Chamberlain in Lafayette ?

[Paul Forster]

Can anyone tell me if a pilot named Cyrus Chamberlain ever served in the Lafayette Escadrille ?

[WFS]

"Lafayette Escadrille" by Herbert M.Mason, Jr. lists Chamberlain as serving with SPA.85 and SPA.98. He is not listed among those who served in N.124.

Regards,
Wayne

[EdStevens]

So the proper term would be that he was in the Lafayette Flying Corps rather than specifically the Escadrille Lafayette, n'est-ce pas?

[Paul Forster]

That's what I suspected,thanks.

[Paul Forster]

I believe Chamberlain was KIA.Does anyone have any details?

[patrickmallahan]

Paul,

"The morning of June 13, 1918, found a patrol of Spads weaving back and forth above the lines at La Ferté-Milon--Chamberlain with five French comrades on the lookout for Boches. It was ten o'clock: a warm summer forenoon with the sky almost cloudless. The Spads were at 12,000 feet. Suddenly, a thousand meters below, appeared a small patrol of German machines. All dove to the attack, and the French leader, glancing behind him as he rushed downward, saw a dozen single-seaters plunging from above. A quick turn, a faint rattle of machine guns, and one Spad continued its dive--on and down, a fading dot above the battlefield. It was Chamberlain, killed in his seat by an unlucky burst. In our memories, he will live forever in the simple words of his citacíon to the order of the army: 'Soldat modeste et brave'".

Above is a quote from Hall & Nordhoff's "The Lafayette Flying Corps". There are also service and other details on this airman in the book.

Patrick

Dear Paul,
Something more to satisfy your morbid curiousity:
"Cyrus Foss Chamberlain was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 28 February 1889, the son of Francis A. Chamberlain, a Minneapolis banker,and Frances (Foss) Chamberlain. Chamberlain attended Minneapolis public schools. He graduated from Princeton University, Class of 1910. He then returned to Minneapolis where he became a partner in the Marsh and McLennan insurance firm until the spring of 1917.
On 19 May 1917 Chamberlain sailed for France aboard the S.S. Chicago to enter the European War. He arrived at Bordeaux on 29 May 1917. On 3 June he enlisted in France's Service Aeronautique in Paris.
From 6 June to 8 December 1917 he attended the aviation schools at Avord, Pau, and the G.D.E. He received his brevet on the Caudron on 15 October 1917.
On 12 December Caproral Chamberlain was assigned at the Front to Escadrille SPAD 85. He flew with that squadron until 9 January 1918. On that date he was assigned to SPAD 98 and flew combat patrols with that squadron until 13 June 1918 when he was killed in a mixup with 13 enemy fighters near La Ferte-Milon. He was 29 years of age at the time of his death.
Sergent Chamberlain was posthumously awarded France's Croix de Guerre, with Palm. On 10 July 1923 Wold-Chamberlain field in Minneapolis was named in his honor. In 1928 his remains were removed from the military cemetery at Coulommiers to the Lafayette Flying Corps memorial near Paris."
[The above is from THE LAFAYETTE FLYING CORPS by Dennis Gordon, Schiffer Publishing, 2000]

[gregoire]

here is the squadron insigna of the spa 85

by the way an other american pilot have also served with spa 85 eugene Bullard

[Paul Forster]

Thanks for the info.In case anyone is wondering why I am so interested in Chamberlain,Minneapolis/St.Paul International Airport was originally called Wold-Chamberlain Field,named after two Minnesota flyers killed in the war.I am trying to find some info about them. The other pilot was Ernest G. Wold. Eddie Rickenbacker and George Thenault were two of the speakers when the field was dedicated in 1923.That is where the encounter described in my post,"Rickenbacker Story",took place.

Dear Paul,
I'm not doubting the story, I'm just not sure about the dating.
Here is what I came up with concerning Wold:
Ernest G. Wold, 1st Observation Squadron from 7/20/18 to 8/1/18, KIA 8/1/18...
Now August 1st must have been one BAD day; the 1st Obs. also lost Walter P. Miller (Lafayette Flying Corps) KIA; James J. Sykes KIA; and James C. Wooten, who died of wounds...
What happened?
The following is from Sloan's WINGS OF HONOR (Schiffer, 1994); it's a caption for a really good modern drawing (unfortunately, it's in B&W, and, worse, I don't have a scanner):
"Artist Joseph DeMarco portrays a scene in the fierce battle of August 1st in which James J. Sykes and Walter P. Miller, 1st Obs Sqdn, were shot down along with James C. Wooten and Ernest G. Wold at around 9:15 a.m., all killed in action. [They're flying Salmsons, being attacked by Albatri, D5 or D5a; and the listing says, as noted above, that Wooten died of wounds-- Capt. Lewis] As the Allies launched the offensive at Chateau-Thierry the German Air Force brought up, in the words of the Gorrell historian, '...fighters, more fighters, and mostest fighters 'til they had us almost overwhelmed.' In this drawing, used here through the courtesy of the American Aviation Historical Society, Sykes and Miller are under attack by enemy Albatros fighters from, probably Jasta 4 or Jasta 6. Their accompanying Salmson with Wooten and Wold, were already downed and the 27th Pursuit Nieuports, [BTW, later Luke's squadron-- C.L.] assigned for protection reconnaissance planes that day, likewise suffered great loss. Of the 27th pilots from 'A' Flight, Clifford A. McIlvaine, Richard C. Martin and Arthur L. Whiton were shot down and made prisoner; Jason L. Hunt and Charles B. Sands were killed in action. 27th Sqdn called it their 'Jonah Day.' By August 6th the salient had been flattened by the advancing Allies and victory became a not too distant possibility. It was the turning point of the War."

QUE LA TERRE SOIT LEGERE A NOTRE COURAGEUX AMIS...