Questions about WWI Lorraine aerodromes

gemesis · 20 April 2009, 07:07 AM

Hello everyone, I discovered your forum all made by chance and I found it very interesting. I live in France, and I am interested has the local history. I would like to have informations on the aerodromes of “Puxieux”, “Les Baraques” and of “Mars-la-Tour” all at the west of Verdun. I live in this area… Do you know references of books where I could find there informations, acts of war, photographs or plans ?
Thank you very much.

Froggy · 20 April 2009, 08:20 AM

Bonjour Gemesis

Welcome to the Aerodrome !
Happy to meet a new Frenchie here

For your question about Lorraine airfield
you should go here on the very well documented site of Jean Marie Picquart:
Avions exposs Nancy2

Cordialement
Bruno

gemesis · 21 April 2009, 07:06 AM

Thank you very much. I had already seen this website, but the history of those aerodromes is not very developed. Do you know references or web sites in which I could find more informations (planes used, combat having taken place, pilots, evolution of infrastrucures etc…). Moreover, I would like to find other photographs or testimonies. Does exist books (german, french or Us) which treats the subject of aviation in the zone between Verdun and Metz (near from Chambley, Mars la Tour) just before the end of the war ?

Mic AG · 21 April 2009, 10:04 AM

Hi Gemesis et beinvenue à toi !

If you stay few days close to Paris try to conduct some searches in the Service Historique de la Defence (chateau de Vincenne). You'll find a lot of official archives on people, aerodrome, battles, escadrille and so on ... but you first need to familiarize yourself on the principle of historic researches. You can find explanation on their web site : Service historique de la Défense

Just one more detail, you need to register before to access to the collections but it's free, quite quick (15 to 30 minutes).

Froggy · 21 April 2009, 10:11 AM

Hello

I think that the Puxieux,Mars la Tour and Les Baraques were german aerodromes-

Cordialement
Bruno

gemesis · 22 April 2009, 04:32 AM

Thanks Mic AG and Froggy for those informations, I'll start searches in the Service Historique de la Defence, this is a very good idea. But I'm sorry, I've no informations for the pilot Amaury de la Grange. What do you seek on this man ? And what have you already found ?

Mic AG · 22 April 2009, 06:38 AM

Don't worry about the sentence on Amaury de la Grange in my message : it's part of my signature area !

I'm trying to collect as much data as possible on his military activity as I have his mother's diary with some informations about him (published in English in 1929 under the title "Open House In Flanders" which is really very interesting : it reports the life in the De la Grange's castel on the front in Flanders during the WWI. The castle provided accomodation for British army. Amaury's mother has been distinghuish by a british medal and was called "the litttle British Army's mother"). I've got a lot of details from his military file in the Service Historique de la Defence. I'm now trying to find details about his flights, his missions. I've found his escadrille "journal de marche" (unity diary) which is a good source or information but I'm unable to get details about the life of his escadrille on St Idesbald (this aerodrome has disappeared now and it seems that very few data exits about it).

Good luck for our own research, you'll discover soon that it is really a passion to dive into the History !