Marcel Bloch (aviator)

For the French aviation industrialist who began his life as Marcel Bloch, see Marcel Dassault.

Marcel Robert Leopold Bloch
Born	(1890-07-21)21 July 1890 La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland
Died	29 March 1938(1938-03-29) (aged 48) Czechoslovakia
Allegiance	France
Branch	Flying services
Service years	1914–1918
Rank	Sous lieutenant
Unit	Escadrille 3 , Escadrille 62
Awards	Légion d'honneur , Médaille militaire , Croix de Guerre , Russian Order of Saint George and Order of Saint Anne
Other work	disbanded by Vichy government.

Sous Lieutenant Marcel Robert Leopold Bloch was a World War I flying ace who fought for the French on both Eastern and Western Fronts. He was credited with five aerial victories, all scored against German observation balloons. ^[1]

World War I service

Bloch volunteered for the French military on 7 September 1916, and was assigned to aviation service. After pilot training, he was granted Military Pilot's Brevet No. 2571 on 12 October 1915. Bloch was originally assigned to fly a Nieuport for Escadrille 3 but transferred to Escadrille 62 on 25 May 1916. He became a balloon buster ace, destroying five German observation balloons between 26 June and 1 October 1916. ^[2] In the process of destroying number three, on 3 July 1916, he was seriously wounded twice. He downed his last two on 30 September and 1 October. ^[1]

In 1917, Bloch was transferred from combat duty to a military mission. ^[2] On 23 March, he was transferred to the Russian Front. He sustained serious injuries on 8 May 1917, when he suffered a flying accident. After many months in hospital, he was assigned to the French Mission to the United States on 10 September 1918. ^[1]

Postwar life

On 1 March 1919, Bloch returned to France. ^[1] He would never recover from his war wounds, succumbing to them 29 March 1938 in Czechoslovakia. ^[3]

Honors and awards

• Légion d'Honneur
• Médaille Militaire
• Croix de Guerre
• Russian Order of Saint George
• Russian Order of Saint Ann

References

1. The Aerodrome website http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/france/bloch.php Retrieved on 27 March 2010.
2. Nieuport Aces of World War 1. p. 54.
3. Over The Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918. p. 120.

Sources

• Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank (1993). Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918. Grub Street Publishing. ISBN   978-0-948817-54-0.
• Franks, Norman (2000). Nieuport Aces of World War 1. Osprey Publishing, 2000. ISBN   1-85532-961-1, ISBN   978-1-85532-961-4.