Normandy-Neman. Airplane of Rolland de la Poipet
(Yak-9T with the figure of Rolland de la Poipet) Marquis Roland Polz d'Ivoire de la Poupe was born on July 28, 1920 in the commune of Prado, in an aristocratic family. Passionate about aviation since his studies at the lyceum, in August 1939 he became a cadet at the flight school. After the capitulation of France, he emigrated to Great Britain and became a British RAF pilot. Subsequently, he goes to the USSR as part of a French detachment of volunteer pilots, who upon arrival become the basis of the Normandy fighter squadron. De la Poup achieved his first victory on August 31, 1943, shooting down a Ju 87 bomber. In the following month, two more downed aircraft were added to his personal account - Fw 190 and Ju 87. The pilot's complete list of aerial victories included 16 downed enemy aircraft. The bravery and fighting qualities of de la Puap were awarded combat awards of the USSR and France. After the war, he continued his service in the French Air Force, and in 1947 he retired.
