His father, Xavier Paulze d'Ivoy de la Poype, an agronomist and reserve officer in the French army, was killed at the front in May 1940.

[2] Aged 19 years old in August 1939 de la Poype enrolled in the French air force and began training as a pilot.

[citation needed] De la Poype was one of only four members of the regiment to be awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and a Companions of Liberation at only 27 years old.

Assigned to the 2nd Bureau of the Air Force General Staff in March 1946, Roland de la Poype left the army in 1947.

The reserve commander Roland de la Poype, who became a civilian again after the war, held several positions.He was appointed a member of the Council of the Order of Liberation in September 2002.