Vourbin

History of the 1st Pursuit Group makes three references to action that occurred 'near Vourbin.' Am unable to locate Vourbin. I particularly seek information on 1st Lieut Malcolm Gunn who was reported killed on July 16, 1918 near Vourbin.

[Immo_Frese]

Clamagoredon,

I too wasn't able to locate Vourbin. If I remember correct 27.Aero was in action in the area between Soissons and Reims, where german troops started their last offensive on the western front around this time. Perhaps "Vourbin" was spelled wrong? There is a little village 1 km south of Soissons with name "Vauxbuin"... which at least is pronounced nearly the same way as Vourbin.

On the other hand there is some evidence that a pilot of Jasta 9, Uffz.Schneck was responsible for downing a america Nieuport on 16 Jul 1918. Perhaps this was 1/Lt. Gunn. Unfortunately german records do not give time or location of this claim, but Jasta 9 was stationed in this area. Another possibility is that Gunn was downed by german AA guns or ground fire... on 16 July there has been heavy fighting east of Château-Thierry, when german troops tried to advance in southern direction in attempt to cross the river Marne near Dormans. Here is a combat report from that day by Lt.Miller of 27.Aero (you probably know already):

"...crossed Marne at Claud (? ), saw troops, about a company of infantry on road Trugny to Claud in north edge of Bois de Barbillen, shot 100 rounds at them , they dissapeared in woods. Time: 14h 15. Alt. 90 meters. Flew on to balloon S of Coulpiel ( probably Courpoil ) opened fire at 200 yards and fired 200 rounds incendiary in lower gun, other gun jammed. When gun jammed I was 200 ft. from balloon. Saw smoke above and around balloon. Balloon went down. Archies and machine gun fire very fierce turned south immediately. I humble request that a claim for one balloon be put in by Operations Office."

Perhaps Gunn flew together with Miller and got lost in this action?

Immo

[jempie]

Hi!

Not being a specialist into these lmatters, but visiting the page of 1st pursuit group I noticed they mentioned indeed a few times "the vicinity of Vourbin" (Sic!) times but were actif around the area I scanned from a WWI published map!
COURBOIN could it be your wrong spelled VOURBIN?

VBR

Jempie

[ONEALM]

Hi Clamagoredon -

Malcolm Gunn was one of the 740 fliers from New Jersey. I have included just about all I have dug up on him below including a photo. Any questions, please drop me a note directly at NJAVIATORS@AOL.COM.

Any other sharp-eyed forumites who can add or correct Gunn's bio below, I would be grateful for the assist.


Born in Burlington, New Jersey just across from the Philadelphia metropolitan area, Malcolm Gunn was raised in the family home at 327 Union St. and attended the public schools in his home town. It is not known if he attended college before the war, but once the US entered the war on 6 April 1917, he wasted no time enlisting in the national service, taking his oath on the 24th of April 1917.

Although his early assignments are not clear, he apparently enlisted in the Navy initially, but later transferred to the National Guard. He did attend the Officers Training School at Ft. Meyer, Virginia and upon graduation transferred to the Air Service, Signal Corps.

Flight Training with "The First 300"

In mid-1917, the U.S. Government and the British Royal Flying Corps came to an agreement under which the RFC would train 10 squadrons - nominally 300 pilots - at their facilities in Canada in exchange for the use of U.S. flying fields in Texas during the bitter cold Canadian winters. Among these first 300 were a few New Jersey natives, including James Ackerman of Plainfield and Harry Jenkinson from Newark. Malcolm Gunn joined the group, and, considering his early enlistment, he was possibly among the first batch of arrivals at Toronto, Canada in July 1917.

All cadets attended ground school at the University of Toronto building a ground in both aeronautic and military subjects. Malcolm surely followed the same regimen before being transferred to one of the aviation camps in the area for primary flight training. He would have begun on the Curtiss JN-4 "Canuck" which was extensively used by both the British and, as the Curtiss "Jenny", by the US Air Service when airfields in the US began to become oprerational later in 1917.

When the Canadian winter descended, the cadet contingents were trained southward to the Dallas-Ft. Worth area to continue their flight training. The cadets would continue at the Taliaferro field complex comprised of Hicks, Benbook and Everman fields. His training here continued under British command and would have consisted of formation flying, cross country navigation, aerobatics and gunnery training both on the ground and in the air.

