Air military base 105 in Evreux

If you want to visit the military air base 105 in Evreux you will be warming welcoming by the military team who are passionated by what they do.

They're going to explain you all the history of this base, and the main points of evolution.

You can saw all this evolution through the museum sum up the two World War and useful technologies during these historic events.

Some figures of the base :

- Located in Evreux (in the middle of Paris/Normandy beach line)

- 8 300 000 m²

- 2 400 militaries, distributed by different stripes :

                                                                              - Red : flying navigators

                                                                              - Purple : mechanic

                                                                              - Blue : Office staff

                                                                              - Brown : Finance staff

We met the ex deputy commander of Evreux Air Base.

He spokes about the association and we learned many things about planes, accuratly, two decks planes.

First the goal of the association is to restore and save the Breguet 2 Ponts plane.

Evolution of the Breguet 2 Ponts :

BR 730 : the precursor (Trans-Atlantic line). This model is an hydroplaner with two deck and one wing, this technology is over because of the development of landing tracks.

The first of all is created in 1917 in Clermont-Ferrand (Tkanks to Michelin).

BR 731, this model named Altair is an evolution of the BR 730, with two decks and two wings. It been loaned to Air Algerie, then an other flying company : Silver city.

BR 761, a prototype with two decks, two wings and produced in 1949.

BR 761-S, created in 1961,  Finally, it allowed test of shipping of Tank with the ammovible deck. It is abandonned because of the engine downsizing.

BR 763, flying with the french flying company : Air France. 6, provided with radars, and elevators.

BR 765, 43 meters envergure, 23 meters lenght, 10 meters hight, 54 tonnes in charge. 400 km/h. 4 engines of 2 400 horsespower, and tank provided at the edge of the wings. Expedition. Transport cars, Tanks, etc.

In the museum you'll discover the birth of the air military in 1913. Its beginning with the idea of a new transport method : the air transport. Planes wasn't reliable at all, and can't be army. But quickly the army think about equiped plane with weapons. Many test were pratices.

We learned George Leroy created the airfield.

Then  an air school was created, and a factory too, to assembly planes.

But the first world wide war happened. The first air military missions were planned. Pilots have to supervise the ennemy mouvment. That's hownfrench knowned that the german who arrived from the north of Paris, turned on the East and not in Paris. The information can be report to officiers and reacted quickly.

After this war an aeroclub were takes place in the BA 105.

An air school were takes place too, as an plane assembly factory. The "Moral 406", the "Bloc 52" and the " Dewoitine D 520" planes were build.

But the second world wide war occured, and the school were deserted. The factory were emptied, like that german can't stole it and use them against us.

Then they were taked the controle of the base, but not of planes.

A gallery remains the story of the BA 105 through the two world wide war.

From 1952 to 1954 the BA were rebuild (kind of destructed during the war).

We learned the BA wasn't had a big impact in the local economic, even if it's the precursor in air military.

And continued show the story until today. The Evreux BA was used as an air bombing training centre.

In 1961 planes flow from Evreux to Berlin, in order to rescued people there (Berlin's wall).

All of this rich informations were presented by passionate people through a beautiful museum.

The culture take an important place into the military base, you can find a Chapel in the center of it, welcoming by the chaplain Marie-Armande Mkojera.The chaptainly is used to moraly assist soldiers.In this chapel we were focused on an huge paint.

It was painted on wood in 1960 by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle¸ with brand new colour paints.

Currently the coulor stay powerful.

Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, painted this 7.4 metres by 3.5 metres size paint during the first year of his military service to Baden-Baden in Deutschland.

The paint has been transfered to the BA-105 in 1968.

The funny thing is that the chapel were build around the paint, because of his size.

This paint present the Cruscification of Jesus, with Maria.

Inclued a lot of Saint like Saint Sebastien, boss of archers, or Saint François d’Assise the boss of the legions, and the two luminary angels Michel, the parachutist angel, and Gabriel angel, the transmitter angel.

But I’ll let you discovered all the paint by yourself. With a patient observation to see all the details that I omit on purpose.

You understand that this paint is full of symbolisms.