Gilbert de Guingand

Sous lieutenant Gilbert Marie de Guingand was a French World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories before being killed in a flying accident.

Gilbert Marie de Guingand
Born	21 July 1891 Viroflay, France
Died	22 October 1918 (aged 27) Revigny, France
Allegiance	France
Service/branch	French Army
Rank	Sous lieutenant
Unit	21e Regiment d'Infanterie Coloniale Escadrille 34 Escadrille 15 Escadrille 88 Escadrille 48
Awards	Légion d'honneur Médaille militaire Croix de guerre (Belgium)

Early life

Gilbert Marie de Guingand was born at Viroflay, France on 21 July 1891. He began his military service in the 21e Regiment d'Infanterie Coloniale before transferring to aviation.[1]

World War I

After transferring to aviation service, de Guingand trained until he received Pilot's Brevet number 2722 on 21 February 1916. He was assigned to Escadrille C34, a Caudron squadron, in July 1916. He subsequently retrained as a fighter pilot. He was then posted to Escadrille N15, a Nieuport unit. On 20 April 1917, he spent a single day in Escadrille N88 as it was forming; however, on 22 April he joined Escadrille N48, still another Nieuport squadron. He began his string of aerial victories there.[1][fn 1]

On 3 September 1917, he was wounded in action while in combat against several German aircraft. He then received the Médaille militaire for his valor; the award citation shows he had risen to the rank of Adjutant. He was also awarded the Belgian Croix de guerre. After recuperation, he returned to combat; as his squadron had upgraded to Spads, his final four victories were probably scored flying this type. At any rate, he ran his winning streak to eight confirmed victories by 7 June 1918, and was promoted to sous lieutenant in the process.[2]

On 17 June 1918, he became a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur as a reward for his fighting prowess. The citation not only refers to his eight credited victories, but also specifically to his highly hazardous practice of balloon busting. Additionally, the citation describes de Guingand being shot down behind enemy lines while on a reconnaissance and trench strafing sortie, as well as his subsequent evasion of the Germans and his return to French lines.[3]

Gilbert de Guingand died in 1918 while taking off with a SPAD S.XIII.

Gilbert Marie de Guingand did not survive the war, as he died in a takeoff accident on 22 October 1918 in Revigny,[4] less than three weeks before the armistice.[3]

List of aerial victories

See also Aerial victory standards of World War I

Confirmed victories are numbered chronologically; unconfirmed victories are denoted "u/c".

No.	Date/time	Opponent	Result	Location	Notes
u/c	4 May 1917	Albatros
u/c	23 May 1917	Albatros[3]
1	26 June 1917 2015 hours	Albatros fighter	Destroyed	Berry-au-Bac, France	Victory shared with another pilot
2	18 August 1917	Albatros	Destroyed	Foret d'Houthulst, Belgium	Victory shared with Armand de Turenne
3	26 August 1917	Albatros	Destroyed	North of Dixmude, Belgium	Victory shared with René Montrion[3][5]
u/c	24 October 1917	German two-seater[3]
4	15 December 1917	German two-seater	Destroyed	Prosnes, France	Victory shared with Robert Delannoy, and two other pilots[3][5]
u/c	29 December 1917	German two-seater		Sault Saint Remy-Roizy[3]
5	21 March 1918 1808 hours	Albatros	Destroyed	Mont Cornilette	Victory shared with Andre Barcat
6	31 May 1918	Fokker Triplane	Destroyed	South of Soissons, France
7	6 June 1918	German observation balloon	Destroyed	Catigny, France	Victory shared with Andre Montrion
8	7 June 1918	German observation balloon	Destroyed	Vézaponin, France	Victory shared with another pilot[3][5]
u/c	11 June 1918	German two-seater		La Neuville-sur-Ressons, France
u/c	21 July 1918	German aircraft
u/c	22 July 1918	Fokker[3]

Footnotes

1. While the initial letter(s) such as "C", "N", "Spa", et cetera, in escadrille designations denoted the equipment assigned to the unit, there was often a lag in changing the unit's designation after it re-equipped.

References

1. Franks & Bailey (1992), p. 141.
2. Franks & Bailey (1992), pp. 141–142.
3. Franks & Bailey (1992), p. 142.
4. "Obituaires". Le Figaro (in French) (64). 30 October 1918. Apprenons avec regret la chute mortelle survenue, à Revigny, de l'un de nos meilleurs aviateurs, Gilbert de Guingand (médaille militaire, Légion d'honneur, neuf citations.)
5. "Gilbert Marie de Guingand". The Aerodrome. Retrieved 23 October 2011.

Bibliography

• Franks, Norman & Bailey, Frank W. (1992). Over the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918. London, UK: Grub Street. ISBN 978-0-948817-54-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)