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Edmond Thieffry (28 September 1892 – 11 April 1929) was a Belgian First World War air
aceA flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of air victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more.It is said that fighter aces are a dying...
and aviation pioneer. He made, with Léopold Roger and Jef de Bruycker, the first successful flight between
BelgiumThe Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO...
and Congo (then the
Belgian CongoThe Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and the dawn of Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Background: 1884-1908:Until the later...
).
First World War
Thieffry was born in
EtterbeekEtterbeek is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It neighbours the municipalities of the City of Brussels, Ixelles, Auderghem, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert and Schaerbeek....
, a municipality of
BrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the de facto capital city of the European Union and the largest urban area in Belgium...
, and went on to study law in
LeuvenThe Katholieke Universiteit Leuven is the Flemish offshoot of the oldest university in the Low Countries which was originally founded in 1425 . Centrally located in the historic town of Leuven in Flanders, the K.U. Leuven is officially a Dutch-speaking institution. With 35,347 students in...
(hence his nickname "The Flying Judge"). After qualifying he was conscripted into the Belgian Army, joining the 10th Regiment in 1913. At the start of the First World War he saw service as a staff
attachéAttaché is a French term in diplomacy referring to a person who is assigned to the administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency...
to
General LemanGerard Mathieu Leman was a Belgian general. He was responsible for the military education of King Albert I of Belgium. During World War One he was the commander of the forts surrounding the Belgian city of Liège. The German Forces had to use heavy artillery to break through the defences and...
, but was captured by the Germans. He escaped on a stolen motorcycle to the neutral territory of the Netherlands, where he was arrested by Dutch military police. Using his legal knowledge and Dutch language skills he managed to talk his way out of
internmentInternment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of ‘interning’; confinement within the limits of a country or place"...
, and travelled to
Antwerp||-||-||-||}Antwerp is a city and municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Antwerp province in Flanders, one of Belgium's three regions. Antwerp's total population is 472,071 and its total area is , giving a population density of 2,308 inhabitants per km²...
to rejoin the Belgian army.
In 1915, Thieffry joined the
Compagnie des Ouvries et Aérostiers—the Belgian Army Air Corps—and with some difficulty qualified as a pilot at
ÉtampesÉtampes is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located . south-southwest from the center of Paris...
. He crash-landed so many aircraft during training, that he was promptly assigned to a single-seat fighter squadron, as no one would fly with him! On 1 February 1916 he joined the 3rd Squadron as an observer for artillery, where he was appreciated for his exactitude and courage. He was rapidly transferred to 5th Squadron (The Comets) under Captain Jules Dony based at
De PanneDe Panne is a municipality located along the North Sea coast of the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Adinkerke and De Panne proper. On 1 January 2006 De Panne had a total population of 10,060. The total area is 23.90 km² which gives a population density of...
.
His first confirmed victory was on 15 March 1917. He flew
Nieuport 11The Nieuport 11, often nicknamed the Bébé, was a French World War I single seat fighter aircraft, designed by Gustave Delage. It is famous as one of the aircraft that ended the 'Fokker Scourge' in 1916.-Design and development:...
then. His second followed eight days later above
GistelGistel is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Gistel proper and the towns of Moere, Snaaskerke and Zevekote. On January 1 2006 Gistel had a total population of 11,125. The total area is 42.25 km² which gives a population density of...
, and his third on 12 May above
HouthulstHouthulst is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Houthulst proper, Jonkershove, Klerken and Merkem. On January 1 2006 Houthulst had a total population of 9,051...
. His fourth was on 14 June—an
Albatros D.IIIThe Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service and the Austro-Hungarian Air Service during World War I. The D.III was flown by many top German aces, including Manfred von Richthofen, Ernst Udet, Erich Löwenhardt, Kurt Wolff, and Karl Emil Schäfer...
above
WestendeWestende is a town in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of West-Flanders. It lies on the Belgian coast, also called Flemish coast. It used to be the far west of the island Testerep which lay along the Belgian coast....
. The 5th Squadron then relocated to
Les MoëresLes Moëres are a marshy region in the area of Dunkirk in France, located not far from the Belgian border. At one time the area was inhabited by the Gallic people known as the Morini; they are believed to have lent their name to the territory.For many centuries, beginning around 800, the marshes...
