The La Fayette Escadrille () was the name of the French Air Force unit escadrille N 124 during the First World War (1914–1918). This escadrille of the Aéronautique Militaire was composed largely of American volunteer pilots flying fighters. It was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, French hero of the American Revolutionary War. In September 1917, the escadrille was transferred to the United States Army under the designation 103rd Aero Squadron. In 1921, the French Air Force recreated a N124 unit who claimed lineage from the war-time La Fayette escadrille and is now part of the escadron 2/4 La Fayette.

History

Dr. Edmund L. Gros, a founder of the American Hospital of Paris and organizer of the American Ambulance Field Service, and Norman Prince, a Harvard-educated lawyer and an American expatriate already flying for France, led the attempts to persuade the French government of the value of a volunteer American air unit fighting for France. The aim was to have their efforts recognized by the American public and thus, it was hoped, the resulting publicity would rouse interest in abandoning neutrality and joining the fight. Authorized by the French Air Department on March 21, 1916, the Escadrille de Chasse Nieuport 124 (Escadrille Américaine) was deployed on April 20 in Luxeuil-les-Bains, France, near Switzerland's border.Guttman, Jon. SPA124 Lafayette Escadrille: American Volunteer Airmen in World War I. Oxford: Osprey, 2004. Despite the unit's weak notorious status in the United States, the Escadrille proved useful for the French and Americans, taking into consideration that before the First World War, aircraft were not considered combat units. Initially, there were seven Americans pilots: Victor E. Chapman, Elliott C. Cowdin, Bert Hall, James Rogers McConnell, Norman Prince, Kiffin Rockwell, and William Thaw II. The full roster included 38 pilots.

The unit's aircraft, mechanics, and uniforms were French, as was the commander, Captain Georges Thénault. Five French pilots were also on the roster, serving at various times in command positions. Raoul Lufbery, a French-born American citizen, became the squadron's first, and ultimately their highest scoring flying ace, with 16 confirmed victories.Flammer, Philip M. The Vivid Air, the Lafayette Escadrille. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1981.

Two unofficial members of the Escadrille Américaine, lion cubs named Whiskey and Soda, provided countless moments of relief from battle stress to fliers.Janus, Allan. Animals Aloft: Photographs from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum . Piermont, NH: Bunker Hill, 2005, p. 35.

A German objection filed with the U.S. government, over the actions of a supposed neutral nation, led to the name change to La Fayette Escadrille in December 1916, as the original name implied that the U.S. was allied to France rather than neutral.Duffy, Michael. "Lafayette Escadrille." firstworldwar.com. Retrieved: 20 May 2013.

The Escadrille was disbanded on 18 February 1918. The American personnel transferred to the United States Army Air Service as the 103d Aero Squadron, while the French formed the Escadrille SPA.124 Jeanne d'Arc. A total of 224 Americans served in the unit. Of those, 51 died in combat, while another 11 died of other causes. Fifteen became prisoners of war. Eleven pilots became aces.

Not all American pilots were in the Lafayette Escadrille; over 200 fought for France as part of the La Fayette Flying Corps. On 3 April 1918, eleven American pilots from the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force were assigned to Escadrille N.471, an air defense squadron stationed near Paris. American flyers served with this French unit until 18 July 1918, and it is sometimes referred to as the Second Escadrille Américaine.Charles Wooley. The Second Escadrille Américaine, Cross & Cockade, Vol. 11, No. 1, Spring 1970, pp. 1–8.

Later, the Escadron de Chasse 2/4 La Fayette retook the unit designation of "La Fayette", this time however in the French Air Force. , |Traditions de la N 124, Traditions-Air, November 14, 2013

Combat

The first major action seen by the squadron was 13 May 1916 at the Battle of Verdun and five days later, Kiffin Rockwell recorded the unit's first aerial victory. On 23 June, the Escadrille suffered its first fatality when Victor Chapman was shot down over Douaumont.The Story of the Lafayette Escadrille. Told by its Commander, Captain Georges Thénault. Translated by Walter Duranty. Boston: Small, Maynard & Company (1921). The unit was posted to the front until September 1916, when the unit was moved back to Luxeuil-les-Bains in 7 Army area. On 23 September, Rockwell was killed when his Nieuport was downed by the gunner in a German Albatros observation plane"Kiffin Y. Rockwell, World War I Aviator, Lafayette Escadrille: Biography & Photographs." Virginia Military Institute. Retrieved: 20 May 2013. and in October, Norman Prince was fatally injured after crashing on final approach to his airfield.Gordon, Dennis. Lafayette Escadrille Pilot Biographies. Missoula, MT: Doughboy Historical Society, 1991. The squadron, flying Nieuport, later Spad, scouts, suffered heavy losses, but it received replacements until a total of 38 American pilots eventually served with the squadron. So many Americans volunteered to fly for France that they were eventually farmed out to other French squadrons. As a group, the Americans who flew in the war for France's air service, the Aéronautique militaire, are collectively known as the La Fayette Flying Corps. Altogether, 265 American volunteers served in the corps.

On 8 February 1918, the squadron was disbanded, and 12 of its American members inducted into the U.S. Air Service as members of the 103rd Aero Squadron. For a brief period, it retained its French aircraft and mechanics. Most of its veteran members were set to work training newly arrived American pilots. The 103rd was credited with a further 45 kills before the Armistice went into effect on 11 November.Miller, Roger G. Like a Thunderbolt: The Lafayette Escadrille and the Advent of American Pursuit in World War I. Washington, D.C.: Air Force History and Museums, 2007. The French Escadrille SPA.124, also known as the Jeanne d'Arc Escadrille, continued Lafayette Escadrille's traditions in the Service Aéronautique.

