Happy Bastille Day, 2019 -- July 14, 2019

Memphis News-Scimitar, 14-July-1919

On Bastille Day in 1919, the French and their allies celebrated with a huge victory parade.  

TRIUMPHAL MARCH OF ALLIES

IN PARIS AROUSES CHEERS

PARIS, July 14. (By the Associated Press.) -- The triumphal march of allied and American troops through Paris began at 8 o'clock this morning. The weather was brilliant, being more like October than midsummer.

A thousand wounded soldiers with crutches or in wheel chairs and clad, for the most part, in civilian clothes, led the parade, being preceded by a drum corps.

Guns began firing at minute Intervals as President Poincare placed a wreath at the foot of the Cenotaph at the Arc de Triomphe this morning. The empty casket, placed there in memory of the allied dead, was also decorated by other wreaths, these being placed by Premier Clemenceau, a French soldier, a French sailor, an Alsatian girl, a girl from Lorraine and Col. Edmund Gros. This last wreath was in memory of 72 members of the Lafayette escadrille who lost their lives during the war.

Marshal Joffre, the victor of the first battle of the Marne, passed under the Arc de Triomphe at 8:45 o'clock. He rode alone. Behind him came Marshal Foch, the commander-in-chief of the allied forces during the final campaign of the conflict. A storm of applause arose from the vast throng as the two marshals passed the president's stand and moved down the brilliant avenue.

Gen. Pershing, with a number of American generals, came next in line and was received with equal enthusiasm. Forty American organizations, soldiers and marines, marching with wonderful precision, were greeted by a sea of waving handkerchiefs and flags and with deafening cheers. During the parade this morning the roof of a house on the Boulevard St. Martin collapsed. Eighteen persons were injured.

Washington Evening Star, 14-July-1919

Pulp -- War Aces -- July 5, 2018

mutoscope.listal.com

This cover of War Aces features an aviator firing a Lewis gun.

Bert Hall was an original member of the Lafayette Escadrille.

American Aviator Reported Killed -- July 1, 2018

Tulsa Daily World, 27-April-1915

William Thaw II was the son of a Pittsburgh banker.  He learned to fly in 1913 and was in Europe with this Curtiss Hydroaeroplane when the war broke out.  Thaw donated his airplane to the French and joined the Foreign Legion.  When the Lafayette Escadrille was formed, he transferred and became a fighter pilot and an ace.

This 1915 article reported that he had been killed, but he had a successful career during the war and lived until 1934, when he died at the age of 40.  I wonder why his name is hand-printed below the photo.

Lufbery is Shot Down by Germans -- May 19, 2018

Manitowoc Pilot, 23-May-1918

100 years ago today, on 19-May-1918, Raoul Lufbery, the most experienced American fighter pilot, was killed in action.  Lufbery was born in France, but his father was American. He had 16 confirmed victories while flying for the French Lafayette Escadrille and one more for the Americans.

LUFBERY IS SHOT DOWN BY GERMANS

Huns Kill the U. S. Air “Ace” Over the American Lines.

BULLET PIERCES GAS TANK

Airman’s Only Wound Was a Hole Through the Thumb—Yanks Take Revenge by Destroying Hun Planes.

Paris, May 22.— Maj. Raoul Lufbery, the first American ace to be killed as the result of an aerial fight, was burled on Monday with full military honors by French and American detachments.

With the American Army in France, May 22. — Maj. Raoul Lufbery, who has been regarded us the best aviator in the American service, was shot down in flames and killed Sunday morning by a big German triplane which he was attacking. Lufbery jumped from his flaming machine when 800 yards above the ground. He had 17 victories to his credit. Lufbery's home was in Wallingford, Conn.

The German machine which brought Lufbery down was armed with two machine guns, with an operator for each piece.

Lufbery's only wound, aside from those he received when he crashed to earth, was a bullet hole through the thumb. Apparently the same bullet punctured one of the gasoline tanks of his machine.

The German machine was under heavy antiaircraft fire several times both before and after the air fight, and one explosion of a shell upset the enemy plane, but it managed to straighten out again.

It was about ten o’clock in the morning when a German triplane suddenly descended from the clouds, apparently because of engine trouble, until it was only some 1,500 meters over the city of Toul. The American flyers were on the alert and some of them headed for the fighting line to await the enemy on his return.

Lufbery and the pilot of another machine made after the Germans, who quickly ran away from the direction of the line, the two American machines following him. Eight miles away from the enemy’s line Lufbery was seen to attack from under the tall, but then he drew off, as if his machine gun had jammed. Two minutes later he attacked again from the same position, and almost immediately his machine burst into flames.

