LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE SQUADRON
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
The early members of the Escadrille Americaine.
"I don't know a single one of the boys who didn't have a deep-seated desire to help France"
A quote from Edwin Parsons, Lafayette Escadrille, on the spirit of the American pilots fighting in France beginning in 1916.
Brief Summary.
The Lafayette Escadrille (LE) was made up of American pilots based in France that fought against the Jagdstaffeln of Germany prior to the United States entry into World War 1. Originally called the Escadrille Americaine, this group is perhaps as well remembered for their actions in the officer's club, as their success in the skies. The Lafayette Escadrille had 38 American pilots that rotated to other squads within the Lafayette Flying Corps, a part of the French Air Service. In all, 65 Lafayette Escadrille and Lafayette Flying Corps members perished during the air war effort over France. The Lafayette Escadrille was formed in April 1916 and carried the cause of freedom to skies over western Europe until the squadron was absorbed by the United States Air Service in 1918.
The LE squadron was commanded by French officer Capt. Georges Thenault. Although the squadron was made up of American volunteer pilots, note that there are a total of five (5) French pilots listed on the Lafayette Escadrille Roster. (See Credits, Footnote #1, below)
American pilots such as Norman Prince (photo),
William Thaw, and Victor Chapman were part of a group that helped form the LE squadron using American volunteer pilots. This occurred before the United States officially entered World War 1. In October 1916, the arrival of American volunteer personnel in Luxeuil, France included a huge ground support force. Luxeuil was where the LE squadron came together as a unit. At Luxeuil there were fifteen pilots in the Escadrille No. 124. Soon after, the Lafayette Escadrille was assigned to Bar-le-Duc that had an airfield located closer to the front at Verdun, France. The Americans were provided the finest accommodations by the French at Bar-le-Duc. The equipment and aircraft supplied to the LE squadron were the best available. This plus the fact that the squadron was positioned away from the front lines at Verdun, may contribute to the mistaken notion that the base had a country club atmosphere, fueled by countless dice and poker games. Also, the acquisition of two lion cubs named "Whiskey" and "Soda" as squadron mascots added to the units celebratory reputation. According to some sources, the early days at Bar-le-Duc field was like a real life re-enactment of an epic adventure movie, in that the war itself was perceived to be little else than a great escapade. Of course, this is a glorified interpretation of early WW1 history. The everyday grind of war was soon to become serious business, and for some... deadly serious.
Above: A Nieuport 11. Note that the LE Squadron flew the Nieuport 17 extensively.
The Spad 7 (below) was available later.
A common reality shared between all of the WW1 squadrons on both sides of the front was a high casualty rate. The outlook for long term survival as a WW1 fighter pilot was bleak. Consider that the design and construction of the airframes alone would prohibit all but the most adventurous to ascend into the perilous skies over Europe in 1916. One can only imagine the courage required to engage in aerial combat with machines that were certainly frail by modern standards. Also envision that there were no parachutes to cushion one's fall from the sky. Pity the unfortunate pilot who made the reluctant exit from a flaming aircraft made of wood and canvas. Many WW1 pilots lost their lives due to airframe structural or mechanical failures before ever engaging with the enemy.
I am being as diligent as possible to provide accuracy in this text. Several sources that I have read have presented statements taken out of context and therefore paint a picture that is, I am sure, unintentionally misleading. Your comments and insight are welcome.
Robert P.
This site is under perpetual REVISION ....SEE EDITORIAL
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Credits
MIDI sound file: The Top Liner Rag by Warren Trachtman, written by Joseph Lamb (1916).
Footnote #1 - The Lafayette Escadrille Roster is a page link from the World War 1 Aviation Home Page. This is an excellent WW1 information source on the internet
Nieuport 11 photo from The Dawn Patrol AirShow Team. This is a superb site that will help get you started in building your own World War One dream machine.
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