Roland de La Poype (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Roland Paulze d'Ivoy de la Poype (born July 28, 1920 in Les Pradeaux in France) is a World War II fighter ace, member of the Normandie-Niemen fighter group that fought on the Soviet front. He is also a plastic industry pioneer and founder of the Antibes Marineland in 1970.His father, an agronomist and reserve officer in the French army, was killed at the front in May 1940.Barely 19 years old in August 1939, de la Poype enrolled in the air force and began training as a pilot. He finished his training in March 1940, shortly before the German invasion of France. With comrades from the fighter training school of Etampes, he managed to flee to Saint-Jean-de-Luz to board a ship to England.After a stay in French Equatorial Africa from July 1940 to January 1941 with the Free French Air Force, he joined the Royal Air Force as sergeant and was assigned to No 602 Squadron, flying Supermarine Spitfires. An indication of his flying abilities, he was selected as wingman by the squadron's commanding officer, 23-victory Irish ace Paddy Finucane.