Maxime Lenoir

Maxime Albert Lenoir

Lenoir in 1916
Born 22 December 1888
Chargé, France
Died 25 October 1916
Allegiance France
Service/branch Aviation
Years of service 1913–1916
Rank Adjutant
Unit Escadrille No. 18, Escadrille No. 23
Awards Légion d'honneur, Médaille militaire, Croix de Guerre with eight Palmes

Adjutant Maxime Albert Lenoir (22 December 1888 – 25 October 1916) was a pioneering World War I flying ace credited with eleven aerial victories.[1]

Biography

Lenoir trained as a pilot in 1913, receiving Pilot's Brevet No. 1564 on 5 December, and so was serving in aviation when World War I began. He completed his military training, receiving Military Pilot's Brevet No. 641, and after a few weeks delay, was assigned to Escadrille 18 to fly a Caudron. He downed an Aviatik on 5 June 1915, and became a balloon buster on the 15th.[2][3] Lenoir then trained on single-seaters, and was posted to fly a Nieuport fighter with Escadrille 23 in early 1916.[1] He scored his first fighter victory on 16 March 1916, and added eight more by 25 September, including shares with Jean Casale and Georges Lachmann.[2] He was wounded twice that year, by shrapnel on 9 August and in aerial combat on 25 September. He was killed in action on 25 October 1916.[1][4]

Honors and awards

Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur

Adjudant pilot of Escadrille N23. Pursuit pilot beyond compare, setting the highest example of energy and self-sacrifice. During eleven months of uninterrupted service in his Escadrille, he has had 91 successful combats, returning frequently with his plane riddled by bullets. He downed his sixth enemy plane on 4 August 1916. (Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur citation, 9 August 1916)[2]

Médaille militaire

Marechal-des-Logis pilot of Escadrille N23. Non-commissioned officer always demonstrating the best fighting spirit during the course of his numerous combats, more often behind enemy lines than behind our own. In all his actions he showed contempt for death. On 15 March 1916, while protecting a long distance reconnaissance and having his machine gun jam during the course of a combat, he completed his mission and managed to ward off enemy planes by a series of audacious maneuvers. He returned with his plane riddled by bullets. (Médaille militaire citation, 15 March 1916)[2]

He also won the Croix de Guerre with eight Palmes.[4]

Sources of information

  1. 1 2 3 Nieuport Aces of World War 1. p. 50.
  2. 1 2 3 4 http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/france/lenoir.php Retrieved on 27 March 2010.
  3. ↑ Over the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918. p. 183–184.
  4. 1 2 Over the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918. p. 184.

References

External links

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