In May 1917, Company "K", 3rd Provisional Aero Squadron, Signal Corps was constituted at Kelly Field. On 23 June 1917, this formation was redesignated the 27th US Aero Squadron and on 15 August, the unit had entrained for Camp Leaside, Toronto, Canada. By late October 1917, the unit had arrived back in the US, stationed at Camp Hicks. It was here that Malcolm Gunn joined the Squadron on 24 November 1917. Just two days later, another New Jersey native from Princeton, Zenos Miller, also joined the 27th at Hicks.

The 14th of January 1918 was a momentous day for Gunn. Not only did the 27th receive it travel orders to proceed to the east coast where they would await passage to Europe, but Malcolm Gunn was commissioned Lieutenant Gunn, US Air Service. The squadron did not leave immediately but did finally depart Hicks on the 23rd of January, arriving en-masse just five days later. An outbreak of scarlet fever delayed their embarkation plans as the entire unit was placed in quarrantine at Garden City, Long Island upon arrival. After nearly two weeks in quarrantine, the unit was finally ordered aboard ship on 3 February, but a variety of delays keep them in the harbor until 26 February when they finally set sail for England.

Overseas to England, then France

By 5 March, the unit had arrived at Liverpool, England and after encamping at various locations in England, embarked for France from Southhampton on 17 March. They arrived at LeHavre the following day from where they travelled to Tours, France to continue their flight training.

It is uncertain if Malcolm Gunn or any of the 27th flew the Caudron G.III at Tours as the unit was only there until 23 March when the unit continued it's journey to the advanced flying fields at Issodun. Here Malcolm and the 27th continued to study combat flying, but now the aircraft were not the old Curtiss Jenny's but lighter, faster Nieuport scouts of various models from the two seat Nieport 23 Meter to single seat Nieuport 17 which has served in first line French fighter squadrons just months before.

By mid May, the unit was nearly prepared to take it's place at the front with the 95th and 94th Aero Squadrons. A unit insignia had yet to be formulated and Lt. Gunn was entrusted with this duty. His first attempt was a red, white and blue shield pierced by an arrow, but this was rejected as being too closely akin to the 94th Aero's red, white and blue Hat-in-the-Ring insignia. Corporal Blumberg of the 27th submitted an eagle, wings outstretched and talons extended which, according to legend, he copied nearly feather-for-feather from the eagle on the side of Annhauser-Busch beer wagons. The insignia was an immediate success and Lt. Gunn's more sedate and patriotic offering was supplanted by the eagle which continues to be used on 27th Fighter Squadron aircraft to this day.

To the Front with the 27th Aero Squadron

On 31 May 1918 the squadron finally left the field at Epiez for the front at the First Pursuit Group Headquarters at Toul at 3:00 PM. When the unit arrived it consisted of 30 officers, 190 enlisted men and 2 geese. The following day the whole contingent of the 27th, including the geese, were assigned to the First Pursuit Group which would consist of the 94th, 95th, 147th and now the 27th Aero Squadrons. The First Pursuit Group would produce many of the highest scoring US aces during the war, score the first ever US aerial victory and produce the first ever American trained fighter ace. It was distinguished company. The following day the 27th Aero Squadron sent it's first patrol over the front.

Lt. Gunn flew regularly with the squadron's early patrols. The unit was then equipped with the Nieuport 28, a fast, very manueverable French built airplane which would prove an adequate fighter for the inexperienced Americans. In late June the unit moved to Touquin and then again in early July moved to Saints where it shared the airfield with the 95th Aero Squadron. This would be Malcolm Gunns last wartime home.

Solo Patrol

Just 8 days after arriving at Saints, the squadron was again called out in force on the 16th of July 1918, . There are a variety of reports regarding the patrols that afternoon, but it is most likely that during a solo trench strafing mission, Gunn was attacked by Fokker D.VII's of Jagdstaffel 9. The combat was not witnessed by anyone in the squadron and when he failed to return by evening, he was simply listed as "missing". It was not uncommon for pilots to come down in Allied territory with a failed engine and not have the ability to contact their squadrons to confirm their safety, but Lt. Gunn was not safe. His Nieuport fell near Vourbin probably the 1st victory of Vizefeldwebel Schneck of Jadgstaffel 9. Schneck would eventually score two more victories and survive the war.

