Rene Fonck's Popularity

[Bulldog90]

Hello all,

I've been reading about the Storks this Summer, and collecting postcards of their pilots. I've noticed something odd and would appreciate any comments.

There are a good number of postcard images available of a several French aces. As you would imagine, Guynemer's has the most, but others like Nungesser, Alfred Duellin, Jean Navarre, Alfred Hertaux all have multiple cards available. Even several minor aces had their photograph taken and saw postcards published. But of Rene Fonck there are almost none and he is the highest scoring ace on the Allied side.

Do you think this was by choice, or a reflection of his personality?

Thanks,

Bulldog 90

[Epee]

Fonck was known as a rather disageeable fellow. He further damaged his reputation during WW2 as part of the Vichy regeime. He had 'become friends' with Goering between the wars and in trying to use this 'friendship' to better the lot of France, was not surprisingly used by the Nazi.

[retread]

Fonck was opinionated , rightous and evidently had little regard for the opinion of his peers ( I believe he felt he had no peers and as a fighter pilot he was right). My guess is he had contempt for humanity generally and was not inclined to associate or apoligize for not doing so.
Was he arrogant? Seemingly. He was also every bit as good as a scout pilot as he believed himself to be.
Postwar he bet on the losing horse. Its too easy to be critical of that today with the advantages of 20/20 hindsight and political correctness.
He seems to have been a combination of ego, cock sureness, skill, huge ambition, huge drive , and unwavering belief in the concepts of duty, honor and personal glory and sacrificing for the benefit of those qualities.
A complex man that history has prefered to ignore to the extent it is able.

[WarrenD]

Guys,
What you say is true, but niether one of you answered Bulldog's question. He didn't ask what Fonck was like, but whether his disagreable personality resulted in his not having many, or any, postcards made of him during or after the war. His actions during WWII have nothing to do with it as this is a pre-war issue, no?

Warren

[retread]

Okay, good point. I have on at least one ocassion seen a signed portrait photo of Fonck in his WW1 uniform although I cannot say for sure whether it was contemporary to or post war. Nor can I say whether it was a Sanke type "post card" available for public purchase.
Two points regarding the lack of such images of Fonck. He was not lovable or huggable and his lack of popularity with his fellows may have trickled down to the public. Point two- unlike Guynemer or Nungesser- Fonck was a late arrival who achieved 56 of his confirmed kills in 1918. By this time France was war weary to put it mildly. Perhaps the demand for Gaulic heros was in short supply.
G. F. Madon also blossomed late war and seems to have passed by virtually unnoticed.

[LegendaryLoewenhardt]

All the way around, Fonck was a cocky bastard who liked being biased about himself and enjoyed being in the limelight with no regards nor respect for his peers, and he was disliked for it, thus, he's not a legend like Georges Guynemer AND he never got any actual right to be the big cheese.

Fonck also bashed himself when he became involved with the Vichy Regime... AND became untrustworthy after he befriended Herman Goering.

Take note that Fonck really didn't earn the right to join the ranks as a hero due to the time that his score kicked up (1918). By that time, the German Air Service had gotten sucky and fallen apart. Basically, it was like shooting baby sharks in a barrel. You'll find most of the aces that died in 1918 were brought down by ground fire, not by the actual German fliers. Quality was hard to find in such desperate times, and the only ones who could be counted on were the older aces (Berthold, Lothar von R., etc.).

[austin08]

Despite personality, despite the time he flew & despite his future actions, Rene Fonck did indeed earn the right to be regarded as a hero. His courage cannot & should not be doubted.

[retread]

In fact the German Air Service inflicted more hurt upon Allied aircraft during 1918 then at any other time in the war (and suffered the most as well). The air war continued to grow in intensity until nearly the end. The allies lost more aircraft in Sept. 1918 than any other single month.
As far as the quality of Germany's pilots Ernst Udet had 45 in 1918, Lowenhardt 45, Jacobs 35, Rumey 39, Berthold 15,Bauemer 24, Menckhoff 20, Buchner 38, Loerzer 24 and on and on. The biggest problem Germany's Air Force seemed to have toward war's end was evidently one of supply and fuel quality, as well as the ever increasing number of opposition aircraft.

[James A. Pratt III]

The Ospry book on his unit "The Storks" has a comment on him from one of his friends which I think begins "....Does not always tell the truth... and gets worse.

[vb136]

Although Fonck never received the same idolization from the French press as Guynemer had, he was still respected enough to be assigned as the standard-bearer of the French air service in the victory parade on 14 July 1919.