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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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Free French Airforce
10.04.1942 No. 340 Squadron (FFAF) Spitfire Vb BL761 ML-U Lt. Maurice P.C. Choron

Operation: Sweep

Date: 10th April 1942 (Friday)

Unit: No. 340 Squadron (Free French)

Type: Spitfire Vb

Serial: BL761

Code: ML-U

Base: RAF Redhill

Location: English Channel off Boulogne, France

Pilot: Lt. Maurice Philipe Cesar Choron Croix de Guerre FFAF Age 31. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

During a fighter sweep in the Boulogne area the squadron was attacked by Fw 190’s from Jg26. Maurice acting as wingman for his long time friend W/Cdr. Michael Robinson was shot down and understood to have crashed in the English Channel. 

Sadly, 25 year old, W/Cdr. Michel Lister Robinson DSO. DFC. 37300 RAF from Mayfair, London was also a victim in the same circumstances flying Spitfire Vb W3770 ML-R (also his initials). Sq/Ldr. Philippe Jean Charles de Scitivaux de-Gresche, flying Spitfire BL909 ML-A also became a victim of Jg26 but survived as a PoW - serving the rest of the war in Stalag Luft Sagan and Bellaria, PoW No. 39631.

Right: Lt. Maurice Philipe Cesar Choron (courtesy Jean Pierre Duriez)

 Lt. Choron had been a very experienced pilot with over 700 hrs flying time. He survived two earlier crash landings - during service with 64 Squadron crash landed his aircraft on the 8th March 1941 returning from a patrol, no injuries but the aircraft was seriously damaged and written off. On the 21st October the same year whilst with 609 Squadron he was forced to crash land his combat damaged Spitfire Vb W3236 near Rye in southern England.

Burial details:

None - neither the body of Maurice or Michael have been found.

With thanks to Jean Pierre Duriez for photograph of Maurice - November 2015. Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to sources quoted below.

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and Captain François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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