AEROPLANE JULY 2018 http://www.aeroplanemonthly.com 73REMEMBERING PIERRE MAZIÈRES
“The three aircraft were to take off
at around 10.40hrs. Numbers 2 and 5
were heading for the runway but 6 had
to switch off its port engine: a fastener
on one of the cowlings had been badly
fi xed and was provoking vibrations.
“After fi xing it, the aircraft restarted
and joined the two others. They took
off on a westerly heading, one after the
other, respectively numbers 2, 5 and 6.
“Cdt Dor, who had already turned
left through 180°, was joined by the
next aircraft when he suddenly saw
number 6 turning at 90° to the other
aircraft, fl ying 50m lower. Setting
course for Cognac he was unable to
see it, but he suddenly noticed a tall
column of black smoke rising from
Colomiers. Immediately thinking there
had been an accident, he fl ew towards
it and could see that the aircraft was
burning on the ground. Dor and Saget
returned to base immediately.
“Rescuers went to the crash site, but
without hope. It was 11.00hrs. The
bodies of the four crew members —
Oberty, Galland, Nicol and Mazières
— were found between noon and
13.00hrs.Mazières had written, ‘I hope that
one of these days, I will be able to fl y
again, until I die in an accident — that
is the only death I wish’
“It appeared that the aircraft had
turned left and touched the ground
with its left wingtip. As the propeller
marks showed, the aircraft smashed
into the wall of a property and
partially destroyed a barn, wreckage
being scattered across a small park.
“The group had suffered its fi rst
victims during a wartime fl ight.”
In his notebook, Mazières had
earlier written, “I hope that one of
these days, I will be able to fl y again,
until I die in an accident — that is the
only death I wish, because dying in
my bed would be a shame.”
During Pierre’s funeral, which took
place at Colomiers, his wife asked
that a part from his aircraft be put
inside his coffi n. And as a result of an
offi cial governmental decision dated
22 February 1945, Pierre Mazières
received a decoration, the Médaille
militaire, which was awarded
posthumously.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Thanks to
Pierre Mazières’ daughter Claudine,
Paul Petit, Jose Fournier, François
Delassalle, Steve Polyak and the
Begni Calvet family.68-73_AM_Potez_July18_cc C.indd 73 04/06/2018 07:17