Estonian pilot in French "Stork" Squadron

[ArvoLV]

Esteemed forum members;

I am trying to verify if an Estonian pilot, Edgar MEOS (DOB/POB unknown), was indeed sent to France by the Imperial Russian military in 1916/1917. MEOS is alleged to have served in the French Escadrille des Cigognes (Stork Squadron) and he is alleged to have shot down eight enemy (German) airplanes - four of these being unconfirmed shoot-downs.

I understand that during the Bolshevik revolution, MEOS returned to Russia and fought on the side of the Soviets. When the Republic of Estonia won its independence from the Soviet Russia, MEOS returned to Estonia and offered his services to the new republic.

I would be most thankful, if I can be pointed in the right direction, so I can verify/refute the above biographic and military background of MEOS.

On a similar note, if MEOS did serve with the French Escadrille des Cigognes - what type of an aircraft could/would he have flown - and, do any photographs exist of MEOS and some of the airplanes he may have flown.

Thank you kindly in advance for any assistance efforts, which may be rendered on my behalf.

Regards;

Arvo L. V.

[Amy]

Hi Arvo LV:

Here's a snippet on Meos from a Cross & Cockade (Summer 1971) article titled "The Max Holtzem Story" by Dr. Brian Flanagan:

It was on the Verdun front in September, 1917, that Holtzem flew a "routine" flight that was to become memorable. He was returning from a flight over the trench lines east of Verdun when he saw a plane coming towards him at about the altitude, but slightly above him. He could not tell if it was a friend or foe and so flew a steady course straight ahead. As the other plane neared, he recognized the blunt nose of a SPAD. He decided to hold his fire and the Frenchman flew right in, slightly higher than he, and without seeing the SPAD's exhaust. He did not have to aim, his Pfalz DIII was too close, but he could not shoot a Frenchman blissfully unaware of his presence. So the SPAD flew on and he returned to Spincourt.

Half a century later, while corresponding with Edgard Meos(1), he mentioned this episode to him. Meos had volunteered as an officer-aspirant in the Imperial Russian Air Service (Czarist). He was given a mechanic's training and then sent to France (as his mother was French, he knew the language). Meos went to flying school and fighter pilot school at Pau and Cazeaux and was assigned to the Cigones Esc. SPA 3 on the Western Front. In the summer of 1917, Meos had been returning from a reconnaissance patrol with a stalled propeller when he was jumped from the rear by two Fokkers and was forced down just behind the French lines with a bullet through his right leg and splinters of explosive ammo in the left side of his face. He recovered and returned to flying. Some three months later, on a Sept. afternoon, he was returning from a reconnaissance flight over the lines. After landing, he wrote up his comte rendu ("account"):

No enemy aircraft seen
Nothing at all to report

Lt. Raymond, the temporary CO of SPA 3 certified it but soon after the Esc. CO called Meos up and asked whey he had submitted a false "comte rendu"? It seems that the artillery observation post had phoned in that "A German aircraft of unknown type had flown directly under the SPAD. The Les Cigognes flier was a trifle higher than the Boche, but he flew right on, not changing his course. He had not seen the Boche who accompanied the lone SPAD of the Cigognes to the front lines, not attacking him".

"Mon lieutenant," Meos answered, "I have seen nothing."
"Incoomprehensible!", the CO exclaimed. "Mon cher ami russe, whenever you are over the lines you have to keep twisting your neck in all directions every second or you're sure to be surprised by the Boche. You were surprised today because you forgot to look under you."

So, it is highly possible that Max Holtzem and Edgar Meos, now both regular members and contributors to the Cross and Cockade, might really have met a half century ago without knowing it, in the battle skies over Verdun.

(1) Edgar Meos was a former pilot of Les Cigognes Esc. SPA 3 who now lives in Tartu, Estonia, USSR.


Hope this helps some. I'll keeping looking for more Meos info.

Cheers, Amy

[ArvoLV]

Esteemed Amy;

Thank you kindly for your reply and information. It appears that I now have two issues of "Cross & Cockade" to track down - Vol 7, number 3 (1966 - an article entitled "A Russian Stork") and the summer 1971 issue as per you posting.

Please do let me know if you have any more data available to share re MEOS.

Again, thank you very much for your assistance.

Regards;

Arvo

[Amy]

Hi Arvo:

Glad I could help out.

Edgar Meos wrote an article for Royal Air Force Flying Review, Vol. 12, No. 5, January 1957. The article is titled "Schooner Below!".

Meanwhile, I'll keep looking for more Meos-related material...

Cheers, Amy

[Amy]

Well, I'm on a roll. Here's more...

Meos wrote an article for Cross & Cockade (Winter 1969) titled, "Allies on the Eastern Front".

Meos also wrote an article for Cross & Cockade (Winter 1975) titled "Amazon Pilots and Lady-Warbirds". It's an article on early Russian women pilots. Included with this article is a photo of a young Meos. The photo caption reads, Edgar Meos, formerly of SPA 3 (Les Cigognes), in full dress Estonian uniform and wearing a captured Mauser pistol taken from a German battery commander killed in action. Photo taken July 1919.