Roland de La Poype can take great pride in having changed our
universe. His journey was typical of the majority of the Free
French Aviators. After the war, few of them would continue their
career in the French Air Force. Returning to civilian life, they
would apply their enterprising spirit of the war years, and many
of them would find a new career as successful, and as brilliant as
their military career.
Roland de La Poype was born in the Puy-de-Dōme region of France on
July 28, 1920. In August 1939 he enlisted in the French Air Force
as a student pilot and obtained his pilot license in March 1940.
As the storm of war hit France, he was at the fighter pilot school
at Etampes. With his comrades of his graduating class, they
followed Commandant Lionel de Marmier to Saint-Jean de Luz where
they embarked for England along with Polish Aviators.
In the foreground, Roland de la
Poype's Yak-3 "24". As with many pilots, superstition led de La Poype to
conserve his "good luck" number for the duration of his career with the
Normandie-Niemen. Friedland March 1945.
Joining the FAFL (Forces Aériennes Franēaises Libres, or Free
French Air Force), he was stationed in French Equatorial Africa
from July 1940 to January 1941. Proceeding to England with the
rank of Sergeant, he was integrated into Squadron 602, where he
would get his baptism of fire. His promotion in rank rose rapidly,
becoming a Flight -
Lieutenant in the RAF in August 1942 (his French rank however
never changed).
Then, he signed up and volunteered to serve with other French
pilots on the Russian front, arriving at Ivanovo on November 28
1942 with the first element of GC 3 Normandie. He stayed
there for two years, during which time his record of
accomplishments earned him the rank of Warrant Officer and then
the rank of Captain, receiving the highest order of decorations,
including Hero of the Soviet Union.
After the war, he stayed a while longer with the "Neu-Neu" (A
French expression describing the group Normandie Niemen), and
after that, he became the Air attaché in Belgium, and hence in
Yugoslavia. In 1947 the first part of his "living a full life" had
come to a successful conclusion. The opportunity for the second
part of his life came at the age of 27, and it would be no less
successful than the first.
A visionary and genius inventor, Roland de la Poype understood
that the future was in the use of plastic and disposable
containers. In May 1947 he built a factory and began manufacturing
a product that would revolutionize the life of the French people:
a small plastic shampoo container with just the right amount for
one usage. It was called "The berlingot Dop"! He had started a
powerful industry of plastic wrapping for all of life's domains,
from alimentary products to leisure items.
In 1985 he took a well-deserved retirement.
Roland de La Poype
Flight Lieutnant
N° 602 Squadron
22.08.42 (1) Bf 109 Gravelines [62]
Warrant Officer
GC3
Victory list:
31.08.43 (1) Ju 87 Ielnia [USSR]
01.09.43 (2) Fw 190 Ielnia [USSR]
04.09.43 (1) Fw 190 Ielnia [USSR]
19.09.43 (3) Ju 87 Ielnia [USSR]
22.09.43 (1) Ju 87 Smolensk [USSR]
01.10.43 (6) Hs 126 Krasno [USSR]
13.10.43 (2) Fw 190 Gorki [URSS]
14.10.44 (1) Bf 109 Ragnit [Eastern Pomerania]
16.10.44 (5) Ju 87 Pillupönen [E-P]
16.10.44 (1) Ju 87 Pillupönen [E-P]
16.10.44 (2) Fw 190 Stallupönen [E-P]
16.10.44 (2) Fw 190 Stallupönen [E-P]
18.10.44 (2) Hs 129 Stallupönen [E-P]
23.10.44 (1) Fw 190 Gumbinnen [E-P]
26.10.44 (3) Bf 109 Walterkehnen [E-P]