With the American Army In France, May 22. — A French aviator shot down a German plane back of the Lunevllle sector. Two men from the plane were captured by the Americans. The Germans came from somewhere in the rear. It is reported, although not confirmed, that this is the machine which brought down Major Lufbery. There has been extraordinary aerial activity all day in this sector.

Two hostile airplanes have been brought down by American aviators, says an official announcement issued at American headquarters. One of the airplanes shot down carried two officers. Both bad been riddled with bullets.

American Birdmen Down German Plane -- April 29, 2018

Evening Missourian, 01-May-1918

One hundred years ago today, on 29-April-1918, Eddie Rickenbacker, an auto racer who became America's ace of aces in World War One, scored his first victory.  Captain James Norman Hall, who had been a member of the Lafayette Escadrille, later wrote Mutiny on the Bounty with his partner, Charles Nordhoff.  

From the Columbia, Missouri Evening Missourian, 01-May-1918.  

AMERICAN BIRDMEN DOWN GERMAN PLANE

U S Machine Is Driven by Capt. Norman Hall and Lieut. Rickenbacker

BOTH NOTED FLYERS

Enemy Machine Is Wrecked and Falls Behind Own Lines

By Associated Press

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE, May 1 -- A German airplane was brought down in enemy territory last night by Captain Norman Hall of Colfax, Iowa and Lieutenant Edward V. Rickenbacker of Columbus, Ohio after a duel over the American lines on the Toul sector.

The American birdmen first engaged the enemy machine over the American lines. Lieutenant Rickenbacker swept over the German and opened fire with his machine gun. Captain Hall opened fire from behind the plane. The German made a desperate attempt to escape, returning the fire of the Americans but finally fell behind the German trenches. Captain Hall and Lieutenant Rickenbacker returned from the fight unscathed.

Captain Hall served as a private in the British army at the outbreak of the war. Later he joined the French aerial forces. He is the author of "Kitchener's Mob."

RICKENBACKER WANTED SPEED

Resigned as Pershing's Chauffeur to Enter Aviation Service

By Associated Press

NEW YORK, May 1 -- Lieutenant "Eddie" Rickenbacker resigned as chauffeur of General Pershing's automobile because he wanted more speed according to his friends here. He obtained a commission in the aviation service within three months after he left America.

Rickenbacker first came into prominence as a speed driver in 1911 when he appeared at Indianapolis, Providence and Sheepshead Bay, New York.


From the South Bend, Indiana News-Times, 01-May-1918.  

Rickenbacker in First Air Fight
Helps to Win Victory Over Boche

International News Service

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE, April 30 -- (6 p.m.) -- Lieut. "Eddie" Rickenbacker, of Columbus. O., an automobile racer, has engaged in his first air fight on the Toul front, and helped to win a victory.

Lieut. Rickenbacker, and Capt. Norman Hall, of Colfax. Ia., gave combat to a boche airman, downing him in enemy territory after a spectacular fight.

"Capt. Hall did the most fighting and deserves all the praise." said Lieut. Rickenbacker afterward.

"We got the 'alert' shortly after 6 o'clock on Monday evening. There had been rain clouds, but they were driven away by the sun about an hour before and the light was good as we went up.

"We picked up the German on our side of the lines and pursued him into the enemy zone. While flying at a height of about 1,800 yards, a duel began. I flew above the German and opened up on him with my machine gun. In the meantime, Capt. Hall had come up behind and was firing briskly into the boche machine.

Tried All Tricks.

"Our opponent tried every possible trick to dodge us, but we kept pecking at him with our machine guns. Finally smoke began to pour out of his machine. It nay have been due to fire started from our bullets, hut I am not certain on that point. At any rate the machine started to descend rapidly.

'We kept after the Hun machine until it got too close to the ground, Capt. Hall sending in a few final shots. Hall fired 250 rounds in all while I fired about 200.

"It was a pretty fight, hut it was over in a few moments. Some of the bullets fired by the German pierced the wings of Hall's machine."

Capt. Hall served as a private in the British army. He returned to America and wrote a book called "Kitchener's Mob." He is now writing a serial about his air adventures.

Rickenbacker drove cars in many of the biggest automobile races in America and is proving himself a very daring aviator.

The machine shot down by Capt. Hall and Lieut. Rickenbacker was the third officially reported in the past three weeks. Several others were unofficially said to have been brought down.

Lufbery Now in U.S. Army -- February 18, 2018

Philadelphia Evening Public Ledger, 18-February-1918

100 years ago today, on 18-February-1918, the French Escadrille Lafayette, a squadron of American fliers, disbanded and its members transferred to the US Air Service's 103rd Aero Squadron (Pursuit).

Raoul Lufbery was born in France, but his father was American.  He had 16 confirmed victories while flying for the French and one more for the Americans.  He died in battle on 19-May-1918.  