+ World War I equipment in service Equipment Beginning EndNieuport 11 – Bébé January 1916 March 1916 Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés SPAD VII May 1916 1928Nieuport 17 January 1916 November 1928

Casualties Nine pilots died in the Lafayette Escadrille while others perished after leaving the unit. More sustained non-fatal injuries. The planes flown were flimsy, and not as safe as those of later years. Engines and other parts failed, and machine-guns often jammed when they were needed. One man asked to be moved back to his infantry unit, where "he could be safe." The first pilot to be killed in action was Victor Chapman. Edmond Genet became the first American casualty of World War I following the U.S. entry into the war. Other Americans had died previous to the U.S. declaration of war, but since Genet had been active in the Escadrille since before the U.S. entry into the war, his death only a few days after the U.S. declaration of war made him the first official U.S. casualty.

Members

After the Great War, membership in the Escadrille Lafayette was claimed by over 4,000 people, "including a dozen well-known Hollywood personalities and several high government officials."The Escadrille Lafayette and its 'ringers' , The New York Times, September 7, 1983.

Also, from the beginning there was a great deal of confusion between American pilots who were members of the Lafayette Escadrille, a designated all-American aviation squadron of the French Service Aeronautique; and the Lafayette Flying Corps, an unofficial paper organization highlighting in its roster published during the war the names of approximately 231 American volunteer aviators who flew with more than 90 French operational escadrilles.The Lafayette Flying Corps , New England Aviation MuseumThe Lafayette Flying Core Member Roster , New England Aviation Museum Already existing confusion was exacerbated after a screening of the film Flyboys in 2006.

Five French officers and 38 American pilots, also known as "The Valiant 38", were members of the Lafayette Escadrille."List of Pilots." pagesperso-orange.fr. Retrieved: 19 August 2010.‘My burial is of no import’: The American pilots who fought for France in WWI , The Washington Post, May 29, 2017.

French officers Col. Philippe FequantMay 1, 1928, directory published by Memorial De L'Escadille Lafayette Lieut-Col. Antonin Brocard Capt. Georges Thenault Lt. Alfred de Laage de Meux Lt. Charles Nungesser Lt. Antoine Arnoux de Maison-Rouge Lt. Louis Verdier-Fauvety

American pilots A dagger (†) indicates that the individual was killed in action, including those who subsequently entered the Air Service, or died of wounds received.

1Lt. Stuart Emmet Edgar 1Lt. Frank Luke Jr. † 1Lt. Warren Tucker Hobbs † Horace Clyde Balsley Stephen Sohier Bigelow Ray Claflin Bridgman Andrew Courtney Campbell Jr. † Victor Emmanuel Chapman † Elliott Christopher Cowdin II Charles Heave Dolan James Ralph Doolittle † John Armstrong Drexel William Edward Dugan Jr. Christopher William Ford Edmond Charles Clinton Genet † James Norman Hall Bert Hall Willis Bradley Haviland Thomas Moses Hewitt Jr. Dudley Lawrence Hill Edward Foote Hinkle Ronald Wood Hoskier † Charles Chouteau Johnson Henry Sweet Jones Walter Lovell Raoul Lufbery † James Rogers McConnell † Douglas MacMonagle † Kenneth Archibald Marr Didier Masson Joseph P Murphy Edwin C. "Ted" Parsons Paul Pavelka † David McKelvey Peterson Frederick Henry Prince Jr. Norman Prince † Kiffin Yates Rockwell † Robert Lockerbie Rockwell Laurence Dana Rumsey Jr. Robert Soubiran William Thaw Harold Buckley Willis Frank E. Starrett

Citations

The Group La Fayette totalized eight citations at the orders of Air Army, bearing the right to wear the fourragère with ribbon colors of the Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (France), as well as the fourragère with ribbon colors of the médaille militaire.

Summary

At the decommission of the unit on January 1, 1918, the following registry noted: 267 Americans volunteered in French aviation; 255 received their pilot brevet; 108 served at the front; 66 were killed, out of which 51 killed in action; 19 were wounded; 15 were made prisoner of war; 199 victories were known to be officially recognized.

Honorary members Amelia Earhart on June 6, 1932, a couple of days after becoming the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic, was made an honorary member of the Escadrille La Fayette., Amelia becomes honorary member of La Fayette Escadrille, November 14, 2013.

World War II

The La Fayette Escadrille became the third flight unit (Escadrille) of the Groupe de Chasse 2/5 La Fayette.

+ Commandant of the third flight unit (escadrille) Nom Commandment Start Commandment End Captain Monraisse September 1939 October 3, 1940 Lieutenant Villacèque October 4, 1940 January 19, 1944 Lieutenant de Monplanet January 20, 1944 May 8, 1945

+ Equipment in service in the flight unit (escadrille) Equipment Beginning EndCurtiss H75 September 1939 November 1942 Curtiss H75A1 July 1940 September 1940 Dewoitine D.520 October 1942 November 1942 Curtiss P-40 Warhawk-F November 1942 March 1943 Curtiss P-40 Warhawk-L March 1943 March 1944Republic P-47D Thunderbolt May 1944 May 1945

Tributes