368:, canceled the flight due to the weather. The plane was expected to arrive one and a half hours later, at 11:45. After fifteen minutes of flight, the radio operator asked BĂ©char for an update on the weather conditions and received a Morse code response: "Light intermittent rain, visibility six to ten kilometers. Ceiling: 10/10 at 500 meters, summits obscured. Wind: southern sector, 50 to 60 km/h with gusts". These conditions were not good but still acceptable. The plane was flying at 8,000 feet (2,400 m), facing a headwind likely at 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph).
27:
91:
669:(GLAM, created two years earlier) designated Delluc to replace him. Delluc had already completed six flights for Leclerc. He was considered a "very conscientious, serious, and balanced" pilot, with over 2,000 flight hours. During the war, between May and December 1944, he had flown 36 combat missions aboard heavy
609:
A thirteenth body, wearing an Air Force uniform with the rank of lieutenant, was found mutilated in the wreckage of the aircraft and has never been identified. During the repatriation of the bodies to France, one coffin was missing during disembarkation in
Marseille, fueling rumors. However, this
357:, near the border with Morocco, where he was to spend the day. The weather was bad, with the morning bulletin stating that "the Oran-Colomb-BĂ©char route was on the southeastern edge of a major disturbance . A general worsening was expected from the west with the formation of numerous sandstorms."
348:
is the name of a commune in the Somme where the
Leclerc family estate is located, and also the name of his command tank during the war), awaited him. This aircraft, originally a twin-engine medium bomber, had been converted for the transport of military authorities. It included a small office and
294:, about fifty kilometers north of Colomb-BĂ©char airport, which it was attempting to reach. All twelve passengers and crew members including Leclerc were killed instantly. A thirteenth unidentified body was found in the wreckage, leading to controversy regarding the causes of the accident.
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position, but this type of position was considered unreliable by pilots at the time. A dozen minutes later, the plane flew over the Bon-Arfa station, and the crew spotted the railway line. The pilot, Lieutenant François Delluc, decided to lower the plane to a low altitude and follow the
441:
over several dozen meters. The plane appeared to have struck the embankment. The rear of the aircraft was to the left of the tracks, with the engines about forty meters further on the right. Kerosene was spilled on the ground and still burning, as were the scattered body parts.
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The official report concluded that the crash was due to the recklessness of pilot François Delluc, despite his experience and extremely distinguished service record, and the persistence of
General Leclerc, who ignored the unfavorable weather conditions.
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led by
Lieutenant-Colonel Dudezert set out northward, following the railway line. When they arrived, they found the wreckage of the bomber scattered on either side of the embankment of the railway (
384:
in
Morocco, near the Mediterranean). Witnesses saw it pass, about twenty meters above the ground, at an estimated speed of 250 km/h. At this point, the railway line crossed a large desert plateau.
556:
Jean-Christophe Notin refuted these rumors, as the crash site matched that of the plane, demonstrating a crash rather than an explosion; the engines, carefully inspected, showed no defects.
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hospital in the evening, thirteen bodies were formally counted before final burial by
Lieutenant Doctor Paul Judeau and Commander Roque, even though the plane had only carried twelve men.
470:, and personal papers. General Leclerc's body was identified by his partially burned wallet, signet ring, and a piece of his cane. Once the bodies were transported to the morgue of the
360:
The pilot hesitated but knew that
General Leclerc hated delays. The plane eventually took off at 10:15, and it had enough fuel to turn back if the weather prevented it from landing at
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742:[The Unknown of General Leclerc's Last Flight. Fifty years ago, General Leclerc died in a plane crash in the Sahara. There were thirteen on board. One too many.].
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740:"L'inconnu du dernier vol du général Leclerc. Il y a cinquante ans, le général Leclerc mourait dans un accident d'avion au Sahara. Ils étaient treize à bord. Un de trop"
520:
and led to the crash, especially since the aircraft was known to tip backward at low speeds. He added that no other B-25 had ever been used to carry so many passengers.
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Lieutenant Delluc was not
General Leclerc's regular pilot, but as the regular pilot, Lieutenant Legoc, was ill and at the Villacoublay base, the commander of the
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399:. At that moment, the railway line they were following left the desert plateau and entered the hills. The plane likely attempted to regain altitude.