Victor Chapman Killed in Verdun Air Fight -- June 24, 2016

New York Evening World, 24-June-1916

This article from the 24-June-1916 New York Evening World is about the first American aviator to be killed in action during World War One, Victor Chapman of the Lafayette Escadrille:
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2016/04/lafayette-escadrille-100-april-20-2016.html

VICTOR CHAPMAN, N.Y.FLIER, KILLED IN VERDUN AIR FIGHT, WRECKED THREE AEROPLANES

Dashed Fearlessly to Aid of Fellow Aviators Confronted by Superior Force.
BULLETS RIDDLED HIM.
In His Dash, However, He Destroyed Three Planes and Routed Two More.

PARIS, June 24. Sergeant Victor Chapman of New York, a member of the Franco-American flying corps, was killed yesterday at Verdun after bringing down throe German aeroplanes.

An air squadron consisting of a French captain and the American flyers Prince and Berry were engaged by five German machines. Chapman darted to the rcscue and headed straight into the center of the circling Germans.

His machine gun brought down three of the Germans. Their comrades swooped down upon Chapman, turning blasts of machine gun fire at his plane. Chapman fell to the ground, his body riddled with bullets. He had died instantly.

The three other flyers whose lives he had saved returned safely to the French lines.

----------------------------------------------------


Victor Chapman was the son of John Jay Chapman, a prominent lawyer with offices at No. 60 Wall Street and living at No. 325 West Eighty-Second Street. He was a student in the Beaux Arts in Paris when the war began, and he volunteered at once, Joining tho French Foreign Legion. Young Chapman was assigned to the flying corps after serving four months in the first firing line and fighting through the battle of the Vosges. With six others he formed last April the American Flying Corps.

The Now Yorker soon became an expert aviator. He was recommended for promotion a mouth ago when, with Lieut. William K. Thaw of Pittsburgh, he went in pursuit of two German war planes near Uffholtz. The Germans came out to got revenge for the destruction of one of their aeroplanes destroyed the day before by Capt. Kiffin Rockwell of Atlanta, Ga.  For his attack on one of the German planes Chapman was made a sergeant.

Mr. and Mrs. John Jay Chapman served with the French Red Cross from the beginning of the war.  Returning to New York last August for a brief visit, Mr. Chapman told of his son's joining the French army.

"If Victor is to be killed in battle I am resigned," he said then. "I am proud that he has joined the French army. Every American boy ought to do the same. Their fight is our fight.  If it were not for the British fleet I feel that the Germans would have been dropping bombs on Long Island long ago."

Chapman Is tho first American aviator killed in the European war. He was twenty-two years old and a graduate of Harvard. He had been twice wounded, once while in the Foreign Legion, and again last Saturday at Verdun when a bullet glanced off his head.

Mr. and Mrs. Chapman are now at their summer home at Barrytown, N. Y. They received the news of their son's death with great calmness, according to a message from that town. When told that his son's
aeroplane fell within the French lines, Mr. Chapman said: "Good." He added: "My son's llfe was given to a good cause." 
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Lafayette Escadrille 100 -- April 20, 2016

www.coverbrowser.com

On 20-April-1916, the French Aéronautique Militaire formed the Escadrille Américaine, which was later called the Lafayette Escadrille,a squadron of American volunteer pilots with French mechanics and commanders. Norman Prince, who was already flying for the French, persuaded the French to establish the squadron.

The cover of the March, 1932 Aces features David Putnam, who served as a pilot for France in the Escadrille Lafayette and for the United States during World War One.He was shot down and killed on 12-September-1918.  He received a posthumous Distinguished Service Cross.

www.coverbrowser.com

 The cover of the January, 1932 Aces features James Norman Hall, who served as an infantryman for Britain and a pilot for France in the Escadrille Lafayette and for the United States during World War One. He received the Croix de Guerre. Before he went down behind enemy lines and became a prisoner, Hall met fellow pilot Charles Nordhoff. After the war, Nordhoff and Hall wrote Mutiny on the Bounty and other books.

Pulp #32 -- June 19, 2012

The cover of the March, 1932 Aces features David Putnam, who served as a pilot for France in the Escadrille Lafayette and for the United States during World War One.He was shot down and killed on 12-September-1918.  He received a posthumous Distinguished Service Cross.

The cover comes from the wonderful site CoverBrowser: http://www.coverbrowser.com/

Pulp #24 -- May 23, 2011

The cover of the January, 1932 Aces features James Norman Hall, who served as an infantryman for Britain and a pilot for France in the Escadrille Lafayette and for the United States during World War One. He received the Croix de Guerre. Before he went down behind enemy lines and became a prisoner, Hall met fellow pilot Charles Nordhoff. After the war, Nordhoff and Hall wrote Mutiny on the Bounty and other books.