, and was equipped with
Nieuport 17The Nieuport 17 was a French biplane fighter aircraft of World War I, manufactured by the Nieuport company.-Design and development:The type was a slightly larger development of the earlier Nieuport 11, and had a more powerful engine, larger wings, and a more refined structure in general...
s. Theiffry gained official status as an "ace" when he shot down two German fighters over
DiksmuideDiksmuide is a Belgian city and municipality in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Diksmuide proper and the former communes of Beerst, Esen, Kaaskerke, Keiem, Lampernisse, Leke, Nieuwkapelle, Oostkerke, Oudekapelle, Pervijze, Sint-Jacobs-Kapelle,...
on 3 July. In August he received the first SPAD VII fighter in the Belgian Air Force, bought by the Belgian prince. He gained three more victories with it.
On 31 August his aircraft was badly damaged by two German
Albatros D.VThe Albatros D.V was a fighter aircraft used by the Luftstreitkräfte during World War I. The D.V was the final development of the Albatros D.I family, and the last Albatros fighter to see operational service...
fighters, but he managed to land behind the Belgian lines. He continued to fight and he gained his 10th and last confirmed kill on 10 October 1917. Apart from these, he had five probable kills. This placed him third on the list of Belgian aces, after
Willy CoppensWilly Omer Francois Jean Coppens was Belgium's leading fighter ace and the champion "balloon buster" of World War I.-Background and Early Military Service:...
and André de Meulemeester. Shortly afterwards he was shot down by a German two-seater aircraft and wounded over
KortrijkKortrijk is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province West Flanders. The wider municipality comprises the city of Kortrijk proper and the towns of Aalbeke, Bellegem, Bissegem, Heule, Kooigem, Marke, and Rollegem.The city is situated on the Leie River, 42 km southwest of...
on 23 February 1918. He spent the rest of the war as a
prisoner of warA prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a combatant who is held in continuing custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
in Germany. He tried to escape on 13 April 1918, but was caught ten days later.
Flight to Congo
At the end of the war Thieffry returned to Brussels by way of Switzerland, arriving home on 6 December 1918. He returned to his practice as a lawyer, but remained active in aviation, being one of the founders of
SabenaSABENA was the national airline of Belgium from 1923 to 2001, with its base at Brussels National Airport. After its bankruptcy in 2001, the newly-formed SN Brussels Airlines took over part of SABENA's assets in February 2002, which then became Brussels Airlines.-1923–1939:SABENA is short for...
in 1923. He then devised a plan to inaugurate an air link between Belgium and Belgian Congo. At the start of 1925 he obtained permission from the government for this hazardous flight. Sabena supplied a
Handley Page W8The Handley Page W8, W9 and W10 were British two- and three-engine medium-range biplane airliners designed and built by Handley Page.The W8 was the company's first civil transport aircraft. It housed two crew in an open cockpit and a cabin for 15 passengers...
f, which Thieffry named "
Princesse Marie-JoséPrincess Marie José of Belgium , was the last Queen of Italy...
", after getting the support of his friend
King AlbertAlbert I was the third King of the Belgians from 1909 until 1934.-Early life:Born Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad in Brussels, he was the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen...
.
He left
ZaventemZaventem is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The municipality comprises the towns of Nossegem, Sint-Stevens-Woluwe, Sterrebeek and Zaventem proper. On January 1 2006 Zaventem had a total population of 28,651...
on 12 February 1925, with mechanic Joseph "Jef" de Bruycker and co-pilot Léopold Roger, heading for N'Dolo airfield at Leopoldville (now
Kinshasa{{clear}}{{clear}}{{clear}}{{clear}}{{clear}}{{clear}}{{Infobox settlement|name = Kinshasa|official_name =|other_name = formerly Léopoldville or Leopoldstad...
). Thieffry himself acted as navigator. The flight plan called for stops at
MarseilleMarseille , formerly known as Massalia , is the 2nd most populous French city as well as the oldest city in France...
,
OranOran is a major city on the Mediterranean coast in northwestern Algeria. The name comes from the Berber word Uhran meaning The Lions....
