Claude de Cambronne

Claude de Cambronne
Born (1905-10-23)October 23, 1905
Paris, France
Died January 31, 1993(1993-01-31) (aged 87)
Paris, France
Resting place Sylvains-les-Moulins
Nationality French
Ethnicity Caucasian
Alma mater Supaéro
Occupation aircraft industrialist
Known for founding Bordeaux-Aéronautique
Religion Roman Catholicism
Spouse(s) Andrée Guillain
Marie Picard-Destelan
Children Gilles
Béatrice
Laurence

Claude de Cambronne was a French businessman.

Early life

He studied at the École nationale supérieure de l'aéronautique et de l'espace (Sup'Aéro) and became a journalist for the Journal de l'Aeronautique for wich he reported details, in 1934, of the Dewoitine D.332 Emeraude crash, questionning the absence of parachutes on board. Being the treasurer of the Association des anciens élèves de Sup'Aéro and working for the Touring Club de France, he organized a lottery with the president of the association, Marcel Dassault, who offered an I41 tourism plane for the occasion.

Career

After serving as a French Air Force captain, Cambronne became the general secretary of the SAAMB factory, in Saint-Cloud, from December 1938 to May 1940 and became the Association des anciens élèves de Sup'Aéro treasurer.

In 1939, Marcel Bloch, aircraft manufacturer, was recruiting workers. On February 1, Bloch hired Cambronne. He had some experience in aviation, and explained that "after Sup'Aéro, I worked, in an insurance company that only covered the tourism plane's risks. I was the expertise director. Marcel Bloch asked me to join his company saying : " I offer you a job in my company because we are going to have a war. " I was very astonished. Later, I understood that when he opened his mouth it was only to say meaningful things. With him, I went from the level of a Sup 'Aero student to the highest level the profession." [1]

On November 27, 1940, Marcel Bloch gave him a letter, for the Association des anciens élèves de Sup'Aéro:

My dear comrades, if the time is difficult, do not despair of the future. (...) After this war where ships, rolling stock, commercial aircraft have been destroyed, the airline industry will experience an unprecedented boom as it will replace most means of transport. (...) "No doubt that the government of the French state in a rebuilt Europe will keep our country from aircraft production amounts to our technique and our geographical position in the world. (...) "President of your Association, I will return one day place me next to you, and my friendly competition will be as always granted. (Claude Carlier, Marcel Dassault : La légende d'un siècle, Éditions Perrin, mai 2002, p. 129)

On May 19, 1941, he became the représentative in Zone libre of the Bordeaux-Aéronautique company.[2] He resigned after the Bordeaux-Aéronautique company's dissolution, on May 21, 1947. The Bloch MB. 1020's construction was stopped at the end of 1940 and the BA 30 realized by Bordeaux-Aéronautique became the Dassault MD 312 Flamant after certain modifications.

He resigns from Bordeaux-Aéronautique, on May 21st, 1947. After the war, he worked for companies Cessna and Goodyear in Morocco. Member of the Aero Club de France, with more than 1,000 flying hours, he becomes Officer of Staff specialized 4e Bureau, in charge of transport and supplies. He died in Paris, at age 87.

Awards

Personal life

His family came from Crépy-en-Valois and Cambronne-lès-Ribécourt. He was the son of Paul Cottin and the great-grand child of Arnouph Deshayes de Cambronne. He had three children : a son, Gilles, with Andrée Guillain, daughter of the neurologist Georges Guillain and two daughters, Béatrice and Laurence de Cambronne, with Marie Picard-Destelan, descendant of the navy officer Ernest Picard-Destelan and an agent of the French East India Company, Joseph Thebaud.

See also

Bibliography

References

  1. Carlier, Claude (2002). Marcel Dassult: La legend d'un siecle. Editions Perrin. p. 103.
  2. Bordeaux Aéronautique was founded on 17 October 1939 by deed under private-seings filed with master Bonnel, notary in Paris on 19 October. On equities, 650 belong to Marcel Bloch, 655 to André Curvale, 390 To Henri Deplante and 260 to Claude de Cambronne, who are the main shareholders. (Claude Carlier, Marcel Dassault : La légende d'un siècle, Éditions Perrin, 2002)
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