Gilbert de Guingand

Last updated
Gilbert Marie de Guingand
Born(1891-07-21)21 July 1891
Viroflay, France
Died22 October 1918(1918-10-22) (aged 27)
Revigny, France
AllegianceFrance
Service/branchFrench Army
Rank Sous lieutenant
Unit 21e Regiment d'Infanterie Coloniale
Escadrille 34
Escadrille 15
Escadrille 88
Escadrille 48
Awards Légion d'honneur
Médaille militaire
Croix de guerre (Belgium)

Sous lieutenant Gilbert Marie de Guingand was a French World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories before being killed in a flying accident.

Contents

Early life

Gilbert Marie de Guingand was born at Viroflay, France on 21 July 1891. He began his military service in the 21e Regiment d'Infanterie Coloniale before transferring to aviation. [1]

World War I

After transferring to aviation service, de Guingand trained until he received Pilot's Brevet number 2722 on 21 February 1916. He was assigned to Escadrille C34, a Caudron squadron, in July 1916. He subsequently retrained as a fighter pilot. He was then posted to Escadrille N15, a Nieuwpoort unit. On 20 April 1917, he spent a single day in Escadrille N88 as it was forming; however, on 22 April he joined Escadrille N48, still another Nieuwpoort squadron. He began his string of aerial victories there. [1] [fn 1]

On 3 September 1917, he was wounded in action while in combat against several German aircraft. He then received the Médaille militaire for his valor; the award citation shows he had risen to the rank of Adjutant. He was also awarded the Belgian Croix de guerre. After recuperation, he returned to combat; as his squadron had upgraded to Spads, his final four victories were probably scored flying this type. At any rate, he ran his winning streak to eight confirmed victories by 7 June 1918, and was promoted to sous lieutenant in the process. [2]

On 17 June 1918, he became a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur as a reward for his fighting prowess. The citation not only refers to his eight credited victories, but also specifically to his highly hazardous practice of balloon busting. Additionally, the citation describes de Guingand being shot down behind enemy lines while on a reconnaissance and trench strafing sortie, as well as his subsequent evasion of the Germans and his return to French lines. [3]

Gilbert de Guingand died in 1918 while taking off with a SPAD S.XIII. SPAD S.XIII Front.jpg
Gilbert de Guingand died in 1918 while taking off with a SPAD S.XIII.

Gilbert Marie de Guingand did not survive the war, as he died in a takeoff accident on 22 October 1918 in Revigny, [4] less than three weeks before the armistice. [3]

List of aerial victories

See also Aerial victory standards of World War I

Confirmed victories are numbered chronologically; unconfirmed victories are denoted "u/c".

No.Date/timeOpponentResultLocationNotes
u/c4 May 1917 Albatros
u/c23 May 1917Albatros [3]
126 June 1917
2015 hours
Albatros fighterDestroyed Berry-au-Bac, FranceVictory shared with another pilot
218 August 1917AlbatrosDestroyedForet d'Houthulst, BelgiumVictory shared with Armand de Turenne
326 August 1917AlbatrosDestroyedNorth of Diksmuide, BelgiumVictory shared with René Montrion [3] [5]
u/c24 October 1917German two-seater [3]
415 December 1917German two-seaterDestroyed Prosnes, FranceVictory shared with Robert Delannoy, and two other pilots [3] [5]
u/c29 December 1917German two-seaterSault Saint Remy-Roizy [3]
521 March 1918
1808 hours
AlbatrosDestroyedMont CorniletteVictory shared with Andre Barcat
631 May 1918 Fokker Triplane DestroyedSouth of Soissons, France
76 June 1918German observation balloon Destroyed Catigny, FranceVictory shared with Andre Montrion
87 June 1918German observation balloonDestroyed Vézaponin, FranceVictory shared with another pilot [3] [5]
u/c11 June 1918German two-seater La Neuville-sur-Ressons, France
u/c21 July 1918German aircraft
u/c22 July 1918 Fokker [3]

Artistic work

Besides his military career, Gilbert de Guingand created significant artworks. He was a painter-decorator [6] before doing his military service from 1912. He painted and drew all along his life. This passion has probably to deal with his parents' job who were both painters. [7] [8]

Gilbert de Guingand's artworks are particularly interesting to illustrate the First World War. He gathered them in series he called War's Watercolours (Aquarelles de guerre) and War's Drawings (Dessins de guerre). Most of them are curated in the library La Contemporaine in France.

