The Disappearance of Georges Guynemer: What Exactly Happened?

[LegendaryLoewenhardt]

I had a discussion/debate on a private Xfire chat with three other friends of mine the other day, and we were talking about the Great War. Well, as the night wore on, one of them mentioned Guynemer and what happened to him. It's gotten me more and more interested in the man (and I'm not much of a fanboy of the French pilots... save for Nungesser) since he's one of the few famous aces whose status was never accounted for during the war.

As it stands, can anyone tell me EXACTLY what happened the date Guynemer was last seen? I know that he was last seen attacking an Aviatik, but does anyone have any other information (rumors, claims, etc.)?

Guynemer was never found and neither was his plane. Does anyone else think that the body might have been destroyed, along with the plane, by bombing or shelling? I've somewhat come to that conclusion, and I know I'm not the first one, either, but does anyone else think it could very well be true? As I said, I'm not extremely fond of the French aces or their history. I stick to the Germans and British ones.

[Kirk R. Lowry]

L.L., vous n'aimez pas les as Français ou leur histoire ... ça c'est insupportable!

When visiting the Pantheon in Paris, knowing that within there was a marker commemorating Georges Guynemer, I asked an attendant, in poorly spoken French, where to find the memorial to the great man. The fellow looked above and pointed upward saying "Guynemer est dan le ciel" ... Guynemer is in the sky! So still the legend is told that Guynemer flew too high and could never come down.

Eventually the intent was understood and the marker was found. As was the body of Guynemer. Though there is much to discuss and debate about the final flight the initial resting spot is known.

The SPAD XIII and Guynemer were found by German soldiers in the vicinity of a military cemetery near Poelkapelle.

Numerous personal items including identity cards were found. A doctor inspected the body of Guynemer and a military funeral followed. Unfortunately the grave site was lost in the continuing strife of the Great War.

Adieu Guynemer

[FOKKERJ]

Thanks Kirk for that information about the Great French Ace Guynemer!


Very Best Regards, FOKKERJ

[Froggy]

Hello Kirk

Merci beaucoup pour votre évocation de Georges Guynemer
Moi aussi je crois qu'il se plaisait tellement la-haut, au-dessus de la foule,
qu'il a décidé d'y rester...peut-être n'y a t-il pas de place sur terre pour les héros comme lui ?

Thank you very much for your evocation of Georges Guynemer
I too believe that he liked so much to fly above the crowd
that he decided to stay in the sky.Maybe there is
no place on earth for the heroes as him?

The fact that Guynemer was "french " as not importance
there is no nationality in the world of the true heros

Here is the citation we can read on the monument erected at his memory:

"Killed on the field of honour on September 11th 1917. A legendary hero, fallen, at the height of his glory, after three years of brilliant struggle. He will remain the purest symbol of the qualities of his race; indomitable tenacity, fierce energy, sublime courage. Driven by the most unshakeable faith in victory he bequeaths to the French soldier an imperishable memory which will exalt the spirit of sacrifice and result in the noblest of imitations"

Best regards
Bruno

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Kirk R. Lowry:
When my Wife and I visited Willy Coppens in late September 1976, and while we were at the Guynemer Memorial in Poecapelle, Willy told us the the French school children were told that the France's Hero, Guynemer flew so high he landed in Heaven and he can't come back down. Willy was the force behind getting the Memorial built. Willy told Patti andI that Guynemer was having some trouble with his engine and Guynemer landed at Les Moeres, Willy's air field. While Guynemer was working on his engine, Willy strolled over and was talking to him. When Guynemer was finished, he took off. Willy was the last person who spoke to Guynemer. Guynemer was Willy's hero too.
Willy said he was disturbed that France never built a memorial to Guynemer, so Willy took it on himself and through his friends the Belgian pilots they collected the necessary money and built the memorial in Poecapelle, Belgium.
Willy wrote the memorial to Guynemer, which is on the front of the memorial.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

[Froggy]

Hello Dan san

Thank you very much for your very interesting and instructive post
You have a lot of chance to have the opportunity to meet Willy Coppens

Cordialement
Bruno

[jastaflieger]

I have always wondered why the French aces seem to be given the short end of the writing stick, so to speak: i have often thought it was because of the language barrier, much easier for me as an American to read about english pilots written in english of course: and it seems there is a fascination among many for the german pilots/aces.
i have recently begun research with the assistance of Bruno and Mr Andre navarre to prepare an article on the incomparable Jean Navarre with the hopes of interesting an editor at OTF, what an incorrigable spirit and elan jean navarre was:
Perhaps , more can be forthcoming about French aces, after all- they were they too!!! And the pilots such as Guynemer, navarre, nungessor, coifford and others displayed such elan and skill, seems a pity more is not written about them: is there an osprey French aces of WW1?

[spacecrow]

http://www.earlyaviator.com/archive/...Spad13_504.jpg

According to this site: Viuex Charles was not painted on his last plane.

[gilles]

The French army made several investigations about Guynemer's body. First one in 1919 and last one in 1957. At that time, Belgian local authorities said that there was no probability to find anything : the battlefield has been cleaned by metal collecters for decades.
Raymond Collishaw also did investigate about Guynemer's last flight in summer 1967.

source : "Le dernier vol de Guynemer", Bernard Marck 1991

Gilles

[Barrett]

Years (and years) ago while searching for something else on line (of course) I came across a 1917 NY Times reference that GG's grave had been found. If I had the link it's long gone.