Do you remember these words from the song performed by Mark Bernes? Yes, "we flew alone in the skies, we lost our combat friends, but those who happened to live should remember them and be friends..." Words as a testament to the current generation of Russian and French pilots.

"Normandy-Niemen"... The famous French air regiment that fought in the Soviet Army against the Nazis. Fighter pilots of this unit participated in 869 battles and shot down 273 enemy aircraft (about two divisions). Assault strikes destroyed a large number of German military equipment. The price of these difficult victories is almost two units of the regiment's pilots. The highest awards, including the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union, were awarded to the best aces of France.

The Motherland remembers them. Russia remembers them. The heroic traditions of Normandie - Niemen pilots are continued by the current generation of French pilots. And they were born during the Great Patriotic War...

Battle banner "Normandy"

...Major Tyulyan was invited to the telephone.

- They say from the brigade headquarters. Tomorrow is the grand formation of the Normandy. Prepare your personnel.

- Where will the formation take place?

- In the House of the Red Army.

The commander of the Normans, Jean-Louis Tulyan, already knew that the 6th Reserve Aviation Brigade had received an order from the commander of the Red Army Air Force on December 4, 1942 to include the Normandy squadron in the Soviet Air Force. So, the construction will take place on this occasion.

There's no need to worry about clothing: half a month ago, everyone in Tehran was given a full set of the new uniforms of the Free French Air Force. Through the care of the wife of the French ambassador to the USSR, Madame Catroux, everyone was provided with a set of small items needed on the road: a shaving device, a clothes brush, needles, thread and even lotion. In short, it was necessary that people had an impeccable appearance, did not make a mistake during the first construction. The commander was concerned about something else - the lack of a banner.

...At that time, the supporters of the "Free France" movement (later "Fighting France"), led by General de Gaulle, had just begun to form their military units. They didn't have banners yet.

In the spring of 1942, the most experienced pilots - Jean Louis Tullian, Jose Puliken and Albert Litolf-were called to London, where the national committee of "Free France" was located, from the Lebanese Rayak air base. On the way back, they stopped in Cairo at the headquarters of the French Air Force, subordinate to de Gaulle. At the famous Cairo "golden bazaar" in a tiny workshop, gold seamstresses made for them a double-sided satin golden-green cloth measuring 75 x 100 centimeters. On the front side, the coat of arms of the French province was embroidered-a shield with two lions, and on the other - its name in black script.: "Normandy". The left edge of the cloth was edged with a strip of dark soft leather with four straps for attaching to the shaft, the rest of the edges were trimmed with gold fringe. Black color is a mourning for the native desecrated land. Green is the color of hope. Tyulyan carefully placed the priceless cloth in the bottom of his travel bag. The three friends agreed not to tell anyone about the banner for the time being.

In the early morning hours of November 28, 1942, fourteen French pilots boarded a Soviet Li-2 aircraft. The plane gained altitude and, having outlined a farewell circle over the Iranian capital, headed North. The Caspian Sea appeared, calm and blue. We crossed the Iranian-Soviet border. Everyone leaned against the portholes, admiring the picturesque shore, the serene surface of the water. Tyulyan opened the valise's locks.

"Paradises! he called loudly to his companions. That's what they used to call each other on the ground and in the air. "My brothers, the paradises! "What is it?" he repeated. "Look out! Under this banner, we will launch our first military campaign in Russia against the Boche!

The Normans " began to settle in a new place, intensively studied the Soviet Yak-1 fighter. In the confusion, everyone initially forgot about the banner. Then they remembered that the shaft and pommel should be adapted to it. However, what will it look like in combination with a non-standard, reduced-size panel? The Soviet pilot advised:

- Try attaching it to your rifle.

They brought a Russian trehlineika and tied a cloth with straps to its blued bayonet. Tyulyan shouldered his rifle and marched in front of his comrades with a clear marching step. The unfurled banner floated over the heads of the Normans.

... In March 1943, the squadron relocated to one of the front-line airfields and began combat sorties, escorting dive bombers. Here "Normandy" opened its combat account and suffered its first losses. A month later, it became part of the 303rd Fighter Air Division, which was commanded by Hero of the Soviet Union, Aviation Major General G. N. Zakharov. Soon "Normandy", whose ranks were constantly replenished with newly arrived French pilots, was transformed into a regiment that received the honorary name "Neman" in 1944-for active participation in the fighting for the liberation of Lithuania. By the end of the war, the Normandy - Niemen regiment had 273 enemy aircraft shot down and 80 damaged...

