aeronautiquemilitaire

This is not Lt. Rene Fonck. This is one of the last photographs taken of Capt. Georges Guynemer during a forced landing at Les Moeres airfield. He is shown working on the 200 h.p. Hispano-Suiza geared engine (carburetor possibly). He landed on this Belgian air service airfield in his new Spad XIII fighter aircraft, one of the first examples to the front. This photo was taken on Sept. 10, 1917. He was killed the next day on Sept. 11, 1917 near Poelcapelle, Belgium. He was found by the Germans but the area was heavily shelled. His identity card and a few personal items were recovered. There is some controversy as to what happened next. Some evidence suggest that the body was recovered, stored in a barn for a day or two... and then buried in an unmarked grave in the town cemetery. Others say he was obliterated in the shelling that followed his crash landing. He was to have died by a bullet wound through the head.

Georges Guynemer (24 December 1894 – 11 September 1917 missing) was a top fighter ace for France during World War I, and a French national hero at the time of his death. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Guynemer

Probably on the occasion of receiving the Legion of Honor medal:
"the French fighter pilot and air ace Captain Guynemer being decorated with the Legion D'Honeur by General Francsul D'Esperey"

BELGIAN FIRST WORLD WAR OFFICIAL EXCHANGE COLLECTION© IWM (Q 106079)

Thanks to both of you for this information. We'll add some of it to the record the next time we update.

This is not Lt. Rene Fonck. This is Capitaine Georges Guynemer, 54 victory ace and beloved national icon. Photo taken during award ceremony in late Spring/early Summer 1917.