Why is he your favorite ace?

[Nacho]

There probably have been several posts here asking people who their favorite ace is. BUT, has there been one that says why?
My favorite ace is Georges Guynemer. Why? I saw the Dogfights episode that was based on WW1 aerial warfare and the dogfight between Guynemer and Ernst Udet was the first one. For some odd reason, Guynemer's name just stuck with me and the way he performed in the animation in the fight was really cool and fascinated me. I went on to search up information on him, liked what I read (not to mention the victories he racked up), his Spads and Nieuports, they Vieux Charles, the number 3, and the stork insignia is another thing I really liked to. Georges just happened to be my favorite ace out of all the tons of others during the Great War.
Who is yours? And Why?

[Fill]

Oh well... a bit of light relief never hurt .
WFJ Harvey .
I have studied and admired him for some time now . I have read quite an amount of his own written words , I also have a few item's that belonged to him . I corresponded with his son and with a gentleman than knew him well .He sounded like a great and honorable man .

[Brez]

Major Arthur Harris, 45 squadron, for surviving to become 'Bomber' Harris in round 2.

[Chock]

That's an easy choice for me - Edward Mannock, and that's for a lot of reasons, least of which is his high victory tally.

Mannock had a very tough upbringing, and he could easily succumbed to it, but he overcame a number of difficulties early in life threw at him - including being abandoned by his father and living in abject poverty - to eventually end up with quite a decent job prior to the Great War breaking out. That job however, got him interred in a Turkish prison when the war broke out, and he was so badly treated by the guards in that prison (because he was always giving the prison guards a hard time) that he was eventually repatriated to the UK under the assumption that he would not be fit for any kind of military service, but again he overcame the ill health caused by that maltreatment to eventually end up as a flyer, this despite having less than perfect eyesight too, not to mention him not having the usual social credentials necessary to get into flying training in the RFC, especially since he was also quite an ardent socialist, and he was apparently not afraid to voice his opinions either.

When he got to fly, he was considerably older than the average pilot too, and not only that, he was accused of cowardice when he first started war flying, that also being right at the worst possible time to start too - 'Bloody April'. Despite all those difficulties, he became what many regard as the best flight leader in the RFC, and given the vagaries of claims, confirmations and victories, it is quite conceivable that he could be the highest scoring pilot of the war.

For someone to start off with so many disadvantages and to overcome them all, because he was determined to fight for a cause he truly believed in, is undoubtedly inspirational, and unlike many who simply joined the military under a wave of thoughtless patriotism, for Mannock, the fight had true meaning which tallied with his social beliefs.

For me, he is a truly inspirational character, and had he not been hit by ground fire and killed, one can only wonder what else he would have gone on to achieve had he survived the war - given that he was hugely interested in social justice and politics, I wouldn't have put it past him to end up as the Prime Minister had he survived. And I bet he'd have been bloody good at that too.

Ira Jones' biography of Mannock does take some liberties with the facts, but it is basically a true tale, and it speaks volumes about Mannock that a man who was himself quite an accomplished fighter pilot would feel compelled to put down in writing the tale of a man with whom he served and so admired.

I'm not really into having personal heroes, but I make an exception to that with regard to Edward Mannock. If there was anyone I really wished I could meet and have a conversation with, it would be him.

Al

[Tim West]

Frank Luke.

A true fighter to the end...not to mention I'm partial to the home team.

[Thomas Trauner]

Friedrich Röth (or, later, Fritz von Röth), Germany’s leading balloon ace.

The fact that he is from my hometown Nuernberg made me curios. And what I like is that his skilled tactical work and personal courage made the relation of “Danger of killing someone” to “Helping my countrymen” very charming.
The destruction of these artillery spotters together with a good chance to survive for the balloon’s crew makes him very sympathetic for me.
I know, Coppens did the same, but I know from Röth´s letters that he really had problems with his conscience for all he actually killed.
A man of thought.

Thomas

[Raineranton]

Originally Posted by Thomas Trauner

Coppens did the same, but I know from Röth´s letters that he really had problems with his conscience for all he actually killed.

....which is thought to be was one reason of his suicide in the night of New Year´s Eve 1918/19!

My favorites are:

Joe Wehner and Frank Luke, because they were outsiders in the 27th Aero Squadron. Wehner, due to his German extraction, who found himself under frequent scrutiny, suspected to be an enemy Agent. Luke, also a descendant of German emigrants, because of his reputation as a braggart and due to the fact he had a wild and undisciplined nature, who had problems to respect authorities.

Rainer

[sobrien]

Phineas Carbunkle Pinkham

[splais]

Lt Walbanke Ashby Pritt. I did some research for a radio controlled Pup I was building. Found so much stuff on him it was weird. So young and dashing - read post on him below.

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/pe...tt-rfc-mc.html

[mik]

Cecil lewis because he did a lot of flying when nobody cared who shot down what, didn't get killed by fokker monoplanes shot down 8 EA and SURVIVED.
I have a picture of Guynemer in flying gear and balaclava. My grandfather who died at 72 years of age looked younger than Guynemer.