The man who wanted to live as a true

gentleman

Colonel Henry Lafont’s funeral were held at the

Saint-Louis-des-Invalides Cathedral, in Paris, on the
Wednesday 7th of December 2011. He was the last
French pilot alive to have been involved in the battle of
Britain during the Second World War.
The ceremony was presided over by colonel Fred
Moore, « Chancelier de l’ordre de la libération ». It brought
together family, friends and fellow warmen, as well as a
few French and British authorities. Among them Air Vice
Marshal Thierry Caspar-Fille-Lambie, deputy of the
commander of the Air Operations and Air Defense
Command as well as Defense attaché Air Commodore
Maas both present to pay tribute to a hero. « The French
Air Force honors her own, the memory of all those pilots
who fought among the free French and most particularly
during the mythical battle of Britain, » Air Vice Marshal
declares.
« A man who is standing, alive and free. » That is
how Colonel Henry Lafont, who passed away on the 2nd of
December, was described during mass. Grave and
solemn, the religious service was the occasion for colonel
Moore to emphasize « the energetic and wilful-minded
personality » of the French pilot who showed a « relentless
patriotism and was one of the minor group of people who
didn’t accept defeat during spring 1940 ».
The service was also marked by a deeply moving
testimony read by Georges-Didier Rohrbacher. His
enlisting in the French Air Force was made easier by
Colonel Lafont with whom he then shared an unfailing
friendship. « Colonel Henry Lafont was like a father to me,
he says moved to tears. Today, instead of speaking about
his career as a pilot, I’d rather describe him as the person
he was, kind and gentle, a man who wanted to live as a
true gentleman. »
At the end of mass, Colonel Lafont was given the
military honours. The mourners then followed the coffin
covered with the blue white and red patterned French flag.
Colonel Lafont was survived by his three children,
Lucien, Jacques et Anne-Marie. Lucien is a sculptor. He
shares with us how his father regularly told him that he
was deeply content of the life he led, a good and beautiful
life. However, the image of his father he’d like to keep is
his incredible will, his ability to never give up. « Curiously
enough, I am in the process of sculpting very tall subjects,
more than 2 meters high, who are erected, standing up, no
doubt free and maybe a little bit alive, » he says. As to his
sister Anne-Marie, she shows tremendous emotion. « My
dad never believed he was going to die, he was convinced
that he was going to survive the war, she says. I thought
the service was organized perfectly to his image,
optimistic and humble. I was very touched. »
Colonel Lafont was a « Légion d’honneur
commander », « compagnon de la libération » and
« grand-croix » of the French Order of Merit.
To this day, the number of compagnons still alive
has reached 30.

Text : captain Virginie Gradella

Photos : adjudant Thierry Labataille