Caudron C.440 'Goéland'. Home Users Part Two.

 

The Caudron C.445 model, which would eventually, be the most produced variant, began in 1939 and continued during German occupation, at Renault's factory in the Seine department, close to Paris. A total of 690 Goélands were manufactured for the Luftwaffe alone, which, as we already saw it, used the type in the trainer, transport and liaison roles.

Under Vichy's government, the Goéland constituted the backbone of the Services Civils de liaisons aériennes metropolitaines (Metropolitan Air Connection Civil Service - the official paramilitary airline of Vichy France) and its subsidiaries in the French West Africa and Algeria. A dedicated variant of the C.445 - called C.445EF - was made for the Vichy French Air Force, of which just 120 exemplars were manufactured between 1942 and 1943. 

The next major version was the C.449 which was manufactured at Ateliers Aéronautiques in Issy-les-Molineaux, in the Seine department, close to Paris, after the liberation. The main user of this variant was the Aéronavale (French Navy's Air Arm) which employed the type from 1945 onwards (they also have been using some C.445 since 1943). The Aéronavale used the C.445 and C.449 until 1954, for liaison and training purposes in various units and they served also with the Escadrilles (Squadron) 51.S and 55.S plus many flying schools located in Morocco. A total of 349 exemplars of this variant were made, though, according to other sources, that number falls to 325. They were manufactured between the years 1944 and 1948. 

After the war, Air France acquired several Goélands for pilot and crew training and night postal services. On 1st January 1946, there were 23 C.445 and 19 C.449 serving with this French airline. They would be, however, sold, loaned or ceded to other operators and most of them were transferred to Madagascar and the French North Africa.

Some other minor French airlines like Air Azur also employed the type after the war and it was reportedly, also employed by the Beglian SABENA airline. 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caudron_C.440_Goéland

2. https://aviatechno.net/vilgenis/46-49/caudron440.php (translated)

3. https://aeronavale.org/lhistoire-de-laeronautique-navale/les-avions/ (translated)

4. https://www.valka.cz/Caudron-C-440-Goeland-t168115 (translated)