Jean Demozay

Jean Demozay (21 March 1916–19 December 1945), also known as Jean Francois Morlaix, was a Frenchman who served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. He was credited with having destroyed at least eighteen German aircraft.

Born in Nantes, Demozay received a portion of his education in the United Kingdom and became proficient in English. Working in the family business, he took up flying. In the early stages of the Second World War, he was an interpreter for RAF forces in France. Attached to No. 1 Squadron at the time of the Battle of France in May 1940, he was left behind at Nantes airfield when its flying personnel was evacuated. Using an abandoned Bristol Bombay transport aircraft, he flew himself and several RAF groundcrew back to the United Kingdom. Claiming to be a fighter pilot, he joined the Free French Air Forces (Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres – FAFL) and was posted back to No. 1 Squadron as a pilot, making his first claim for an aerial victory in November. Several more followed in 1941, while serving with Nos. 1, 242 and 91 Squadrons. He commanded the latter unit for over six months in 1942, claiming his final victories during this time. For much of the remainder of the war, he held training and command posts for the FAFL. He was killed in an aircraft accident to the south of Paris in late 1945.

Early life Jean Demozay was born on 21 March 1916 in Nantes, France, the son of Lucien Demozay, a businessman, and his wife. He was schooled in Nantes, at Saint-Joseph du Loquidy College. He was then sent to England for further education, at St John's College in Portsmouth. In 1932 his father died and this necessitated Demozay's abandoning his studies and returning to Nantes to take his father's place at the family firm. In 1936, Demozay joined the French Air Force (l'Armee de l'Air) but was quickly invalided out. He then took up civil flying.

Second World War On the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, Demozay volunteered to assist the French war effort. On account of his English-language skills he was seconded to the Royal Air Force (RAF) as an interpreter, initially at its headquarters at Reims and then in December, with No. 67 Wing. He was appointed interpreter to No. 1 Squadron in January 1940. He is credited with having shot down eighteen aircraft. Two further aircraft were probably destroyed and four more damaged. He is also credited with having destroyed one aircraft on the ground, along with one more probably destroyed and three damaged.