Looking for friends from the Amporaha camp in Nosy Be

Friends from the camp, in response to the previous post, it’s not impossible to consider this possibility of making a "pilgrimage" to Nosy-Be... 40 years later, under an army TD9 tent (sic) 2010 would be ideal, since there would be the Francophone congress in Madagascar. Here are some vintage postcards... Best regards, jlou82.

Good evening everyone, I see that you, dear Patrick R, are unstoppable, and I can tell that Madagascar is missed by all of us (well... except me! Because I’ll be there in a week). Just stirring the pot a little... As for the "old-timers" (our parents, or the young-at-heart club if you prefer!), we’re hoping and planning to organize a little pilgrimage trip to Madagascar next year for those who are up for it. But we’re waiting for some answers and details that need to be checked on the ground first before we move forward. - Priority to what’s urgent! Voisin101 reminded us of that! We (meaning the former-young... uh, is that right? Did I get that right?) will get our turn later. Anyway, we’ll soon be able to discuss or debate this at length on our own site: ivato-nosybe.com or samba181.com. These two domain names are now reserved for us and actually lead to the same single site. I think the first one, ivato-nosybe.com, speaks for itself—everyone will get it. The second one, samba181.com, stands for: Site for Associates and former Military personnel of BA 181 in Ivato and the Nosy-Be holiday camp. Warning: The site isn’t operational yet—it’s still under construction, so you won’t get any response if you try to visit. Come on, just a little more patience! And don’t forget that when it comes to Madagascar, the motto is: *Mora-Mora*. Best wishes to all, and have a great evening, fellow Nosy-Bean!

here are some pictures of my work at the camp; luckily, a charming young girl seemed to be having trouble in the water, which justified my long moments under the parasol—where I was also able to bring back these splendid memories of the fishermen’s returns

it was the buddies from BA181 in 1962; maybe one of them will recognize themselves and get in touch

Hi Bernard,

I managed to find some people from that time by starting on the "Copains d'Avant" site (BA181, Ivato airbase, ..., various keywords). Then I discovered this forum. Good luck with your search!

Veloma, Christian

A photo of Tana and Lake Anosy with Lycée Galliéni and the Queen's Palace in the background

Friends from the Nosy-Be camp and former members of BA181... a few testimonies from that era.... 1 aerial view of BA181 in 1962, 2 insignia of BA 181, GLAM 50.... view of the former BA 181 as it is today...... more photos coming soon..... I’m also looking for a book published by Jean-Pierre Perrette, "Livre d'Or de l'Aviation Malgache" (impossible to find so far). Best regards to you all. Thanks in advance

a few memories from BA181: the adaptation camp for new recruits arriving from mainland France, a morning serenade on the base on January 1, 1963, and the base party with a swimming competition at the pool, plus the night before returning to France in front of the sports service

Hello, I just saw on the Air France museum website that the book is no longer for sale. But I know the author, Mr. Pénette. I’ll ask him if there’s another way to get a copy. Best regards, Franck

You can see part of the book at this link: http://books.google.fr/books?id=J32ohCtrSbAC&dq=livre+d%27or+de+l%27aviation+malgache&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=9sqL7xD8xB&sig=LuxS6YaFlvje717g1GYsBjiyK0k&hl=fr&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result#PPA107, M1 Franck

After contacting the author, he still has about ten copies left. For any information, contact me at my email madaroums@neuf.fr.

Best regards, Franck

Hi everyone,

Has anyone heard from Francis since Nosy Be??? No word, no news...

Zoma

Hello everyone, No news from our Francis... but as they say, "No news is good news," and in Nosy Be, communications aren't always easy—ADSL is hit or miss too. Speeds should improve soon with the new undersea cable from South Africa. Here are a few photos I took recently in Tana and the surrounding area during one of my trips. 1) Ivato Airport 3) On the road from IVATO to Tana 2) On the road to Antsirabe And as a bonus, a pousse-pousse from Antsirabe.

See you all soon!

Hello, I’m just passing along Francis’s phone number for Nosy Be that he shared in a previous post: 00 261 324 682 595 I’ll send him a text hoping he’ll give us an update later.... Franck

Tana 19/11/2008 Hello everyone, The trip went well, but it's been almost a month already. It rains practically every night and sometimes during the day, which is normal for the rainy season, no matter what some tourists and travel agencies might say. Mother Nature seems to be getting back to her usual routine this year, and if that's the case, watch out for January, February, and March. Despite all that, it's still an experience to live and appreciate for those who truly love nature and Madagascar. I'm in Tana for 3 days, and from a tourist perspective, things are moving in the right direction..... It seems to rain every evening in Tana, quite heavily and steadily. A special shout-out to the little Amporaha/Oise crew!!! I'm thinking of you while eating mangoes, pineapples, bananas...... picked right there... I'm sending you a big, warm sun from Nosy-Be because it's not great in Tana, so be nice... think a little about the one suffering under the Nosy-Be sun!!!!!! A few photos to back it all up.... Veloma to everyone (and to the "imported" *zoreil*, you'll know who you are) see you soon.... until the next episode....

Nosy-Be 26/11/08 Hello everyone Sorry, but I couldn't send the first part from Tana, so here's the rest. As expected, the weather is very unpredictable and changeable, but it's especially muggy and stormy. In short, the heat in Hell-Ville is oppressive, even unbearable. Long live the countryside! Nosy-Be 27/11/2008 Hello again. I still haven't managed to send the previous messages, but here we are in Nosy-Be, which is normal. Power outage or cut..... slow connection.... I haven't given up hope.

Best wishes to all, francis

Hello Francis, Finally heard from you, we were starting to worry!!!!!!!! But we won’t complain about you being too hot—just don’t forget to pack a thick fleece when you come back to France. 😉 Anyway, it’s great to know everything’s going well in Madagascar. Spare a thought for us! I think I’ve found a place where we can all meet up again. I’ll keep you posted when I know more. Have a great end to your stay in Nosy-Be and bring us back some beautiful photos. Big kisses. See you soon. Mariejo.

hi Francis I got your text at...... 3:45 AM last night. Were you coming from Sakamanga??? Anyway, it’s great to hear from you. As Marie Jo said, bring a sweater because it might get chilly!!!! We’re waiting for you to come back... Best, Franck

Hi Francis, The rain and sun will make the forest grow back... I hope so, because it’s suffered, but our friends in Nosy Be gotta eat!!!! Think about vanilla. Best, Pierre FABRE

Hi Bruno, I think we might know each other—I was in Ivato in ’71, ’72. Can you confirm? I also remember Bernard Pallardi and Hervé Muiron, whom I haven’t seen since, by the way. For my part, I often travel to Mauritius and Madagascar for work... So!! Best, Philippe

Hi Philippe, To really identify you, since you only gave me a hint about your last name, I need to know if the 12 hours of MANTASOA ring a bell. For me, that regatta brings back some great memories. Maybe it was also with you that we were welcomed by the owner of the DZAMANDZAR distillery in NOSY BE, and that we flirted a bit with his daughters at the beach? Looking forward to hearing from you. BRUNO

Hi there, One of my friends gave me the name of a mechanic in Ivato but couldn’t tell me the exact date. All I know about him is that his name is BRETON Jacky (nickname Nénesse) and he was an educator in Saintes (BA 722, with the Arpètes). He was supposed to be an aircraft mechanic. If any of you know him, could you pass on my phone number: 02 36 47 62 64. Thanks in advance! Best, Franck