| Commune status | Commune |
|---|---|
| Arrondissement | Vitry-le-François |
| Canton | Sermaize-les-Bains |
| Insee | 51417 |
| Postal code | 51300 |
| Mayor | Mario Hernandez[1] |
| Term | 2020–2026 |
| Coordinates | 48.6706°N 4.7361°E |
| Elevation m | 119 |
| Area km 2 | 13.65 |
Orconte (ɔʁkɔ̃t) is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France.
Second World War
Captain Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900- 1944) stayed in the commune during winter 1939, with the Groupe de Grande Reconnaissance 2/33 (Reconnaissance Group II/23). He evokes this period and the farm (opposite the church) where he lived in Pilote de guerre, translated into English as Flight to Arras.
In September 1944, the United States Army Air Forces established a temporary airfield Advanced Landing Ground, known as "A-66" near Orconte. The Ninth Air Force 354th Fighter Group flew P-51 Mustangs and P-47 Thunderbolts from the airfield from 15 September until 11 December 1944. The unit moved east with the advancing Allied armies and the airfield was dismantled with the land being returned to agricultural use.[2][3][4]
See also
References
- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
- ^ "USAAF Airfields in the ETO". Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
- ^ AAF Airfields in France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg Archived 2009-01-06 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Air Force History Index retrieval of USAFHRA documents relating to Orconte, France (1940-1945)