Unknown French Escadrille Insignia

CThomas · 19 November 2009, 04:26 PM

Does anyone recognize this insignia? It looks like an eagle with upturned wings, similar to what you would see in Egyptian hieroglyphics. I think I have seen this image printed before but I forget where I saw it...

LewisS · 19 November 2009, 07:34 PM

Well first off it's really hard to see as the front quartering shot hides most of the insignia, that's a Spad 11 I'm guessing. There was the Egyptian Eagle Motif of Sop.66, is this similar?

AROTH · 19 November 2009, 08:11 PM

Here is 66's emblem - doesn't look close.

Also, their unit history shows the use of Caudron, Sopwith, and Breguet machines only.

AROTH · 19 November 2009, 08:12 PM

Oop, here it is.

gilles · 20 November 2009, 04:50 AM

Hello!

This is most probably an esc. 42 aircraft. The horizontal part of the ibis wing is some patch on the fuselage.
There are 2 more pictures in Spad two seat fighters (FMP) page 105.

Gilles

ONEALM · 20 November 2009, 06:59 AM

Chuck -

I have a good copy of this same photo. Gilles is correct, it is Escadrille Spa-bi 42.

http://gaubs.free.fr/-INSIGNES-/042C42.jpg

Its the one to the right....

-Mike

Doc · 20 November 2009, 07:12 AM

This sylized Egyptian Ibis insignia seems to have been adopted after October 1917, soon after the conversion from C-42 to SPA-Bi-42. C-42 had used the insignia at bottom left of Mike's illustration (the Pegasus in a circle). Doc

CThomas · 20 November 2009, 03:34 PM

Gentlemen-
Thank you for identifying this insignia. I do appreciate your efforts!

It begs the next question....does anyone know the accomplishments of Spa-Bi-42?
I was recommended a French book on Escadrille insignia that was very inclusive. I just forget the title. Was it this book:

Amazon.com: Les insignes de l'aeronautique militaire: 1912-1982 (French Edition) (9782902883011): Myrone N Cuich: Books

Is anyone familiar with it?

AROTH · 20 November 2009, 06:12 PM

I have "Les escadrilles de l'aéronautique militaire française 1912-1920", French version, which was purchased directly from the source in France (can't remember the exact name) which I originally saw reviewed in "Cross and Cockade".

Can't read a word of French, however, after going thru the book, most of it became fairly understandable. Not sure if this is the book you are referring to, but, I am happy with it.

ONEALM · 20 November 2009, 07:05 PM

Chuck -

The book cited by Aroth is a superb resource - none better in my opinion. It was published by the SHAA and you can order directly from them. IO have not seen the one you found on Amazon, but it would be a stretch to do better than one Arothe cited.

You need not read French either, it's layed out in a way that makes it obvious and includes a high level unit history - aerodromes/dates, famous personnel/losses, aircraft types, etc.

The reason it shows up in U.S. albums - beside the fact it's a cool photo - is that SPA-bi 42 was attached to the U.S. Vth Corps Observation Group along with the 99th and 104th Aero at Souilly around the end of August 1918.

Check

Wings of Honor is you have it, pg. 179. Essentially the blurb I've included here.

If you are going to anything extensive with the French, I'd recommend the book. It really is a great resource and you could have found the unit insignia by your one-sies - there's a index of graphics that you can just quick thumb through if you find an insignia you can't recognize and don;t want to go through the whole book page by page.

-Mike