PICARD, Henri
Stats:
rank: F/Lstatus: kia
airforce: RAF (no: 87693 )
born: 1916-04-17 Etterbeek Belgium
added by: Adrian Dwyer
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Bio / Text:
Henri Picard joined l'Ecole Royal Militaire (Military School) in November 1936 attached to the 82° Infantry-Cavalery Promotion. Designated to the Chasseurs Ardennais, he was attracted by aviation and asked for transfer to the Aéronautique Militaire. He joined the 1st Aviation School of Evere inDecember 1938 for an observer course. Posted to the 1° Regiment, he applied to become pilot - and joined the 83° promotion at the Flying School of Wevelghem.
At the outbreak of War, Picard was perfecting his skills at the Advanced Flying School at Goetsenhoven but was transferred to France after invasion of Belgian and then relocated to Oujda in Morroco when France capitulated. He and 59 fellow countrymen, decided to escape to Great Britain, where they arrived on 17 July 1940. Picard enlisted in the RAFVR on 13 August 1940, and was sent for training to: EFTS (23 December 1940), SFTS (26 March 1941) and 58 OTU (10 July 1941). He completed his training on 30August 1941 and was posted to flying duties to 131 Sqn at Ternhill (27 August 1941).
On 14 November 1941, P/O Picard was designated for 350 (BE) Sqn where he became a very effective fighter pilot. During an escort mission to Hazebrouck, Picard destoyed TWO Fw-190 in the near of Cap GrizNez. During Operation Jubilee he destroyed another Fw-190 in collaboration with P/O Plas. The Squadron diary records the following details:
12/11/1941 - Official creation of 350 (Belgian) Squadron at Valley. The following pilots are transferred from 131 (County of Kent) Squadron: S/Ldr J. Thompson, H. Gonay (Fl/Co), X. Menu, E. Plas, H. Smets, G. Deltour, A. Plisnier, G. Seydel, J. Ester, L. Harmel, R. De Wever, H. Picard, G. Livijns and J. Depuysseleyr who will leave the Squadron a few days later, joining the Aerial Reconnaissance.
29/06/1942 - Circus 195: "Escort Cover" of 12 Boston to Hazebrouck. A clash with Fw-190's resulted in 2 confirmed kills for Picard. During the same melee, De Wever was shot down and made POW.
16/08/1942 A "Rhubarb" of 4 Spitfires at an altitude of 500ft in the region of Merville saw Picard hitting an High Tension Cable, damaging his wing tip. Ester collided with a watertower and has to force land in enemy territory. Ester successfully evades capture in France and arrives back in the UK in 1943.
19/08/1942 Dieppe: 1st mission: take off at 07.20 a.m. Above Dieppe 350 Squadron met a dozen Fw-190, resulting in a destroyed Fw-190 for the "Duke", a shared for H. Picard and E. Plas and a damaged one for L. Flohimont. H. Marchal was hit and had to bale out and was made a POW. The second sortie which took off at 11 a.m. was also successful: 3 Fw-190 destroyed (F. Venesoen, A. Boussa and R. Alexandre) and 4 and 1 shared damaged (F. Boute: 1 and 1 shared with G. Seydel and A. Boussa, R. Alexandre and the "Duke", each damaged one).The third mission at 12.20 p.m. saw a Ju-88 destroyed in co-operation by H. Smets, F. Boute, A. Plisnier and J. Van Leerberghe. The last mission of the day saw 12 Spitfires taking off at 15.15 and again the squadron were successful with 2 Fw-190 destroyed (F. Venesoen and A. Plisnier) and 4 Fw-190 and one Do-217 damaged (G. Seydel, L. Flohimont, E. Plas, R. Alexandre and J. Van Leerberghe).
However, on 27 August 1942, he was shot down over the English Channel. Having successfully bailed out of his damaged Spitfire, Henri had to survive for six days and nights out at sea until being washed ashore in France. In an unconscious state he was made a prisoner of war and sent first to a hospital and later to a Prisoner of War camp. This change in circumstance did not suit his temperament and he made plans to leave. His loss is noted in the Squadron diary:
27/08/1942 - Circus 208: Whilst escorting 12 Boston’s to Abbeville/Drucat Airfield, the squadron is attacked by a dozen Fw-190 (I and II/JG.26). During the melee, the "Duke" proceeded to shoot-down one of his assailants while E. Plas damaged two others. H. Picard and M. Charlier are shot-down ( one of both was shot-down by Major Wilhelm-Ferdinand "Wutz" Galland, 5./JG26). Charlier's body was never found. H. Picard, who was wounded, was rescued by the Germans and made a POW after having spent 6 days and nights in his dinghy.
In 1944 Henri Picard was reported as having been killed. He was one of the 50 victims murdered by the Germans as revenge for the Great Escape at Stalag Luft 3. The last entry from the Squadron diary concerning reads as follows:
25/03/1944 - H. Picard one of the "Great Escape" assassinated by the Gestapo. [Post-war investigation identified the murderer/instigator - see AR link]
A memorial plaque for Henri Picard was inaugurated at Beauvechain Airbase on 1 December 1951 during the 10th anniversary celebrations of theSquadron.
(source: Allan Hillman and André Bar)
His claims in combat are :
29/06/1942 1 FW-190 Circus 195: Hazebrouck
29/06/1942 1 FW-190 Circus 195: Hazebrouck
19/08/1942 1/2 FW-190 Dieppe (Operation Jubilé)
An abstract from the Combat Reports is accessible via the AR link.
