When France capitulated in June 1940, Lafont was at the fighter school in Oran, Algeria, and was said to be “mad with rage” to see France occupied. Although he and his fellow pilots were ordered not to attempt to escape, six of them — including Lafont — decided to steal an aircraft and fly to Gibraltar.
Colonel Henri Lucien LAFONT Cdr Légion d’Honneur, Comp. de la Libération, G.Off de l’Ordre de Mérite, Croix de Guerre Dramatically escaped Vichy-held Algeria for England, flew HURRICANES, one of 13 French pilots in the BATTLE of BRITAIN. 1938-65 L’Armée de l’Air & RAF 245, 615, 341 Alsace Sqns. In memory of his friends Commandant René MOUCHOTTE, Bernard DUPÉRIER, and some 300 FRENCH pilots killed in the war.
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Colonel Henri Lucien LAFONT Commandeur Légion d’Honneur, Compagnon de la Libération, Grand Officier de l’Ordre de Mérite, Croix de Guerre*** et Medaille Aéronautique
Armée de l'Air Française & Royal Air Force (Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres)
10 August 1920 – 2 December 2011
Henry in a Hurricane
‘mad with rage’ to see France occupied, Lafont dramatically escaped Vichy-held Algeria for England – the last of the 13 French pilots in the Battle of Britain.
Signed in memory of his friends Commandant René MOUCHOTTE, Bernard DUPÉRIER, and some 300 French pilots killed in the war.
Col Henry Lafont, who has died aged 91, made a dramatic escape from Vichy-held Algeria and reached England to fly Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain; he was the last of the 13 French fighter pilots to fly in the Battle.
They were led by René Mouchotte, who would later command a Spitfire squadron and be awarded a DFC before failing to return from a sweep over northern France in August 1943. Mouchotte identified a twin-engined six-seat Caudron Goeland aircraft, which had sufficient fuel. What he and his comrades were unaware of, however, was that the propellers had been sabotaged in an attempt to prevent the aircraft taking off.
They stole aboard during the night and, at first light, started the engines. In the event, Mouchotte managed to drag the aircraft into the air at minimum speed and made a laborious climb. Using a map torn from a geography book, the crew reached Gibraltar, where they received a warm welcome. A few days later they sailed for England .
Henry Gaston Lafont was born at Cahors in the Lot region on August 10 1920. On leaving school he gained his pilot’s licence and joined the French Air Force in November 1938 .
Boucherat, A. Journées Internationales d’Aviation de Lyon. Lyon – H. Richard (1933)
On arrival in England, Lafont and his colleagues converted to the Hurricane and were sent to a squadron in Northern Ireland before joining No 615 Squadron at Northolt, from where he flew patrols during the Battle of Britain.
Southern England, 1944 Spitfires Attacking Flying Bombs by Walter Thomas Monnington (1943) © IWM LD 4589
Over the next few months he flew more than 100 patrols and was credited with shooting down two enemy aircraft. On February 26 1941 he was the first of the pilots who had escaped to England to achieve a success, although he was the only one in his formation of six aircraft to return safely to base.
In July 1941 Lafont became an instructor, and trained more than 60 Free French Air Force fighter pilots. Six months later he joined the Groupe Alsace flying Hurricanes on convoy patrols and fighter cover over Tobruk, when he probably shot down an enemy bomber. In May 1942 he volunteered for service in Russia with the Normandie Squadron, but before joining he was shot down and wounded. He returned to England.
BJ Ellan book cover depicting Spitfires and contrails
Throughout 1943 Lafont flew with No 341 Squadron on operations over France and the Low Countries. By war’s end he had completed 230 operational missions, and he was one of the few to be awarded the Ordre de la Libération, instituted by General de Gaulle. He also won the Croix de Guerre with three palms and the Croix de la Valeur Militaire.
Lafont remained in the French Air Force, serving at the 5th Air Region Headquarters in Algeria during the conflict there and for six years in London. After losing his fighter pilot medical category, he turned to helicopters. He retired from the French Air Force in 1966.
In 1967 Lafont was appointed Director General of the Paris Air Show , the world’s oldest and largest air show and held at Le Bourget since 1909. He remained in the post until 1984.
In addition to his wartime awards, Lafont was appointed Commandeur de la Légion d’honneur. In 2002 he published Aviateurs de la Liberté. Mémorial des Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres.
At his funeral at Les Invalides in Paris, the colours of the French Fighter Pilots’ Association were carried in his honour in the presence of senior French Air Force and RAF officers.
Henry Lafont was twice married, and is survived by two sons and a daughter. Obituary courtesy of the Daily Telegraphi
Col Henry Lafont, born August 10 1920, died December 2 2011
Alan Pollock’s Notes:
“He was ‘said to be “mad with rage” to see France occupied. Although he and his fellow pilots were ordered not to attempt to escape, six of them — including Lafont — decided to steal an aircraft and fly to Gibraltar.’
“From 1938 to 1965, Lafont was always with L’Armée de l’Air, but detached to RAF on 245, 615 and Groupe de Chasse No.1 with 341 Alsace Squadron. Representing the 300 or so pilots of La Force Aérienne Francais Libres. Born in 1920, he learned to fly on a Morane 191 in 1938 at Istres and up to Wings standard at Clermont Ferrand. Doyen, surviving in the late 1990s, regular pre-war French fighting fighter pilot, who fought in the Battle of France, later escaping to Gibraltar. Arrived in Liverpool on 13Jul40 before fighting with the Free French and Royal Air Force, initially on Spitfires. Operational flying until July 1943 in North Africa, UK and Europe. Earlier wounded and shot down several times but returning to fight.
“Colonel Lafont was in Paris the day after Liberation but said ‘Paris was a mess and I did not have happy memories of that particular time’. Fittingly, he records the service of his late friends René Mouchotte, Bernard Duperier and others, as also the wide service of Nos 340 Ile de France and 341 Alsace French Squadrons. For 18 years General Manager of the Paris Air Show, and saw much of Concorde’s development. His favourite aircraft was the Spitfire (his first kill was a Me-109, confirmed by 141 as OberLt Keitel, a Sqn Cdr over Dungeness) and much enjoyed his helicopter flying.’ [ARP]
Henri Lafont in 1938
Henri Lafont, Wikipedia
With De Gaulle and other pilots in 1941
Article on René Mouchotte RAF, DFC. CdG (1914-1943) by the Yorkshire Air Museum
With General Hauser and Georges Perrin
French article on Henri Lafont
RAF Commemorative video dedicated to Henri Lafont on Facebook
Short video by Yorkshire Air Museum, ‘Discovering Commander René Mouchotte’
Pathé: RAF Scramble (1940) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_2BTzIt6WE&t=74s
Imperial War Museum Oral History: Henri Lafont
‘French officer served as pilot with 615 Sqdn RAF in GB during Battle of Britain, 1940’
REEL 1: Background in France, 1920-1940: early interest in flying and training with French Air Force; enlisted with RAF in Gibraltar, 6/1940. Recollections of operations with 615 Sqdn RAF in GB, 1940: story of journey to GB; basic training; posted to 615 Sqdn at RAF Kenley; international composition of 615 Sqdn; question of speaking English; opinion of Churchill; take-off; memory of first combat; question of claiming kill; squadron formation; opinion of British food and alcohol; story of meeting future wife.
REEL 2 Continues: comparison of Hurricane and Spitfire; opinion of Italians; attitude to war; scramble procedure; social life; reaction to death of pilots.
