Les Cigognes (Escadrille N.3)

I'm trying to identify some pilots from the Les Cigognes (the Storks, Escadrille N.3) that appear in a watercolor that was painted in 1918. It is among the Willis B, Haviland WW-I aviation scrapbooks and artifacts that I am reproducing and posting on the web. The link to view this particular artifact is: http://www.wbhaviland.org/ar004.html . (You can click on the image for a much larger view.) Original autographs appear below each illustration.

My expertise, if one can call it that, involves the Lafayette Escadrille N.124 as most of the photos, records, descriptions, etc., that I possess involve the American squad. However Les Cigognes is among the artifacts and I believe the watercolor to be unique and worth making available for viewing via the internet.

Since various earlybird aviation enthusiasts appear drawn to assorted flyers, I would like to identify these Cigognes for their benefit. Should anyone have any leads as to the unidentified pilots, or have reason to believe that I have misidentified anyone, please post a response.

Fraternally yours,

Willis Lamm

[jempie]

Hi!

Following what I could find already the first one should have to be Commandant BROCARD!
A'll do some furthjer research if I can figure out who is that other missing one.

I have by pure accident a book released 1924 on aces which has flown on planes with Hispano-Suiza motors and for more some of those you have on this cartoon are in it with also their signatures on photo!
alike Guynemer and Heurteux! Those are correct identified indeed!


VBR

Jempie

Dear Jempie,

Thank you for your response. I am sure that you are correct about Cmdr. Brocard. I was distracted by the autograph that began with the letter "F." After reading your post I concluded that the letter "F" was an initial, and of course Cmdr. Brocard's first name was Felix. I have since corrected the description on the web page.

I appreciate your efforts in helping us preserve this history and in keeping the presentations accurate.

With warmest regards,

Willis

[frontflieger]

Bonjour

the second one is Georges Guynemer and the fourth one is Alfred Marie Joseph Heurtaux

Thorsten

[gregoire]

In order
helene the stork
brocard
guynemer
dorme
heurtaux
deullin
de la tour

Thank you all for your responses to my inquiries.

Gregoire, thank you in particular for your complete explanation. From your post I recalled a very nice report I you posted about the wonderful aviator, Alfred Heurteaux. I had not realized at the time, not having spoken French in at least 35 to 40 years and forgetting many french words, that your reference to the "caricature of the stork" was in fact a reference to the Les Cigognes drawing.

So I have some more questions for you if will indulge me.

My eyes are not so good any more and I cannot read the artist's signature, which appears to have been done in pencil. Do you recall who actually drew the caricature? (I can perhaps read some of the letters. It looks as if it could be "Montegrin" but that is probably not correct. The drawing is some 85 years old and I am reluctant to remove it from its frame for closer inspection.

I found your Heurteaux story and looked at the image that appeared when I used the link that you posted. I noticed that the uniforms were a different color than in the copy I have. Do you know if perhaps a several copies of the line drawings were produced, with the different copies being colored in differently?

Do you actually have one of the copies?

I'm afraid that I do not know pilot de la Tour's first name. If you can recall it, would you please tell me?

Finally, since we know Helene the stork, does anyone know the name of the dog? My parents referred to him as "Wolf," but I think they may have made up that name themselves.

Thanks, again, for all the help!

Warmest regards,

Willis

[gilles]

Hello

The artist was Jean de Moulignon. He was a professional painter before war and was briefly a esc3 pilot in 1916. Brocard asked him a painting and rewarded him with a 48h leave.
Moulignon , in a 1967 interview, said that several copies were made, some going to the USA.
Le Bourget museum owns an oil on canvas (63cm x 173cm) :
http://www.mae.org/images/collection...ue-cigogne.jpg

De la Tour complete name was Mathieu Tenant de la Tour and the dog was "parasol"

gilles

[gregoire]

A bit more on Jean de Moulignon he get an eyes frozen and had to wear a ring to keep it frozen eye open
He was an animal painter in an article a he said that there was a need to be an animal painter for such a painting

Again, thanks!

I think I now have the description of the water color rendition correctly composed. Here is the "final" draft... unless someone still notices anything that needs correction or believes that something else should be added.

http://www.wbhaviland.org/ar004.html

Warmest regards,

Willis

[Cigogne]

This rendering was published in several publications. This is the first time I've seen the watercolor example sans signatures!

Aaron