Aquarelles de guerre and Dessins de guerre

Footnotes

  1. While the initial letter(s) such as "C", "N", "Spa", et cetera, in escadrille designations denoted the equipment assigned to the unit, there was often a lag in changing the unit's designation after it re-equipped.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabriel Guérin</span>

Sous Lieutenant Gabriel Fernand Charles Guérin, Legion d'honneur, Medaille militaire, Croix de Guerre, was a World War I fighter pilot credited with 23 confirmed aerial victories.

Sous-Lieutenant Yves Félix François Marie Barbaza was a French World War I flying ace, credited with five aerial victories.

Sous-lieutenant André Jean Louis Barcat was a French World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.

Capitaine Jacques Raphaël Roques was a Swiss citizen who flew for the French during World War I, where he was credited with five aerial victories. He returned to military service during World War II, and served with the French Resistance from the fall of France to war's end.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">François Battesti</span> French World War I flying ace

Lieutenant François Marie Noel Battesti was a French World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">François de Rochechouart</span>

Sous-LieutenantFrançois Marie Joseph Laurent Victurnien de Rochechouart de Mortemart,, Marquis of Mortemart, Prince of Tonnay-Charente, was a French World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.

Capitaine Raoul Cesar Robert Pierre Echard was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.

Sous lieutenantAndré-Henri Martenot de Cordou was a French World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories.

Sous lieutenantOmer Paul DemeuldreLégion d'honneur, Médaille militaire, Croix de Guerre, Mentioned in Dispatches was a World War I French flying ace credited with 13 aerial victories.

Sous Lieutenant Marcel Joseph Maurice Nogues was a World War I flying ace credited with thirteen aerial victories. He was an ace over enemy observation balloons, as well as enemy airplanes.

Sous Lieutenant Bernard Artigau was a French World War I flying ace credited with twelve aerial victories. He later became an airline pilot in South America, and returned to serve his nation again in World War II.

Lieutenant Colonel Charles Marie Joseph Leon Nuville LH was a French World War I flying ace credited with twelve confirmed aerial victories. He served as a professional soldier throughout the interwar years, and through World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Waddington</span>

Sous Lieutenant Paul Yvan Robert Waddington was a French World War I flying ace credited with twelve aerial victories.

Adjutant René Montrion was a French flying ace during World War I. He was credited with eleven confirmed aerial and eight unconfirmed victories.

Sous lieutenantCharles Alfred Quette was a French World War I flying ace credited with ten confirmed and five unconfirmed aerial victories.

Adjutant Laurent Baptisti Ruamps was a French flying ace during World War I. He was credited with ten confirmed and four unconfirmed aerial victories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Prosper Gros</span>

Sous lieutenant Louis Prosper Gros became a flying ace during World War I, scoring eight confirmed aerial victories, and possibly a ninth. He continued in aviation after the war, and defended his nation again during World War II.

Escadrille 67 of the French Air Force was founded at Lyon-Bron Airport during the First World War, on 17 September 1915. On 24 September, they were assigned to the IV Armee of the French Army. By late October, the escadrille was assigned to the defense of Verdun.

Escadrille SPA.48 was a unit of the French Air Force during World War I.

CapitaineJacques Victor Sabattier de Vignolle was a reservist officer of the French Army called to the colors during the First World War. While serving in a succession of increasingly important commands, he also flew a SPAD fighter to shoot down five German airplanes and become a flying ace. Thrice wounded, he ended the war commanding an air wing.

References

  1. 1 2 Franks & Bailey (1992), p. 141.
  2. Franks & Bailey (1992), pp. 141–142.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Franks & Bailey (1992), p. 142.
  4. "Obituaires". Le Figaro (in French). No. 64. 30 October 1918. Apprenons avec regret la chute mortelle survenue, à Revigny, de l'un de nos meilleurs aviateurs, Gilbert de Guingand (médaille militaire, Légion d'honneur, neuf citations.)
  5. 1 2 3 "Gilbert Marie de Guingand". The Aerodrome. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
  6. "Accueil - Mémoire des hommes". www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  7. "Gilbert Deguingand". www.as14-18.net. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  8. "Accueil - Mémoire des hommes". www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
Bibliography