Lectures

4th October 2023: René Mouchotte: French Spitfire PilotArchitecture

Our talk on 4 October was "René Mouchotte: French Spitfire Pilot" by Jan Leeming. On a visit to the Second World War Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel-le-Ferne Jan was invited to sponsor a name on the Sir Christopher Foxley Norris Wall of Remembrance. Jan chose one of the 13 Free French pilots listed there, and thus began her research on Commandant René Gaston Octave Jean Mouchotte.

René Mouchotte was born in Paris on 21 August 1914. He was fascinated with flying from an early age and received a plane for his 18th birthday. He was called up at the outbreak of war in 1939, becoming a Sergeant-Pilot instructor in North Africa. But when France capitulated to Hitler in June 1940, René decided to escape and fight the war as a Free French pilot in the British RAF. He flew on a stolen plane from North Africa to Gibralta, and then on to the UK where he joined the RAF in the Battle of Britain.

While flight commander with 615 (Surrey) Squadron, René earned a Croix de Guerre for shooting down a Junkers Ju 88, and in the 340 (Free French) Squadron he was awarded the Distinguised Flying Cross (DFC). In January 1943, Mouchotte formed and became commander of 341 (Free French) Squadron, with Biggin Hill becoming its base. On 15 May 1943, Mouchette and Squadron Leader EFJ Charles (611 Squadron) shared their 1000th victory. Two days later, Mouchotte destroyed a Me 109. René’s successes also earned him a place in the wartime news reels. Altogether he made over 380 sorties.

On 27 August 1943 Mouchotte failed to return from a bomber escort to the proposed German V2 launch site at Eperlecques in North-West France. A week later, on 3 September 1943 a body was washed up on the beach at Middelkerke, Belgium. At the time the body was identified as a French Canadian pilot named René Martin, and was buried in the local cemetery. After the War in 1949, the body was exhumed and from certain characteristics was identified as René Mouchotte, who like other Free French pilots had been carrying a fake identity. His body was repatriated to the family tomb at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris after a memorial service with full military honours conducted at Les Invalides.

Jan’s research is based on René Mouchotte’s war diaries, and after leaving a letter in the Mouchotte family tomb, a meeting with René’s 101-year-old sister Jacqueline. With that meeting came the realisation that René’s Battle of Britain Medals had never been forwarded to his family. Jacqueline lived long enough to receive the medals.

Together with historian Dilip Sarkar, Jan has republished René’s diaries in the book “Free French Spitfire Hero (2022)”. A documentary “Searching for René Mouchotte, DFC – Free French WW2 Pilot” first broadcast on the BBC in 2013 is on YouTube.

Margaret Bray