Pierre Le Gloan

Who was Pierre Le Gloan?

Pierre Le Gloan, French pilot of World War II.

He was born in Kergrist-Moëlou, Brittany, France in which a street bears his name. At the age of eighteen he joined the French Air Force. At the outbreak of the war he served in the GC III/6 fighter squadron, flying the Morane-Saulnier MS.406 from Chartres, as part of the air defence of Paris and the lower Seine. With his wingman he shot down his first German, a Do 17P reconnaissance bomber on 23 November 1939. A second Dornier fell to him on 2 March 1940, and during the Battle of France he accounted for two Heinkel He.111s.

On 1 June 1940 his squadron was moved towards southern France to Le Luc airfield and re-armed with the new Dewoitine D.520 fighters. Following Italy declaration of war on France and the Italian air force commencing bombing raids, Le Gloan shot down two Fiat BR.20 bombers on 13 June. On 15 June Le Gloan with another pilot attacked twelve Italian Fiat CR.42 fighters. Le Gloan shot down three of them while Cpt. Assolent shot down another. While returning to the airfield Le Gloan shot down another CR.42 and a BR.20 bomber. For this outstanding achievement of destroying 5 aircraft in one flight he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant.