Roland de la Poype
| Roland de la Poype | |
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Roland de la Poype in 1940
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| Born |
28 July 1920 Les Pradeaux, France |
| Died | 23 October 2012 (aged 92) Saint-Tropez, France |
| Occupation | Aviator, industrialist. |
| Known for | Aviator, flying ace, industrialist. |
Roland Paulze d'Ivoy de la Poype (born 28 July 1920 in Les Pradeaux in France - died 23 October 2012) was a World War II fighter ace, member of the Normandie-Niemen fighter group that fought on the Soviet front. He was also a plastic industry pioneer and founder of the Antibes Marineland in 1970.
His father, an agronomist and reserve officer in the French army, was killed at the front in May 1940.
Aged 19 years old in August 1939 de la Poype enrolled in the French air force and began training as a pilot. He finished his training in March 1940, shortly before the German invasion of France. With comrades from the fighter training school of Etampes, he managed to flee to Saint-Jean-de-Luz to board a ship to England.
After serving in French Equatorial Africa from July 1940 to January 1941 with the Free French Air Force, he joined the Royal Air Force as a Sergeant and was assigned to No 602 Squadron, flying Supermarine Spitfires in July 1941. An indication of his flying abilities, he was selected as wingman by the squadron's commanding officer, 32-victory Irish ace, Squadron Leader Paddy Finucane.
He claimed his first aircraft destroyed, a Messerschmitt Bf 109, on 22 August 1942 over Gravelines, and flew more than 60 combat missions.
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