add to this? Or are you keeping the complete Halifaxes in storage a secret:p

Cheers

Cees

Cees,

Nothing on the Halifaxes, but the Aéronautique Navale received 22 PB4Y-2S’s in 1950. They equipped 6F, 8F and 28F, all based in what was then French Indochina. The designation was changed to PB4Y-2B, i.e. used for bombing missions. Four were lost on ops, six returned to the USN, while the remaining 12 were reallotted to units in Algeria. The last French Navy Privateer was wfu in 1961. So, very doubtful if anything remains.

More on the Privateer here: http://home.att.net/~jbaugher2/b24_38.html

Regards,

Jan

one in store

Cees,
Wouldn’t it be great to see one sitting in a building like the B17 that is in store over there…

When Geoffrey Wikner flew his Halifax to Australia he stopped in a French colony and was surprised to see that the Air Force base there had spare main wheels in store. Seems like these Halifaxe flew large distances.
Someone must know what happened to these aircraft, surely remains like wheels, propellers, engines etc. must be around. France is a large country.
And what happened to those French Privateers? Also broken up without trace?

Cees

french halifaxes

A free french officer i knew back in the early eighties remarked that the 347/346 halibags were used on squadron until replaced with lancasters in the early fifties (nx611 being one),as to their fate when disposed of, apparently all were scrapped, the main reason for their demise was a consistent lack of spares and having to resort to taking aircraft out of service , cannibalising them in order to keep the other haifaxes flying ,this is of course an account given some years after the war how accurate it is cant be said however he was there 😎

Hi all,

After the war the French took the two squadrons of Halifaxes with them (they flew from Elvington). These were mainly Mk III and Mk VI’s. They were used until the early fifties.

Does anyone know what happened to them, were they scrapped locally, burned etc. And is there anythting left such as wheels etc. Is there in fact anything left apart from photographs?

Cheers

Cees
__________________
The Dutchman formerly known as HP57

Knowing the French they’re still parked in the field next to the house.