Known awards
Special Dispatch in RAF "Honours & Awards", Knight's Cross in the Order of Leopold with Palm,
Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 with 2 Palms and Bronze Lion, ...
At the outbreak of War, Picard was perfecting his skills at the Advanced Flying School at Goetsenhoven but was transferred to France after invasion of Belgian and then relocated to Oujda in Morroco when France capitulated. He and 59 fellow countrymen, decided to escape to Great Britain, where they arrived on 17 July 1940. Picard enlisted in the RAFVR on 13 August 1940, and was sent for training to: EFTS (23 December 1940), SFTS (26 March 1941) and 58 OTU (10 July 1941). He completed his training on 30August 1941 and was posted to flying duties to 131 Sqn at Ternhill (27 August 1941).
On 14 November 1941, P/O Picard was designated for 350 (BE) Sqn where he became a very effective fighter pilot. During an escort mission to Hazebrouck, Picard destoyed TWO Fw-190 in the near of Cap GrizNez. During Operation Jubilee he destroyed another Fw-190 in collaboration with P/O Plas. The Squadron diary records the following details:
12/11/1941 - Official creation of 350 (Belgian) Squadron at Valley. The following pilots are transferred from 131 (County of Kent) Squadron: S/Ldr J. Thompson, H. Gonay (Fl/Co), X. Menu, E. Plas, H. Smets, G. Deltour, A. Plisnier, G. Seydel, J. Ester, L. Harmel, R. De Wever, H. Picard, G. Livijns and J. Depuysseleyr who will leave the Squadron a few days later, joining the Aerial Reconnaissance.
29/06/1942 - Circus 195: "Escort Cover" of 12 Boston to Hazebrouck. A clash with Fw-190's resulted in 2 confirmed kills for Picard. During the same melee, De Wever was shot down and made POW.
16/08/1942 A "Rhubarb" of 4 Spitfires at an altitude of 500ft in the region of Merville saw Picard hitting an High Tension Cable, damaging his wing tip. Ester collided with a watertower and has to force land in enemy territory. Ester successfully evades capture in France and arrives back in the UK in 1943.
19/08/1942 Dieppe: 1st mission: take off at 07.20 a.m. Above Dieppe 350 Squadron met a dozen Fw-190, resulting in a destroyed Fw-190 for the "Duke", a shared for H. Picard and E. Plas and a damaged one for L. Flohimont. H. Marchal was hit and had to bale out and was made a POW. The second sortie which took off at 11 a.m. was also successful: 3 Fw-190 destroyed (F. Venesoen, A. Boussa and R. Alexandre) and 4 and 1 shared damaged (F. Boute: 1 and 1 shared with G. Seydel and A. Boussa, R. Alexandre and the "Duke", each damaged one).The third mission at 12.20 p.m. saw a Ju-88 destroyed in co-operation by H. Smets, F. Boute, A. Plisnier and J. Van Leerberghe. The last mission of the day saw 12 Spitfires taking off at 15.15 and again the squadron were successful with 2 Fw-190 destroyed (F. Venesoen and A. Plisnier) and 4 Fw-190 and one Do-217 damaged (G. Seydel, L. Flohimont, E. Plas, R. Alexandre and J. Van Leerberghe).
However, on 27 August 1942, he was shot down over the English Channel. Having successfully bailed out of his damaged Spitfire, Henri had to survive for six days and nights out at sea until being washed ashore in France. In an unconscious state he was made a prisoner of war and sent first to a hospital and later to a Prisoner of War camp. This change in circumstance did not suit his temperament and he made plans to leave. His loss is noted in the Squadron diary:
27/08/1942 - Circus 208: Whilst escorting 12 Boston’s to Abbeville/Drucat Airfield, the squadron is attacked by a dozen Fw-190 (I and II/JG.26). During the melee, the "Duke" proceeded to shoot-down one of his assailants while E. Plas damaged two others. H. Picard and M. Charlier are shot-down ( one of both was shot-down by Major Wilhelm-Ferdinand "Wutz" Galland, 5./JG26). Charlier's body was never found. H. Picard, who was wounded, was rescued by the Germans and made a POW after having spent 6 days and nights in his dinghy.
In 1944 Henri Picard was reported as having been killed. He was one of the 50 victims murdered by the Germans as revenge for the Great Escape at Stalag Luft 3. The last entry from the Squadron diary concerning reads as follows:
25/03/1944 - H. Picard one of the "Great Escape" assassinated by the Gestapo. [Post-war investigation identified the murderer/instigator - see AR link]
A memorial plaque for Henri Picard was inaugurated at Beauvechain Airbase on 1 December 1951 during the 10th anniversary celebrations of theSquadron.
(source: Allan Hillman and André Bar)
His claims in combat are :
29/06/1942 1 FW-190 Circus 195: Hazebrouck
29/06/1942 1 FW-190 Circus 195: Hazebrouck
19/08/1942 1/2 FW-190 Dieppe (Operation Jubilé)
An abstract from the Combat Reports is accessible via the AR link.
Known awards
Special Dispatch in RAF "Honours & Awards", Knight's Cross in the Order of Leopold with Palm,
Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 with 2 Palms and Bronze Lion, ...
Squadrons:
| Squadrons add | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Airforce | Sqdrn | Start | Finish |
| none provided | |||
Aircraft:
| Aircraftadd | ||
|---|---|---|
| Serial | Note | Date |
| BM297 | 1942-08-27 | |
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