![]() ![]() Quick facts about the Lafayette Escadrille from Aug– September 9, 1917:ĭuring these 382 days, the squadron only had 271 days of flights. In the end, most pilots would go home with an engine or gun malfunction. A normal day of combat would involve a single dive on an enemy plane, the firing of around 10 rounds, and a gun jamming. Unlike depictions in popular films, the war in the air involved far fewer dog fights, and pilots were lucky to get a kill at all during the duration of their service. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Informal photograph of Gervais Raoul Lufbery and the Lafayette Escadrille’s mascot “Whiskey” wrestling on the ground. While the majority of the French squadron’s officers were understandably French, four Americans achieved the rank of second lieutenant: Norman Prince, Raoul Lufbery, Edwin Parsons, and Kiffin Rockwell. Louis Verdier-Fauvety was from Meaux, France. Antoine de Maison-Rouge Arnoux was from Verdun, France and St. William Thaw was from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Lt. Alfred de Meux De Laage was from Clesse, France Lt. Of the officers of the squadron, the captain, Georges Thenault was from Paris, France Lt. The squadron was not comprised exclusively of American pilots. The squadron was operational beginning in April 1916 and a few pilots did see air combat-losing one pilot killed in action and another to serious injuries after being shot down. Presentation of the Journal de Marches et Operations of the Lafayette Escadrille by Georges Thenault to the Smithsonian Institution, National Air Museum, April 19, 1963. Volunteers for the Smithsonian’s Transcription Center produced the readable text of the Escadrille mission logs from the handwritten original, available here. The logs document the dates of missions, the pilots who flew and the events as they were reported and recorded by Captain Thenault, from Augto February 1, 1918. The commander of the first squadron of American volunteers was Captain Georges Thenault, a French Army officer and pilot. It is two of his operational logs that were given to the Smithsonian by his widow in 1962. American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in Europe. The squadron “became operational in April 1916” and retained its American pilots till just before Christmas in 1917, when they transferred to service in the U.S. France circa 1917.Īt the time of the Escadrille’s inception, many American volunteers were already serving in France as soldiers in the French Foreign Legion, or as volunteer ambulance drivers, when the opportunity to train as pilots and fly as an all-volunteer American squadron under French Army command was initiated. Whiskey and Soda, the escadrille's lion cub mascots, are included. Informal photo of Lafayette Escadrille members in front of an American flag. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |