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POTVIN, Fernand Felix Eloi

Stats:

rank: W/O
status: survived
airforce: RCAF    (no: R74220 )
born: Longeuil Canada

added by: Justin
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Bio / Text:

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Joined 256 squadron 14th May 1944 at La Senia, Algeria.

73 squadron

W/O Fernand Felix Potvin of Longeuil, Que., better known to his friends as “Louis.” He reported to the unit at Foggia in June 1944. On Aug. 8, 1944, he was patrolling near Vis, an island off the Dalmatian coast used as an advanced airbase for operations over Yugoslavia, when two Bf.109G fighters in tight formation flashed by. Apparently the aircraft were on a reconnaissance mission. Potvin dropped down in a steep turn and gave chase, firing at one, then the other. With fuel running low, he returned to base where he submitted a claim for two “damaged” enemy aircraft. He then left on one week’s leave. When he returned he was informed that his “damaged” claims had been upgraded to “two destroyed”; Yugoslav partisans had seen one crash in flames while the wreckage of the second was found 48 kilometres inland. On Oct. 14, Potvin shared in the destruction of a CR.42 north of Zagreb.

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Squadrons:

Squadrons add
AirforceSqdrnDate
RAF 73 1944-06-01
RAF 256 1944-05-01

Aircraft:

Aircraftadd
SerialNoteDate
Joined 256 squadron at La Senia, Algeria. 1944-04-14
Joined 73 squadron at Foggia 1944-06-01
JG871 Four Spit sweep covered north coast of Korcula, no targets or activity. 1944-06-22
JK329 Sector recce 1010 to 1130 1944-06-22
JK278 Base to Vis then sweep Benkovac, Svrake & Gospić areas. No targets 1944-06-27
MA345 Base to Vis refuel & bomb up. 0630 to 0710 1944-06-29
MA345 Four a/c airborne attacked Sarajevo main aerodrome. Four direct hits among buildings. About 8 aircraft destroyed. Sgt Woodruff hit by flak and crashed & blew up. 0845 to 1050 1944-06-29
ES142 Local flying 1944-06-30
MA291 Squadron move from Foggia to Canne. 1000 to 1045 1944-07-01
JG871 To Foggia 1944-07-06
JK450 To Vis & refuel 1150 to 1230 1944-07-07
JK450 Four a/c sweep, at Livno car attacked & damaged. A heavy tank was hit by cannon at Sujica. At Turbe train attacked & engine blew up. Another loco destroyed approaching Sarajevo. Butmir aerodrome attacked No.1 (F/O Martin) hit by flak then headed for Vis 1944-07-07
ER486 Base to Vis 450 to 0530 1944-07-11
ER486 Airborne with F/O Armstrong, Drnis & knin area 1 M.T destroyed & 2 staff cars damaged. 1944-07-11
JK226 Base to Vis 1300 to 1340 1944-07-13
JK226 Airborne with Sgt Clark swept all roads to Knin, no activity. 1505 to 1725 1944-07-13
EP309 Local flying pratice 1944-07-19
ER590 Airborne with Sgt Parker, escort four Hurricanes of 6 squadron to Fero aerodrome. (Northern Italy) lost contact owing to foul weather & returned to base. 1944-07-26
JL254 Airborne with Sgt Clark, dusk patrol of Lagosta island. 1915 to 2025 1944-07-29
JL254 Airborne with Sgt Clark, escort 2 M.T.B's & 3 H.S.L's to Korcula from Vis. 0540 to 0745 1944-07-30
JL254 Patrol of Vis with Sgt Clark 1430 to 1615 1944-07-30
MA693 Vis to base 1944-07-31
JL254 Patrol of Lagosta with Sgt Clark from Vis 1900 to 2015 1944-08-02
MA751 Airborne with Sgt Clark, patrol of Vis 0550 to 0725 1944-08-03
MA751 Patrol Lagosta from Vis 1944-08-04
MA751 Airborne from Vis with Sgt Clark, patrol of island. 1435 to 1555 1944-08-06
Airborne from Vis with Sgt Clark, patrol of island. 1400 to 1530 1944-08-07
MA751 Airborne with Sgt Clark, sighted two ME.109's both destroyed & confirmed. Please read picture above..1430 to 1600 1944-08-08
MA751 From Vis to base. 1944-08-09
EP617 Airborne with Sgt Clark, shipping recce sighted 6 M.V's without escort, climbed & gave fix. 1944-08-21
EP309 Airborne with Sgt Clark from base, search for Liberator crew reported off coast of Rodi Gargano. Nothing seen 1315 to 1540 1944-08-22
JF560 Pratice flying 1944-08-22
JK177 Practice flying 1944-08-22
JK177 Airborne with Sgt Gladstone search for lifeboat, unable to trace. 1944-08-25
MA511 Escort B.24 with Sgt Siddle then recalled, 1225 to 1245 1944-08-27
MA751 Pratice flying 1944-08-27
EP309 Pratice flying 1944-08-29
JK177 Vis to base 1944-08-30
BS511 Airborne from Vis with Sgt Clark patrol of the island 1430 to 1600 1944-09-01
MH562 Vis to base (Foggia) 1440 to 1530 1944-09-05
JK803 Air test 1944-09-06
Squadron is on the move, leaving 242 group & returning to Balkan Air Force operating from Canne. 1944-09-12
MA507 From Foggia main to Canne. 1200 to 1300 1944-09-12
MA297 Air test 1944-09-17
MJ629 From Biferno to base with replacement a/c 1944-09-27
MK406 Practice flying & interception 1944-10-02
PT618 Six a/c sweep Banjaluka. At Okučani attacked 2 loco's both blew up. Another loco destroyed at Rajic. Some armored cars damaged. Intense accurate m/g fire 4 a/c hit. Attack broken off on another loco owing to flak cars alongside. 1944-10-04
PT618 From Vis to base 1944-10-04
NH297 Air test 1944-10-06
PT707 Four a/c sweep Zagreb no road activity seen. Destroyed 1 loco at Dugo Selo & 1 at Ivanić Grad 1944-10-12
NH271 Four a/c sweep Zagreb, destroyed two C.R.42's one loco & one M.T. Please read picture above. 1944-10-14
MK444 Four a/c sweep Zagreb, again cloud obscured the town. To the S.W one loco destroyed 0755 to 1045 1944-10-16
MA620 Four a/c sweep Zagreb destroyed 1 loco & strafed many horse drawn vehicles pulling field guns. 1944-10-18
MJ629 Airborne with F/O Martin shipping recce & weather along Yugo coast 0615 to 0850 1944-10-20
PV120 Four a/c sweep Zagreb, weather conditions forced section to return to base. 1944-10-28
MK444 To Vis to refuel 1040 to 1125 1944-11-01
MK444 Four a/c sweep Zagreb to Ljubljana. 5 loco's destroyed 1 severely damaged. HE.111 attacked at Ljubljana airfield, smoke seen to pour from it after the cannon attack. 1300 to 1615 1944-11-01
NH297 To Vis to refuel 1140 to 1210 1944-11-03
NH297 Four a/c airborne for sweep Zagreb area, W/O Potvin burst tyre on t/o from Vis. He decided to do the sortie but the tyre flew off, so decided to make a crash landing at Foggia. Carried out successfully. 1944-11-03
MA620 Six a/c led by F/Lt Martin patrol of Zagreb area, nothing to report. 1944-11-05
MA620 Non ops, from Biferno to base 0900 to 0915 1944-11-06

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