The team |
On the site, the permanent BEST team in charge of the wind turbine operation consisted of seven people and two guards (with their dogs) headed by Pierre Jean Cavey (from January 1956 to April 1960) and Marc Leguilllette (from May 1960 to 1963).
On the EDF side, the "wind energy division" consisted of seven to eight people. Its Director was André Argan (ECP engineer), head of the division, who directly followed the work at Nogent-le-Roi. He was assisted by Georges Vallée (ing ESE), a research engineer, who was more specifically in charge of the Neyrpic-Sogréah wind turbines at Saint-Rémy des Landes in the Manche, Georges Rauline (ing EDF), author of the report translated by NASA, and Mr Lacam (ing EDF), who was in charge of Nogent le Roi. Mrs Billet was the secretary. There were also three technical agents, Mrs Lallemant and Contant, as well as Mr Guidal in Saint-Rémy des Landes (50). Mr Pierre Ailleret, Director of Studies and Research at EDF, was the project manager. The Wind Energy Division was attached to the Hydraulic Studies and Research Department of EDF (Head of Department: Mr Gaston Réméniéras).
On the BEST side, there was Mr Sautereau (Arts et Métiers engineer) for the mechanical part, Mr Séger (IEG engineer) for the electrical part and an aeronautical engineer for the aerodynamic part to which were added technicians all located in Paris.
Standing: Messrs P. Debruyne (BEST), Lemarec, Pierre Jean Cavey, Jean Paillet, Fougères (Electro-France). Kneeling: Messrs J. Lugand, Lugand (brother of the previous speaker), and Cherdlé. Absent: Mr Géraud (retired EDF local) and the two guards. As these tests took place during the Algerian war, EDF and the BEST feared an attack on the wind turbine. The guards were armed with a carbine 22 LR and my father had a permit for a 7.65 mm. |
|
|
|
 Pierre Jean Cavey (boots) and Mr Fougères (Electro-France), masked by his hat. |
|
 . |
 |
| Pierre Jean Cavey is 36 years old in these photos (1958) and its inseparable pipe in his mouth. | |
 |
 |
My father's employment by the BEST enabled him to buy our first car: a Renault 4 horsepower (sedan type R1062 - model 1952 with the horn on the left and a fog light on the right) registered 9822 AS 78 and bought second hand for 3,000 old francs in April 1955 (that is 4 € today). The picture on the right shows the truck track which had been reinforced with Pierced Steel Planking (PSP) a.k.a. « Marston Mat ». This type of plate had been imported into Europe (and the Pacific) by the Allies to build temporary airfields during the Second World War. On the left picture, taken at the Institut Aérotechnique de Saint-Cyr l'Ecole, Mr Lemarec (beret) and on the right picture, taken at Nogent-le-Roi, Mr Da Silva (jacket), both from BEST |
|
Back to the top of the page