Fernand Henri Chavannes

Fernand Henri Chavannes
Born	(1897-04-16)April 16, 1897 Paris, France
Died	October 5, 1985(1985-10-05) (aged 88)
Allegiance	France
Branch	Aviation
Rank	Sous lieutenant
Unit	Escadrille 176, Escadrille 112
Awards	Légion d'honneur Médaille militaire Croix de Guerre

Sous Lieutenant Fernand Henri Chavannes (1897-1985) was a French World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories. ^[1]

Biography

Fernand Henri Chavannes was the son of renowned sinologist and Chinese scholar Édouard Chavannes. ^[2] The younger Chavannes was born on 16 April 1897 in Paris. He began his military service on 12 January 1916; on 29 February, he went for pilot training. On 21 December 1916, he received Military Pilot's Brevet No. 5074. After advanced training, he was posted to Escadrille 112 on 24 April 1917. ^[3] Chavannes and his friend Lionel de Marmier were chosen to share a new "cannon Spad", the SPAD XII, when it came out in mid-1917. The letters "M" and "C", representing their last names, were intertwined in paint on the side of its fuselage. ^[4]

Chavannes's string of seven confirmed victories began on 8 February 1918. After his fifth victory, he was commissioned as a temporary Sous lieutenant on 1 April 1918. He ended the war with seven victories. ^[3]

Honors and awards

• Légion d'Honneur

"Pursuit pilot of exceptional audacity and skill. Entitled to eight citations and seven victories." Légion d'Honneur citation ^[1]

• Médaille Militaire

"First class pursuit pilot, courageous and with accomplished skill. He reported his fourth victory by attacking an enemy two-seater and forcing it to land behind our lines." Médaille Militaire citation, 13 April 1918 ^[1]

• Chavannes also won the Croix de Guerre with seven palmes and an etoile de bronze.

Sources of information

1. The Aerodrome website Retrieved on 29 April 2010.
2. SPAD XII/XIII aces of World War I. p. 11.
3. Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918, pp. 132-133
4. SPAD XII/XIII aces of World War I. p. 11.

References

• Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918. Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank. Grub Street Publishing, 1993. ISBN   978-0-948817-54-0.
• SPAD XII/XIII aces of World War I. Jon Guttman. Osprey Publishing, 2002. ISBN   1841763160, 9781841763163.