Neither Lt. Gunn's Nieuport nor his body were ever located. It is likely he was buried near Vourbin by the Germans as was the practice of both sides in the conflict.

[ONEALM]

Nothing new on Vourbin save to say it is specifically mentioned in several sources including the DSC citation for Lt. Abernathy, 147th Aero. His victory that day fell, accoring to the citation near Vourbin. I did notice that our own Frank Olynyk's excellent compilation of WW I victory credits places this victory at Mezy.

Mezy still exists, a few kilometers east of Chateau-Thierry.
Vourbin, as we have found is no longer on the map - if it ever in fact was. Since this is clearly in the 27th Aero's patrol area and it was probably close to the front lines at the time, I am surmising Vourbin was obliterated by the fighting and never rebuilt.

I have a few period maps, but none of that specific area. If anyone has a period map, it would be very helpful to find the town of Mezy and hopefully this will locate Vourbin for us as well.

Since Gunn's body was never recovered, we are hoping to find at least the general location of his crash in hope of perhaps finding he does have a final resting place.

Any help in this respect would very greatly appreciated.

Keep at it,
Mike

Thank you everyone for the overwhelmingly good help! Have found a Varennes close to Mezy. Most Americans have difficulty with French pronunications, so perhaps it came out 'Vourbin' to some recorder. Varennes is on the Marne River. With regard to Lt Gunn, the plaque in his honor at the Chateau Thierry cemetery contains the phrase, 'missing in action, or buried at sea.' Might this be to cover the possibility his plane fell into the Marne?

I believe the answer to lie in German records. I have no evidence these were ever checked in the case of Lt Gunn. Can anyone give me a lead in uncovering those records?

[Rick]

Originally Posted by ONEALM

Mezy still exists, a few kilometers east of Chateau-Thierry.
Vourbin, as we have found is no longer on the map - if it ever in fact was. Since this is clearly in the 27th Aero's patrol area and it was probably close to the front lines at the time, I am surmising Vourbin was obliterated by the fighting and never rebuilt.

Mike, according to my handy-dandy map finder (expedia.com), today Méry is called Méry-Moulins. As you said, due East (and a tad North) of Château-Thierry. It takes a bit of tongue twisting to warp "Moulins" into "Vourbin", but then again, anything is possible. My Jasta 9 records show no location nor time for Schneck's victory, although I do credit the loss of Gunn to him. R.

[ONEALM]

Rick -

I wouldn't have come up with the Schneck connectionj on my own - too much work from one guy, so I am sure I used JWC or Jasta Pilots to make the Gunn connection. So I have to say I stood on your shoulders for that one.

Since Vourbin in mentioned a couple times in a couple of different sources (different squadrons too - 147th, 27th at least), I expect it did exist at one time, just a matter of getting to the right period map.

Thanks- as always - for the input,
Mike

Originally Posted by ONEALM

Rick -

I wouldn't have come up with the Schneck connectionj on my own - too much work from one guy, so I am sure I used JWC or Jasta Pilots to make the Gunn connection. So I have to say I stood on your shoulders for that one.

Since Vourbin in mentioned a couple times in a couple of different sources (different squadrons too - 147th, 27th at least), I expect it did exist at one time, just a matter of getting to the right period map.

Thanks- as always - for the input,
Mike

If we are able to locate Vourbin, it would appear next step is to determine which ground troops were in the area at that time. Records of this unit are likely the key to Lt. Gunn's final resting place. Are any of you aware of a website which does the same for ground troops as Aerodrone Forum to aviators?

Best & thanks-clamagoredon

Thanks to all, have been able to compose a comprehensive pageant on Lt. Malcolm Gunn. This will be produced at the Seattle Museum of Flight at some future time.

Location of Lt. Gunn's remains continues to evade. There is a 'Tablet of the Missing' at Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, Bellau, France. With regard to Lt. Gunn, it reads in part, 'Missing in Action or Buried at Sea.' Would appreciate hearing explanation and or conjecture as to what this specifically means.

Thanks again, Clamagoredon