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Voie des Français Libres -14470 Courseulles-sur-MerTel. 02 31 37 32 17 - [email protected]
Gilbert “Gilles” Boulanger was
born on June 3, 1922 in Montmagny,
Québec, Canada to Emile Boulanger
and Dauray Lepage who had a total
of ten children. Gilbert’s mother
passed away when he was only 8 years
old. His family has Normand roots
as, in 1663, Gilles’ancestor,
Claude Lefèbvre-dit-Boulanger,
whose mother was from Rouen, set
off for New France.
In 1938-39 Gilles finished nine
years of study at the Frères du
Sacré Coeur College in Montmagny.
Since his father was raising his
ten kids by himself, he did not
have the financial resources to pay
for their university education.
Gilles was therefore enrolled at
Québec’s Ecole technique but only
stayed one year (1939-40) as he did
not like his studies there. He had
always wanted to fly. Upon turning
18 years old, Gilles volunteered in
the Air Force. Curious by nature,
Gilles nevertheless continued
increasing his general knowledge
as an independent learner.
Before tHe War
Gilles Boulanger
went back to Canada
on May 10, 1945
and his wife joined
him on June 15,
1945. They became
the parents of Ma-
rianne, Gaston and
Philippe.
In 1946, Gilles
got his private
pilot licence and
would devote the
rest of his life to
civil aviation:
air transport,
building of twin-
engine planes, and
the creation of an association
called ‘The Daisy Mowers’. He is
still a member of several aviation
associations as well as a member of
the Association of the Descendants
of Claude Lefèbvre-dit-Boulanger.
Marie Eileen Rees passed away on
December 9, 2001. Gilbert Boulanger
often returns to Normandy and
since June 5, 2010, Courseulles’
Elementary school bears his name.
after tHe War
This account is based on Gilbert Boulanger’s book L’Alouette affolée – Un adolescent à la guerre (1939-1945) published in 2006 and re-printed in 2010.
surname BoULANGER
given name(s) Joseph Hector Gilbert
nationality Canadian
date of BirtH June 3, 1922
Place of BirtH Montmagny,
Québec, Canada
rank Flying officer
(F/o)
corPs Royal Canadian Air
Force –425 Squadron
(RCAF)
In June 1940, the same month
as France surrendered, Gilles
enlisted in the Royal Canadian
Air Force. His three months of
training in Canada included
attending Flight School N° 7 in
Summerside, Prince Edward Island.
Since he was missing one year of
studies to become a member of the
flight staff, he became a gunner.
In November 1942, he went to Mont-
Joli, Québec, where he was trained
on the ground with Vickers machine
guns (dating from the First World
War) and in the air on Fairey Battle
Light Bombers.
Following this training, Gilles
was promoted to the rank of Sergeant.
He left his country in December
1942. He boarded the Queen
Elisabeth I in New York to cross
the Atlantic on route to Greenock,
Scotland. He received his final
training on Wellington planes
at operational Training Unit (oTU)
in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England
and then at Ferry Training Unit
(FTU) 311 in Moreton-in-Marsh.
Gunner Boulanger then transited
through Gibraltar, Morocco, and
Algeria to finally join RCAF 425
Squadron in Tunisia. A tragic
accident left him without a crew so
he became a replacement, permanently
having to adapt to new crew
members.
In october 1943, he returned to
England. In a Yorkshire station he
trained on Halifax planes and was
then sent on successive missions.
[DIoRAMAS] activity during tHe Battle of tHe atlantic & tHe Battle of Britain
[DIoRAMA] exPeriences in great-Britain
[DIoRAMA] d-day & Battle of normandy
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At 01:30 am during the night of
June 6, 1944, Gilles was on board
a Halifax. He made his way to his
machine gun emplacement on the
belly of the plane. Sitting in his
‘glass bubble’, he could see the
Allied fleet firing on the coast
of Normandy as his Halifax flew
over the Channel. In an emergency,
he knew that it would take a miracle
for him to have enough time to get
out and jump with his parachute.
After his Halifax bombarded a
German gun battery near Houlgate,
France, Gilles left on another
mission, this time on June 6
at 21:30.
on this second raid, the target
was a bridge in Coutances, France.
This was followed by a mission over
Achères and on June 10, over Le Mans,
Gilles’ last mission. Between each
raid, he joined his wife in England
who was expecting their child. He
recalls having the impression of
constantly alternating between hell
and paradise.
After 37 bombing missions over
Italy, France, Belgium and Germany,
he was promoted as Liaison officer
responsible for recruiting
Francophones in RCAF 425 Squadron.
He was awarded the Distinguished
Flying Cross on September 1, 1944.
Throughout his war years, he visited
many countries and met with the
locals.
In December 1943, he met Marie
Eileen Rees a RAF Wire Services
operator who was originally from
London. They married on May 6, 1944
in London.
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