Edmond Marin la Meslée Edmond Marin la Meslée ( February 5 , 1912 – February 4 , 1945 ) was a French fighter pilot in World War II . He ranks as the 5th highest - scoring French ace of this conflict with 16 aerial victories . Biography . Edmond Marin la Meslée was born on February 5 , 1912 in Valenciennes , France . After studying law , he took government - subsidized flying lessons at the Morane flight school and gained his license in 1931 . At 19 , he entered the French Air Force and , after graduating from the school at Istres , was assigned to a unit in Strasbourg . At the end of his two - year tour , he re - enlisted for another two years , despite having to serve at a lower rank . In October 1937 , he was admitted to the Air Force Academy and graduated with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant . He was assigned to the GC I / 5 fighter group ( Reims ) , to fly one of its 32 Curtiss H - 75 fighters . Groupe de chasse are French fighter units approximately equivalent to a two - squadron wing in the British RAF . There he was taught by Jean Accart , who thought highly of his potential as a fighter pilot . During the Battle of France , Marin la Meslée distinguished himself by shooting down 16 " certain " German aircraft , although some sources credit him with as many as 20 including his 4 " probable " ones . On June 1 , his leader was wounded and " Marin " replaced him at the head of the first escadrille ( approx . a squadron of 12 fighters ) of GC I / 5 . After the armistice , GC I / 5 was evacuated to Saint - Denis - du - Sig and later to Rabat , Morocco , but did not see much action against the British . After Operation Torch , French forces in North Africa joined the Allied forces , and Marin la Meslée ' s unit left for Tafaraoui , Algeria in September 1943 to receive American equipment that eventually materialized as P - 39 Airacobra s . Marin la Meslée was promoted as CO of his unit , then renamed GC 1 / 5 " Champagne " , on January 9 , 1944 . The group went back to combat on September 30 , 1944 , operating from Salon - de - Provence in support of the French and Allied forces pursuing the Germans along the Rhône River , flying mostly ground support missions . On February 4 , 1945 , near Colmar , Edmond Marin la Meslée was shot down during a strafing attack when his Republic P - 47 Thunderbolt suffered a direct hit from a 40 mm anti - aircraft shell ( German " Flak " ) . His aircraft exploded in the crash but his body was nevertheless recovered by the Germans . He had received a piece of shrapnel in the head , and had probably died even before the crash . On February 14 , 1953 , his name was given to the Reims - Champagne Air Base . List of credited aerial victories . 1 . 11 January 1940 ; Do 17 ; Longwy 2 . 12 May 1940 ; Ju 87 ; Bouillon 3 . 12 May 1940 ; Ju 87 ; Pouru St - Rémy 4 . 12 May 1940 ; Ju 87 ; Sainte - Cécile 5 . 13 May 1940 ; Bf 109 ; Stonne 6 . 15 May 1940 ; Hs 126 ; Vendresse 7 . 16 May 1940 ; Do 215 ; Rethel 8 . 18 May 1940 ; He 111 ; Rethel 9 . 18 May 1940 ; He 111 ; Ponsart 10 . 18 May 1940 ; He 111 ; Laon 11 . 19 May 1940 ; He 111 ; Hesse 12 . 24 May 1940 ; Hs 126 ; Saint - Loup - au - Terrier 13 . 25 May 1940 ; Hs 126 ; Boult - aux - Bois 14 . 26 May 1940 ; He 111 ; Tannay 15 . 3 June 1940 ; Hs 126 ; Sommauthe 16 . 10 June 1940 ; Ju 88 ; Châtillon - sur - Bar