85 year ago

[gregoire]

I know that there is a lot of horor and mysery to comemorate on this day. But the 11th of september is also the day of the death of one of the greatest ace of WW1, Le mome as his commanding officer was killed today. Since then the flag in every french air force base fly half mast and a ceremony toke place (reading of his last citation)


"Mort au champ d'honneur à POELKAPELLE, héros légendaire, tombé en plein ciel de gloire après trois ans de lutte ardente, restera le plus pur symbole des qualités de la race: - ténacité indomptable - énergie farouche - courage sublime Animé de la foi la plus inébranlable dans la victoire, il lègue aux soldats français un souvenir impérissable qui exaltera l'esprit de sacrifice et provoquera les plus nobles émulations."

and his two moto

"Faire Face"
and
"Tant qu'on n'a pas tout donné, on n'a rien donné."

May you rest in peace in sky full of glory capitaine Guynemer

I'm happy you remember the day when Guynemer died.
He was a true hero as it doen't exist anymore.
Ludovic

[Regulus]

Hi,

Right indeed. Forgot of it myself. I have a picture of 21 years ago on the yearly official remembering at the Guynemer memorial at Poelkapelle, when the German to naval ace Theo Osterkamp came honouring his former oponent.
In moments I pass weekly along the memorial.
Thanks for remembering this to me !

Best from Regulus

[frontflieger]

Vive les aviateurs !

[AOK4]

There was a ceremony yesterday at the monument of Guynemer. I'll post a link if I find an article on the matter somewhere.

[gregoire]

A question about the monument (to my great shame i have never been to Poelkapelle) I have a old copy of the Illustration with a picture of a ceremony at the monument in the backgroud there us a big house with a big signe Yper Ypres that way an airship flying over some troop and the monument in front of the monument there is an half buried tank (Its look like a british Mk1) is the tank still there?

[AOK4]

The tank was removed by the Germans during WW2 if I'm not mistaken...
The monument is still standing in the middle of a roundabout (much more prettier than most of the "art works" that are put in the middle of roundabouts nowadays).

[AOK4]

Hello,

I looked a bit around and couldn't find anything in the belgian papers from today, a summary of the ceremony was on local television (WTV) though. Perhaps in the next days there will pop up something in some paper... I'll let you know if I see something.

Jan

[gregoire]

Thank for the answer



The house in the back was the only other think present in both picture my date from 23

I have found a picture that should have been taken the same day as mine (you can see the airship bu the angle is different and there are civilian in mine only soldier with adrian helmet (I guess some french some belgium)

[Billy_Bishop]

And...46 years ago, on Sept. 11, 1956, another great Ace passed into history in the early morning hours in Florida.

VBR,

Al Lowe