,
Colomb-BecharBéchar , formerly known as Colomb-Béchar, is a capital city of Béchar Province, Algeria. The area is controlled by Algeria, though claims have also been made on it by Morocco. In 1998 the city had a population of 134,954....
,
Gao||-||-||}Gao is a city in Mali and capital of the Gao Region on the River Niger, with a population of 57,978 in 2005. It is also the capital of the surrounding cercle of Gao.- History :...
,
Fort-LamyN'Djamena , population 721,000 , is the capital city of Chad. It is also the largest city in the country. A port on the Chari River, near the confluence with the Logone River, it directly faces the Cameroonian town of Kousséri, to which the city is connected by a bridge. It is also a special...
,
BanguiBangui is the capital of and the largest city in the Central African Republic. The majority of the population of the Central African Republic lives in the western parts of the country, near Bangui...
and
CoquilhatvilleMbandaka, formerly known as Coquilhatville or Coquilhatstad , is a city on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, lying near the confluence of the Congo and Ruki Rivers. The capital of the Equateur Province, it is home to an airport and is linked by ferry to Kinshasa and Boende...
, and should have taken seven days. However strong adverse winds and a broken propeller meant that it took 51 days. Finally on 3 April, after 8,200 kilometres, they arrived at Leopoldville. The first air connection was made, and Thieffry returned to a hero's welcome in Belgium.
He made two further attempts to reach Congo. The first on 9 March 1928 in an
ACAZ C.2The ACAZ C.2 was a prototype Belgian biplane fighter aircraft. Built entirely of Duralumin metal, it was an advanced design at the time of its first flight in 1926, but although evaluated by the Belgian Air Force, no orders were placed....
with Joseph Lang and Philippe Quersin, did not get any further than
PhilippevillePhilippeville is a Walloon municipality located in Belgium in the province of Namur. The Philippeville municipality includes the old communes of Fagnolle, Franchimont, Jamagne, Jamiolle, Merlemont, Neuville, Omezée, Roly, Romedenne, Samart, Sart-en-Fagne, Sautour, Surice, Villers-en-Fagne,...
. The second on 26 June, again with Philippe Quersin, also failed, this time ending in
MontpellierMontpellier is a city in southern France. It is the capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region, as well as the Hérault department.-Population:...
. Thieffry then developed a plan to set up an internal air service in Congo. During his second test flight in Congo on 11 April 1929, flying Avimeta C.92, Thieffry, with fellow flyer Gaston Julien, was killed in a crash close to Lake Tanganyika (only a mechanic survived). He was 36 years old. It would be another 10 years before a regular air service was established between Brussels and Kinshasa.
Awards
- Croix de Guerre
The croix de guerre is a military decoration of both France and Belgium, where it is also known as the Oorlogskruis . It was first created in 1915 in both countries and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins...
(Belgium) 1914–1918
- Knight of the Order of Leopold II
The Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Léopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Léopold II as king of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgium, incorporated into the Belgian awards system...
- Knight of the Order of Léopold
The Order of Leopold is one of the three Belgian national honorary Knight Orders. It is the highest Order of Belgium and is named in honour of King Leopold I. It consists of a military, a maritime and a civilian division...
- Croix de Guerre with Palm (France)
- Silver Medal of Military Valor
The Silver Medal of Military Valor is an Italian medal established in 1833 by King Charles Albert of Sardinia....
(Italy)
- Victory Medal
- Commemorative Medal of the 1914–1918 War
- 7 Frontstreep (Front Line Stripes)
Trivia
- On 10 July 1932 a plaque dedicated to Theiffry was unveiled in Etterbeek. It shows the route of his flight to Leopoldville. A metro station (Thieffry metro station
The Thieffry Metro Station is one of the Brussels metro stations on the eastern branch of line 1A. The station was opened in 1976 and is named after the Belgian aviator Edmond Thieffry.-External links:* , bsubway.net...
) and a street (Rue Aviateur Thieffry / Vlieger Thieffry Straat) have also been named after him in Etterbeek.
External links
Sources
- B. van der Klaauw, Armand van Ishoven & Peter van der Gaag, De geschiedenis van de Nederlandse en Belgische Luchtvaart (The History of Dutch and Belgian Aviation) Lekturama, 1982.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thieffry, Edmond}}