Looking for help- need information

jastaflieger · 16 November 2009, 03:49 PM

Greetings forumites,
I feel that i should know more about this fellow, but i do not know anything. And my library , resources do not have anything of use. I need to know a little about him, since he flew with Jean Navarre in N67,have a nice photo of the two getting ready for a sortie, the photo will be in the OTF article,but i need/ would like to know a little bit about him:
Ltn Guingand, see photo below.
Many thanks for all help and replies!!
jim

ONEALM · 16 November 2009, 07:35 PM

Jim -

Urbain Gaston de Guingand served with N.37 before coming to N.67. He earned his military brevet on 24 January 1914, #417. He was credited wtih two victories, the first on 23 October 1915, scored with S/Lt. Gafarrel as his observer, and EA FTL and his 2nd on 28 Nov 1915, an Albatros FTL in German lines. This was confirmed on 29 Nov 1915.

He was twice decorated with N.37, his Medaille Militaire citation reading:

Adjudant Guingand was decorated with the Médaille Militaire on 23 August:

GUINGAND, Urbain a skillful and bold pilot, always prepared to
take off in pursuit of enemy aircraft. On 14 July 1915, at first alone, he attacked an Aviatik armed with two machine-guns, and his guns jammed after the first burst, he continued to stay within several meters of the enemy without any means of defense. He succeeded to intimidate the enemy into returning to its lines, showing therefore a rare example of audacity and composure

Later
Adjudant Guingand was made a Chevalier de la Légion d=Honneur on 14 March

AGUINGAND, Urbain Gaston, Mle 668, Adjudant pilot of Escadrille 37.
A pilot of the highest order with exceptional bravery and audacity. He always attacks the enemy with the most ardent energy where ever he meets them without being intimidated by their numbers. He has engaged in 16 aerial combats with 26 enemy planes of which five were hit and landed steeply in their lines. After difficult combats against several enemy planes he, himself, was forced to land on 21 and 24 February 1916, under extremely perilous conditions by reason of grave damage to his plane was saved by his composure and great ability as a pilot

He transferred to N.67 on 22 May 1916 and I know that in June on '16 he flew 25 missions an accumulated 33 h 15 minutes of time.

I'd like to say I did this all by my lonesome, but I can't take credit for any of it - my good friend Bill Bailey was kind enough to educate me about Guingand.

You can probably find more on the Memoire des Hommes website.

I'll take a look, but suspect he was also mentioned in La Guerre Aerienne at some point. Very successful at a tie when their were only a handful of well-known pilots.

-Hope this is a start -
Mike

ONEALM · 16 November 2009, 07:58 PM

Jim -

Nothing in La Guerre Aerienne - I forgot they started publishing near the end of 1916 - probably after Guingand was no longer a house holdname....

-Mike

jastaflieger · 17 November 2009, 12:34 PM

THanks Mike,
that is a great start and i appreciate your help! Any word on the photos from San Antonio?
jim

gilles · 17 November 2009, 02:15 PM

Hello!

A small correction, his name was spelled Guignand. It could be of some interest because there was another famous pilot named Gilbert de Guingand.

According to his Memoire des hommes file, after N67 he was a test pilot for Nieuport. Then in june 1918 had some troubles : a month in jail, from lieutenant became private 2nd class and sent back to his former artillery regiment

Gilles

Doc · 17 November 2009, 10:55 PM

He got his Aeroclub de France "brevet" (#1442) on 5 septembre 1913. He earned it in a Farman. Doc

jastaflieger · 18 November 2009, 09:50 AM

Hey,
Thank you all for the help, seems he ultimately ran the way of Navarre, test pilot, getting in trouble with the law( perhaps).
jim

Bulldog90 · 18 November 2009, 09:53 AM

Sous Lieutenant to private? Wow, that's a big drop.

Bulldog90

ONEALM · 18 November 2009, 10:32 AM

Doc -

Thnaks for the Bevet # correction. I'll check my notes again - hopefully it was just a atypo. It fits date-wise though since Brevet #871 was handed out in 1912...

Jim - No photos yet - we're still up to our necks with my in-laws so most of everything else aviation related is still in limbo - including my camera !

I will get them out to you though....
-Mike

Doc · 18 November 2009, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ONEALM

Doc -

Thnaks for the Bevet # correction. I'll check my notes again - hopefully it was just a atypo. It fits date-wise though since Brevet #871 was handed out in 1912...

Jim - No photos yet - we're still up to our necks with my in-laws so most of everything else aviation related is still in limbo - including my camera !

I will get them out to you though....
-Mike

Not a correction-- You gave his military brevet, and what I provided was his civil brevet. Doc