The French Air Force is celebrating 75 years of the “Normandie-Niémen” fighter squadron. To mark the occasion, Air and Space painter Pierre-André Cousin and printmaker Yves Beaujard have worked together to produce a commemorative stamp.
From March 1943 to May 1945, the “Normandie-Niémen” fighter regiment carried out 5,240 war missions alongside the Soviet Air Force. With its many victories (273 confirmed) and sacrifices (42 of the first 96 pilots gave their lives for France), the “Normandie-Niémen” is the most decorated French military unit of the Second World War.
Based in Mont-de-Marsan since 2012, the “Normandie-Niémen” 2/30 fighter squadron now flies Rafale fighter planes in the Middle East. Its pilots are proudly following in the footsteps of their predecessors.