The French Connection – Part I
In the late 1950s, the Cold War was at its height. At that time France was a full member of NATO at that time and like many European countries still suffering the financial after effects of the Second World War. At that time France also maintained both elements of its Air Force (Armee de l’Air) and Army in West Germany.
The United States were keen for NATO allies to play a major role in the defense of West Germany, seen very much as the front line against the Soviet Block. To that end, they supplied several aircraft to the French and other European countries via the Mutual Defense Assistance Pact (MDAP). These aircraft were on loan from the United States, and the contract required their return when the receiving nation no longer required them.
France received three types of aircraft as part of the programme, the North American F-100 Super Sabre, Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star and Dassault Mystere IV. The former two types were American built, the latter French built but paid for by the United States.
Roll forward almost 20 years and the various European nations had finished with these aircraft. The contract said that they had to be returned and France had left full membership of NATO after a rift with the US. Arrangements were made to deliver several of the aircraft to RAF Sculthorpe in North Norfolk. Several aircraft had been lost in accidents, and others were scrapped in France, or went to museums there. The rest were delivered to the USAF, who really were not sure what to do with obsolete aircraft. Several were not in a suitable state to fly across the Atlantic!
Aviation museums were offered the chance to accept these aircraft on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force. The museum requested, and was granted, one example of each type, these reside in the museum to this day. We hope to bring the story of how they were moved from Sculthorpe to the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum at Flixton in future blog articles (French Connection – Parts II and II).
The remainder of the aircraft were moved to other museums, and several still reside on the Electronic Counter Measures range at Spadaedam in Northern England. The gate guardian at RAF Lakenheath is in fact an ex-French aircraft.
How many parts are there to this story?
With your permission I’d like to include in future editions of Norwich and District Aviation Group Newsletters as you are local to our Group.
I am Editor of the Newsletter.
Many thanks
Hi David,
There are three parts to this story, these will be posted in the next week or so.
Most certainly you can include them in your newsletter.
Best regards …… Pete