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began identifying the bodies on the afternoon of the 28th at the crash site. All victims had been decapitated upon impact with the ground, so the
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325:, sites of strategic value for France in a world where the United States and the United Kingdom still held a near-monopoly on oil reserves.
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This troop movement took place in an area where potential future oil fields had just been identified by the geologist explorer
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The twelve identified bodies arrived in
Algiers by train on 2 December, then in Paris on the 6th. Leclerc was buried in the
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The landing time was postponed twice by a quarter of an hour by the crew. The last message from the B-25 stated:
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In addition to the four crew members, the B-25 was carrying
General Leclerc, his staff, and his aide-de-camp.
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Three rumors circulated about Leclerc's death, especially due to the presence of the thirteenth passenger:
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allegedly assassinated Leclerc, as he could have suppressed a hypothetical communist revolution in France;
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demonstrated in his book that the American-made B-25 had been dangerously modified by the
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822:"In the mists of Saigon: episode 7 of the podcast La Cavale du général Leclerc"
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907:(Biography). Tempus (in French). Vol. 332. Paris: Perrin. p. 808.
552:, and the assassination was allegedly organized by British secret services.
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Colonel Théodore Fieschi, 41, Chief of Staff of the Inspector General
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Colonel Paul Fouchet, Chief of Staff of the 10th military region
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leading to Colomb-BĂ©char (this line connected Colomb-BĂ©char to
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spent the afternoon of the 26th and the day of the 27th in the
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Second Lieutenant Robert Miron de L'Espinay, 24, aide-de-camp
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Air accident or incident in Algeria during the colonial era
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noted that crashes in this region were common at the time.
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An hour later, as rumors of an accident began to spread in
769:"Ecole Navale / Espace tradition / Officiers célèbres"
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by adding a bunk at the rear, which may have caused a
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260:) took place on 28 November 1947 near the city of
577:Staff Sergeant Eugène Lamotte, 25, radio operator
548:, and Leclerc allegedly opposed British views on
574:Chief Warrant Officer Jean Guillou, 29, mechanic
531:, was allegedly assassinated by loyal Gaullists;
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1210:Aviation accidents and incidents in Algeria
593:Colonel Louis du Garreau de La MĂ©chenie, 47
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656:50–60 kilometres per hour (31–37 mph)
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571:Lieutenant André Pilleboue, 29, navigator
302:Having departed on 26 November 1947 from
71:Learn how and when to remove this message
1389:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1947
1066:Pennsylvania Central Airlines Flight 410
763:
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349:berths. The aircraft was to take him to
34:This article includes a list of general
16:1947 aviation accident in French Algeria
1340:Algerian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 crash
846:
685:
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584:, 45, Inspector General in North Africa
371:At 11:34, the BĂ©char airport sent its
258:Accident de l'avion du général Leclerc
614:in Algiers. The name is unknown, but
568:Lieutenant François Delluc, 31, pilot
7:
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1226:General Leclerc's aviation accident
1143:General Leclerc's aviation accident
254:General Leclerc's aviation accident
84:General Leclerc's aviation accident
40:it lacks sufficient corresponding
14:
1234:French hijacking of the FLN plane
638:6–10 kilometres (3.7–6.2 mi)
612:Saint-Eugène's Christian Cemetery
353:, a town located 200 km south of
1394:Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
962:Aviation accidents and incidents
901:Notin, Jean-Christophe (2010) .
582:Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
332:attended a military ceremony in
292:Mediterranean-Niger railway line
25:
1287:Trans World Airlines Flight 847
328:On the morning of 28 November,
1332:Algerian Air Force C-130 crash
864:"article de Valeurs Actuelles"
599:Captain Georges Frichement, 51
1:
1356:, and in independent Algeria.
