At first glance this print hanging in the reconstruction of the World War I hospital at the Chateau of Chenonceau looks like a satirical print. But nothing could be further from the truth. It's not even really caricature, but rather a familiar gentle spoof depicting a group of mates. The men shown are some of the great French flying aces of the First World War, drawn by one of their own number, who was a professional illustrator.
The print, a lithograph, is by Jean de Moulignon, and the subjects have signed their portraits. Only 13 prints were produced, being one for each of the airmen, some for the Air Force and one for the artist. Jean de Moulignon had been a student of Edouard Detaille, a well known illustrator and painter specialising in military scenes.
Combat Group 12, especially Squadron 3, nicknamed the Escadrille des Cigognes (Stork Squadron), was legendary, and many of the most famous war aces, such as Roland Garros and Georges Guynemer, flew in this combat group.
The pilots in this drawing are Antonin Brocard, Georges Guynemer, René 'Pere' Dorme, Alfred Heurtaux, Albert Deullin (with his dog Parasol), and Mathieu Tenant de la Tour. Leading the parade is a stork, wearing a Lewis machine gun on its head. At its peak the squadron flew SPAD planes with powerful Hispano-Suiza engines and armed with Lewis machine guns. After the War Hispano-Suiza adopted the stork as their own emblem, in tribute to Guynemer.
The drawing was commissioned by Brocard for Pierre Delage in 1916, and subsequently he gave one of the prints to Capitaine Colcomb, with a dedication which translates as 'To Captain Aviator Colcomb observer and fighter pilot during the Great War in memory of his comrades and of the Stork's Reconnaissance Patrol. With all the esteem and admiration of his boss and his friendship. Commander Brocard.'
At auction the prints go for around 300 to 800 euros each.
Who were these rather gawky looking men, slouching along with their hands in their pockets?
Antonin Brocard, the Commander, became a politician between the Wars. During the Second World War he was put in charge of training the Polish Air Force. He died in 1950.
Georges Guynemer, 54 aerial victories, killed in action September 1917 aged 22. The circumstances of his death and subsequent burial remain somewhat mysterious. There is a memorial to him in the town of Poelkapelle in Belgium, near where it is presumed he came down. His original SPAD S.VII, nicknamed "Vieux Charles", is in the collection of the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace at Paris-le Bourget airport. He is considered the most brilliant of the Storks and was the hero of the popular press during his career, much to his own discomfort. Rather frail he was rejected for military service four times before his persistance led to him being accepted to train as a pilot.
René Dorme, 23 aerial victories, nicknamed 'le Père', and easily recognisable because of the cane, which he was never seen without. Killed in action in May 1917, aged 23. Greatly admired by his colleagues.
Alfred Heurtaux, 21 aerial victories, survived to become a politician between the Wars then joined the senior management teams of leading automobile manufacturers (Ford in the US, General Motors in Europe, then finally Renault). He was an active member of the Resistance in the Second World War and died in 1985 aged 92.
Albert Deullin, 20 aerial victories, killed working as a test pilot in 1923 aged 32.
Mathieu Tenant de la Tour, 9 aerial victories, killed in an accident whilst performing acrobatics in December 1917 aged 34. He trained as a pilot because wounds put an end to his cavalry career. He, Guynemer, Deullin, Dorme and Heurtaux were particularly close friends.
Pierre Delage, 7 aerial victories, killed in action in October 1918 aged 31. Like Mathieu Tenant de la Tour he switched disciplines and only trained as a pilot after wounds left him incapable of continuing in the infantry.
To have an official 'kill' recorded Brocard insisted that there must be three eye witness testimonies verifying the event. This was often impossible to achieve, especially if the witnesses were the enemy, so the official aerial victories list is often a mere fraction of these pilots real effectiveness.
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