Marcel Albert

Marcel Albert (25 November 1917 – 23 August 2010) was a French World War II flying ace who flew for the air forces of the Vichy government and the Free French forces, and also for the Soviet Air Force and the Royal Air Force. He was born in Paris.

Marcel Albert
Born25 November 1917
Paris, France
Died23 August 2010(2010-08-23) (aged 92)
Harlingen, Texas, U.S.
Allegiance France
AwardsHero of the Soviet Union
Legion of Honour

Background

Albert grew up in a working-class family. He became a mechanic, building gearboxes for Renault, and was accepted for pilot training in the French Armée de l'Air in May 1938. After primary and advanced training, he was posted at the fighter training center in Chartres, where he flew Bloch 152, Morane-Saulnier MS.406 and Hawk 75 fighters.[1]

World War II

In February 1940 Albert was assigned to Groupe de Chasse I/3, a unit operating France's top fighter, the Dewoitine D.520. When German troops invaded France in May 1940, his squadron was redeployed to the Reims airfield. On 14 May 1940, Albert shot down a Do 17 bomber and later that day, a Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter, although this victory was not confirmed. He also earned a probable victory over a Heinkel He 111 bomber before the armistice.

Under the Vichy government, his squadron was redeployed to Algeria where Albert flew a few missions against the British forces in Gibraltar. On 14 October he and two other pilots defected and surrendered their airplanes to the British.

Having reached England, Albert joined the RAF and flew 47 missions in Spitfires with 340 Squadron.

In late 1942, Albert joined the Normandie fighter group, a Free French fighter unit that was being sent to the Soviet Union to help fight the Germans. The Normandie group entered the fight in April 1943, flying Russian-built Yak-1 fighters, and later Yak-9s and Yak-3s.

Albert quickly proved to be one of Normandie's best pilots. His first kill was over a Focke-Wulf Fw 189 on 16 June 1943. In July he claimed 3 more, and he was given command of the 1st escadrille on 4 September 1943. During the offensive against Eastern Prussia in October 1944, he scored 7 victories.

His score totaled 23 victories (including 15 shared)[1] in 262 combat missions, making him the second highest-scoring French ace of World War II. On 27 November 1944 he was awarded the Soviet Union's highest decoration, the Gold Star and title of "Hero of the Soviet Union" — an award rarely issued to foreigners.[2][3]

Postwar

After the war Albert flew as a test pilot in 1946 and was later sent to Czechoslovakia as air attaché, where he met his future wife, an employee at the American embassy. In 1948, he left the military and moved to the United States with his wife, and lived in Chipley, Florida, then his last two years in Harlingen, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley.[4] Albert died there on 23 August 2010.[5]

Awards

List of credited aerial victories
Aerial Victories
Plane shot downdateUnitPlane flownLocation
Do 1714 May 1940GC 1/3D.520North of Suippes (France)
Fw 18916 June 1943NormandieYak-1Brusna-Mekovaïa (USSR)
Bf 11014 July 1943NormandieYak-9Jagodnaja (USSR)
Fw 19017 July 1943NormandieYak-9Jagodnaja-Krasnikovo (USSR)
Fw 19017 July 1943NormandieYak-9Beloto-Orel (USSR)
Ju 8819 July 1943NormandieYak-9Krasnikovo (USSR)
Ju 8731 August 1943NormandieYak-9Yelnya (USSR)
Fw 1901 September 1943NormandieYak-9Yelnya (USSR)
Fw 19017 September 1943NormandieYak-910 km W of Yelnya (USSR)
Fw 19022 September 1943NormandieYak-930 km SE of Smolensk (USSR)
Hs 1264 October 1943NormandieYak-9Krasny,_Krasninsky_District,_Smolensk_Oblast (USSR)
Fw 19012 October 1943NormandieYak-9Horki (USSR)
Ju 8815 October 1943NormandieYak-910 km N of Horki (USSR)
Fw 19015 October 1943NormandieYak-97 km N of Horki (USSR)
Fw 19015 October 1943NormandieYak-97 km N of Horki (USSR)
Ju 8716 October 1944NormandieYak-3Pillupönen (East Prussia)
Ju 8716 October 1944NormandieYak-3Pillupönen (East Prussia)
Fw 19016 October 1944NormandieYak-3SE of Stallupönen (East Prussia)
Hs 12918 October 1944NormandieYak-3S of Stallupönen (East Prussia)
Hs 12918 October 1944NormandieYak-3S of Stallupönen (East Prussia)
Fw 19018 October 1944NormandieYak-3Stallupönen (East Prussia)
Bf 10923 October 1944NormandieYak-38 km S of Stallupönen (East Prussia)
Bf 10926 October 1944NormandieYak-3SE of Stallupönen (East Prussia)
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References
  1. "Marcel Albert, french fighter pilot". Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  2. Ufarkin, Nikolai. "Герой Советского Союза Альбер (Albert) Марсель (Marcel)". Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-03-23. Retrieved 2010-02-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. Aaron Pena. "A CAPITOL BLOG". Archived from the original on 26 December 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  5. https://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5iX5ZLvSJZid9AkfL9fmiwSD2hVFQ
  6. DEFM1008929D
  7. "Ordre de la Libération". Retrieved 5 September 2015.
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