Villacoublay Air Base serves as the first place of relative safety after the attack on Charles de Gaulle’s convoy. Its apron becomes the setting for the brief, controlled aftermath: a shaken passenger is helped from the damaged car, the President checks on his wife, and the couple leave by helicopter rather than remain amid the surrounding alarm.

Setting and Function

The base is the convoy’s destination after Jean Ducret reports the attack by transmitter. When the cars arrive, Charles de Gaulle insists on going straight to the apron, where a helicopter is waiting. The scene gives Villacoublay a precise practical role: it is not a place where the attack is investigated or explained, but the point at which the endangered party can transfer from the battered road convoy to an aircraft.

Arrival After the Ambush

Officers and officials surge around the stopped car and open its doors to help the shaken Madame de Gaulle to her feet. Charles de Gaulle emerges from the wreckage with glass splinters on his lapel. Rather than attend to the anxious officials first, he walks around the car and takes his wife’s arm. The small gesture shifts the scene from the violence of the ambush to the couple’s immediate safety and composure.

His response also refuses the atmosphere of panic around him. He guides Madame de Gaulle toward the helicopter and dismisses the attackers’ marksmanship with the observation, “They can't shoot straight.” At Villacoublay, the attempted assassination is acknowledged, but the President’s manner denies it the power to dictate his next move.

Departure and the Damaged Car

Charles de Gaulle, Madame de Gaulle, and d'Jouder take off for a weekend in the country. The departure contrasts with the condition of the car left on the tarmac: Francis Marroux remains behind the wheel, while both tyres on the right-hand side have finally failed and the vehicle rests on its rims. Jean Ducret quietly congratulates Marroux before turning to the work of clearing up. The helicopter’s departure and the damaged car mark two different continuations of the crisis: the President leaves the scene, while the security personnel remain to deal with its immediate consequences.

Narrative Significance

Villacoublay Air Base occupies only a short interval in the sequence, but that interval makes the attack’s physical consequences unmistakable. The shattered glass, the failed tyres, and the officers’ rush to assist Madame de Gaulle give material weight to the escape; the President’s unhurried attention to his wife and his prompt departure keep the scene from becoming an extended display of fear. The base thus functions as a hinge between the ambush and its aftermath: the convoy’s flight ends there, while the larger pursuit and investigation begin beyond it.