The last formation under the battle banner was particularly exciting. On June 14, 1945, the Normandy - Neman pilots at the Elbing air base said goodbye to their combat twin-pilots of the 303rd Aviation Division. The French were returning home in Soviet Yak-3 fighter jets donated by the Soviet government.

A month later, on the parade ground of the Paris Invalides, the Minister of Aviation of the first post - war government of de Gaulle presented the commander of the Normandy-Niemen regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Louis Delfino, with the tricolor military banner of the French Air Force. And the old battle flag took pride of place in the Museum of Liberation, Resistance and Deportation, located in the halls of the Invalids ' Home.

Russian " Normandy-Neman "

Years passed. The yaks on which the French pilots flew on the route Moscow-Paris, still served for some time. But they are not eternal! In the post-war years, the Normandy units flew Focke-Wulf, Mosquito, Kingcobra, Helket, Thunderbolt, Vampire, and Mirage aircraft. But in the memory of both the military and post - war generations of French pilots, the Yak-3 continued to live...

At the end of the sixties, the Normandy - Neman veterans ' ties with their Soviet counterparts in air battles with a common enemy were resumed. Mutual visits of military delegations of both countries have become more frequent. Now the grandchildren of war heroes, aerobatic aces, demonstrate their skills over the airfields of Reims and Kubinka. The more than half-century history of the air group, which began in Russia, continues. By the way, recently French and Russian pilots solemnly celebrated the 55th anniversary of the squadron.

But now avipolk with the name "Normandy-Niemen" is not only in France, it also appeared in Russia.

...The commander of the Guards regiment, Colonel Anatoly Fetisov, received a phone call from a higher headquarters at a festive table. The commander was celebrating his birthday.

- Will you be able to be in Moscow tomorrow?

"This isn't a joke?" Fetisov was genuinely surprised. - I don't serve in the Moscow region, but in Primorye...

Nevertheless, by 13: 00 the next day, May 9, 1995, Guards Colonel Fetisov was already in the capital. Here, during the laying of wreaths at the monument to the pilots of the French Normandy - Niemen air regiment, the commander of the front-line aviation, Colonel-General Nikolai Antoshkin, introduced him to the then French President Francois Mitterrand as the commander of the Russian regiment of the same name.

The regiment in question traces its lineage back to July 1938. At that time, he was stationed in the Far East, and was armed with the famous I - 16 fighter. In July 1941, it was relocated to Borisoglebsk, where it was re-formed and received the name of the 18th Fighter Aviation. In the spring of the forty-third, twelve French pilots made up the 4th squadron of the regiment, called "Normandy". And although we fought together for a short time-until July. when the replenishment came and the regiment was formed from French pilots, in the future they were connected by a lot.

After the war, the 18th Guards Regiment returned to the region of its former deployment. Among the first in the Air Force here mastered jet vehicles, starting with the MiG-9. Then there were the MiG-17, -21, -23, -27, Su-25.

In 1951, one of the squadrons fought in Korea, where our pilots shot down 91 enemy aircraft...

And all these years, the aviators among themselves called their native regiment nothing more than "Normandy-Niemen".

Back in 1986, having arrived in the unit as a deputy regiment commander, Fetistov, along with his colleagues, began to seek the assignment of the name "Normandy-Niemen" to the 18th. Alas, for a long time to no avail. By the way, in June 1994, a representative delegation of the French Air Force, having flown to Lipetsk on Mirages, then reached Primorye. Here the French pilots stayed for four days.

And now, a year after the memorable visit of the French, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Great Victory, the 18th Guards was finally awarded the honorary name "Normandie - Niemen"by the order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. For Russian pilots, this was the most expensive gift.

...There are only a few of them left - Russian and French pilots who fought side by side with a common enemy and sealed their friendship with their own blood. But the memory of them, of the exploits of their fellow soldiers, lives in the hearts of the current generation of air aces of the two countries. He lives in the banner that is kept in the Museum of Liberation, Resistance and Deportation; in Yaks that can only be seen today as museum exhibits, in the name of the Russian and French regiments "Normandy - Niemen ".

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