Joseph Kessel

[Dario_Silva]

Hello all.
Some of you can comment about this airman:
Joseph Kessel
*10.02.1898 Colonia Clara
+23.07.1979
Escadrille 39, observateur.
Any comment is welcome.
Thank you in advance.
Dario

[vb136]

Postwar, he became a writer. At least som of his work reflects his war-service, although apparently not autobiographic (at least not the works by Kessel I have read)

[gregoire]

Joseph KESSEL (1898-1979)
Grand officier de la Légion d'honneur
Médaille militaire
Croix de guerre 1914-1918
Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres
Croix de guerre 1939-1945

born in argentinathe 10 feb 1898
son of a jewish doctor from lithuania that have studied in france
after some time in russia (1905 1908) he was back to french to finish its study
in 1914 he join as a nurse before being send out of the army (too young)
join the army in 1917 first in the artillery then as an observer with squadron 39. he will wrote a fictional book about its time in the squadron "L’Équipage" its first great succes he finish the by flying in seberia
with the end of the war he asked for french citizenship
he then started its double job of writer and journalist (worlwide)
he cover the irish revolution and the first year of the independance, the sahara conflict fly
Its first book the red step was short stories about the russian revolution
among its other book
L’Équipage (1923)
Mary de Cork
Les Captifs
Nuits de princes
Les Cœurs purs
Belle de jour (latter a movie with C Deneuve)
Le Coup de grâce
Fortune carrée (one of my favorite naval book)
Les Enfants de la chance
La passante du Sans-Souci
A biographie of its personal friend Mermoz
in 1940 he join the resistance and soon join De GaulLE in london
he wrote with M Druon the resistance anthem the « Chant des Partisans »
as well as the book L’Armée des Ombres
At the end of the war as a captain he was flying night mission dropping supply as well as orders to the free french
after the war he trvel as newsman all over the world palestine, burma africa and afghanistan (Les Cavaliers (1967))
he was ellected at the french academy in 62
He was one of the great french writer of the 20th century

[Dario_Silva]

Friends Thomas and Grégoire.
Thank you for his good answers.
Another great man that fought in the great war.
For the reference of Grégoire, he was a great french citizen.
What type of apparatuses did operate the Escadrille 39? Maybe Balloons?
I would thank any other help or comment.
Again thank you.
Dario

[vb136]

Escadrille 39 was equipped with the Salmson 2A2 in 1918.

[gregoire]

the SAL39
created as CM 39 in october 1914 (caudron)
designed C 39 in feb 1915 (still flying caudron)
SOP 39 in october 1917
SAL 39 the 14-2-1918 (observation for the 38th C.A.).
in poland in 1919 became the 15 polish reco squadron
at the time kessel was in the squadron the insigna was a rabbit playing the trumpet

[gilles]

Hello Dario!


Joseph Kessel is the third from the left, without hat. As you can see the rabbit is in a red circle.

He had a very long career as a writer but he did not write a lot about his experience in WW1.
His book "L'équipage" (the crew) is a novel but it is still a good read and quite informative on how the crews used to live (and die) and their feelings.
A small book, "les temps sauvages", is autobiographic and almost WW1 aviation related. Kessel recalled how he volunteered in october 18 for a unit that would fight in Russia. By the time the unit get to Vladivostok, there was no need for another aviation unit. Instead he was in charge of organizing supplies to french units in Russia. Every day he got a bag full of bank notes to bribe anyone involved in the railroad system .

Gilles

[Dario_Silva]

Friends Thomas, Grégoire and Gilles.
Excellent the related with the airplane that the Escadrille 39 equipped for the date in which Kessel flew.
Wonderful the group image!!!
Me always, and every time, I surprise myself of the photographers of the great war. As them they left us the possibility to see these images like the one shown by Gilles.
I believe that a picture is the perfect visual history. The image speaks for if alone.
The men, the airplane, the drawing of the rabbit, the suits, the dog, the single vision of each unknown image makes us fly to the past and to stay in that place for some seconds...
Is the identity of the other men known?
Thank you for his kind answers.
Greetings!!
Dario

[vb136]

Dario,

The sitting man with the dog is the CO, Thélis Vachon.

[Taz]

Gilles- That looks like a great book. Any idea where it could be purchased?

Taz
Terry Phillips