Francois Hugues

[LotterA240]

Hi Could someone tell me this aviators unit and if he had any victories?

John

[vb136]

A pilot with this name served with escadrille SPA 26, from 15 June 1918 until he was MIA on 21 July 1918. No victories.
See the book The Storks by Norman Franks & Frank W Bailey.

[LotterA240]

Hi VB,

Thanks for the information. That's so sad isn't? He joins them on June 15, and 36 days later, he's dead. Do you know the circumstances that led to him being listed MIA? Below you can see what he looked like. He appears to have two medals. One appears to be the Croix de Guerre. I don't know the other one. Perhaps he was an infantryman before he became a pilot?

[Froggy]

Bonjour

It seems that there is a great confusion about the surname Hugues

John on your photo the legend is" aviateur français Hughes and not François
On your photo you can seee the well known Marcel Hugues
Marcel Anatole Hugues - The Aerodrome - Aces and Aircraft of World War I

François Hughes is another aviator

Cordialement
Bruno

[LotterA240]

Hi Bruno,

Thanks for the correction and information. The only difference between my photo and the one you linked me to, is his moustache. You're right though my guy is Marcel. Thanks again. Any idea when he passed away?

John

[Froggy]

Bonsoir John

here are many informations about Marcel Hugues
Sorry I dont know when he died-The only thing I know is that he was still
alive in 1983-I'ill try to get the info
Dont know if you can read French?anyway a great occasion for training

Marcel Hughes

and here great site where you will find french escadrille insignia
Traditions of French Air Force units

No time this evening but If you want I could make a translation(the best
I can....) of the principal points of the text


Cordialement

Ps: on your photo you can see a little part of Spa 95 Insignia
a black pennant with a swallow
Bruno

[LotterA240]

Hi Bruno,

I read the page about the Squadron symbol. I thought it was nice that Spa 95 still exists today in a modern squadron. Spa 62 and Spa 153, along with Spa 95 form this modern unit. You say part of the squadron symbol is visible on the plane in the photo. Is that the white line or the black looking area on the top of the fusalage? I assume his plane is a Spad S. XIII, would this be correct? Surprising he got only 12 victories. Any idea what the two medals are that Marcel is wearing? Marcel was alive as late as 1983, wow he would have been 91 years old then. If you get the chance I'd appreciate your translating the principal points of the text. I had a chance to get a Fonck photo yesterday, but I passed on it due to it being slightly damaged. As I recall Fonck was a collaborator in WW2. How is he thought of in France today?

Regards,
John

[Froggy]

Hello John

"If you get the chance I'd appreciate your translating the principal points of the text"

Here is an automatic translation by google for the full text present in the thread I gave in my precedent post-I think that this translation is good
enough and I hope understable for you!
Version traduite de la page http://albindenis.free.fr/Site_escadrille/As_Marcel_Hughes.htm

You say part of the squadron symbol is visible on the plane in the photo. Is that the white line or the black looking area on the top of the fusalage? I assume his plane is a Spad S. XIII, would this be correct?
Yes on the top and side of fuselage too-You can see part of the black pennant

Your photo (taken in may 1918) can be seen page 12 of Osprey "Spad XII/XIII aces of ww1"by jon Guttman-
The aircraft is not a Spad XIII but a Spad XII, a cannon -armed fighter based on a spad VII-This cannon was very delicate to handle and reserved to Aces-

Any idea what the two medals are that Marcel is wearing?
at his right Légion d'honneur (Marcel Hugues was Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur at the end of his life),left Croix de guerre avec 8 palmes
(+ 12 citations a l'ordre de l'armée)
Marcel Anatole Hugues - The Aerodrome - Aces and Aircraft of World War I

As I recall Fonck was a collaborator in WW2
Fonck was not really a "collaborator",but at the beginning of the ww2 he thought that Petain was the best man to take in charge the interest of his country, and that precedent socialist governments was responsible of french defeat in 1940-Anyway he was finally disavoued by Philippe Petain in 1942 and he received a "certificate of participation" in the Resistance, signed on 28 September 1948 by the Commander Sautereau, with the words: "Mr. Fonck, René, without uniformed member of the French forces fighting a participated in territory occupied by the enemy, the glorious struggle for the liberation of the motherland. "
He was nethertheless interned on september 1944 but released the end of the year without charge against him.

Cordialement
Bruno

[Dario_Silva]

Escadrille SPA 26, June 1918

[LotterA240]

Hi Dario,

Thanks for the information.

John

Hi Bruno,

Wow a Spad S. XII! That cannon must have been difficult to fire in that wooden crate. Thanks for pointing out the Spa. 95 insignia. The link for the translation doesn't work though.

Regards,
John