667:Ministerial Air Liaison Group
590:Colonel Charles Clémentin, 47
290:, crashed around noon on the
1056:Eastern Air Lines Flight 605
773:ecole.nav.traditions.free.fr
602:Commander Michel Meyrand, 37
478:Reactions and investigations
446:Identification of the bodies
1123:United Air Lines Flight 608
1036:United Air Lines Flight 521
560:List of passengers and crew
1415:
1384:French Air and Space Force
1279:Delta Air Lines Flight 841
1271:El Al Flight 426 hijacking
1086:Yogyakarta Dakota accident
1016:Avianca Douglas DC-4 crash
647:500 metres (1,600 ft)
378:Trans-Saharan railway line
109:28 November 1947
1350:
1295:Kuwait Airways Flight 422
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462:were identified based on
88:
986:Stowting Dakota accident
884:Librairie Arthème Fayard
544:, oil discoverer in the
1324:Air Algérie Flight 6289
1046:Héðinsfjörður air crash
1006:KLM Copenhagen disaster
996:Croydon Dakota accident
878:Destrem, Maja (1997) .
610:body was buried in the
527:Leclerc, overshadowing
55:more precise citations.
1352:Includes incidents in
1303:Air France Flight 8969
1263:Air Algérie DC-4 crash
429:32.131632°N 2.321962°W
397:
152:32.131632°N 2.321962°W
1242:Air France Flight 406
880:L'Aventure de Leclerc
673:bombers from England.
616:Jean-Christophe Notin
510:Jean-Christophe Notin
206:Colomb-BĂ©char Airport
1374:November 1947 events
882:(in French). Paris:
622:Notes and references
580:General of the Army
434:32.131632; -2.321962
177:North American B-25
157:32.131632; -2.321962
1171:► 1948
1165:1946 ◄
1153:Korangi Creek crash
849:, pp. 434–438.
794:"Leclerc at BĂ©char"
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298:Sequence of events
197:La SĂ©nia Aerodrome
186:Aircraft name
173:Aircraft type
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1076:Pan Am Flight 121
914:978-2-262-03294-4
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304:Villacoublay
301:
283:
274:
257:
253:
252:
178:
67:
58:
39:
18:
1289:(June 1985)
1281:(July 1972)
1273:(July 1968)
828:(in French)
778:17 December
746:(in French)
432: /
202:Destination
155: /
61:August 2024
53:introducing
1368:Categories
1244:(May 1961)
680:References
486:alongside
417:32°07′54″N
268:, then in
236:Fatalities
220:Passengers
140:32°07′54″N
113:1947-11-28
36:references
1111:Kvitbjørn
1098:Star Dust
799:17 August
750:17 August
529:de Gaulle
484:Invalides
420:2°19′19″W
256:(French:
244:Survivors
212:Occupants
143:2°19′19″W
1113:disaster
1100:accident
464:uniforms
395:airfield
342:Tailly 2
284:Tailly 2
282:, named
189:Tailly 2
179:Mitchell
168:Aircraft
101:Accident
1314:Algeria
1253:Algeria
966: (
964:in 1947
904:Leclerc
832:14 June
671:Halifax
492:Turenne
111: (
49:improve
1149:Dec 27
1139:Nov 28
1129:Oct 26
1119:Oct 24
1106:Aug 28
1082:Jul 29
1072:Jun 19
1062:Jun 13
1052:May 30
1042:May 29
1032:May 29
1012:Feb 15
1002:Jan 26
992:Jan 25
982:Jan 11
921:
911:
890:
546:Fezzan
496:Vauban
494:, and
460:trunks
408:Legion
346:Tailly
340:named
280:bomber
266:Sahara
38:, but
1096:BSAA
1092:Aug 2
1022:May 5
627:Notes
550:Libya
468:ranks
382:Oujda
373:Gonio
334:Arzew
316:Arzew
124:Near
968:1947
909:ISBN
888:ISBN
834:2024
801:2019
780:2016
752:2019
534:the
488:Foch
454:and
450:The
355:Oran
275:The
228:Crew
121:Site
106:Date
919:BnF
536:KGB
1370::
917:.
886:.
824:.
809:^
771:.
760:^
688:^
502:.
490:,
466:,
310:,
272:.
239:13
215:13
132:)
1203:e
1196:t
1189:v
970:)
953:e
946:t
939:v
925:.
896:.
836:.
803:.
782:.
754:.
344:(
247:0
231:4
223:9
128:(
115:)
74:)
68:(
63:)
59:(
45:.
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