WWI Aces Flying WWII Planes (1 Viewer)

[_PabloSniper_]

Hello everyone!
When I think of an ace from the First World War who flew planes in the Second World War, I only think in Ernst Udet.
Were there any others?
It must have been a real shock, going from a plane that barely reached 200km/h to one that exceeded 500km/h.

 

[Frog]

Hello everyone!
When I think of an ace from the First World War who flew planes in the Second World War, I only think in Ernst Udet.
Were there any others?
It must have been a real shock, going from a plane that barely reached 200km/h to one that exceeded 500km/h.

Sous-Lieutenant Maurice Arnoux : 5 victories during WW1.
Commandant in 1940, died on june 6, 1940 when his MS 406 confronted 7 Me 109s and was shot down.

Sergent André Dubonnet : 6 victories. A well off heir of the Dubonnet aperitive company, and also known as a flamboyant car racer, inventor and sportman.
As a Lieutenant, he flew MS 406 in june in 1940 with Groupe de Chasse GC I/2.

 

[_PabloSniper_]

Sous-Lieutenant Maurice Arnoux : 5 victories during WW1.
Commandant in 1940, died on june 6, 1940 when his MS 406 confronted 7 Me 109s and was shot down.

Sergent André Dubonnet : 6 victories. A well off heir of the Dubonnet aperitive company, and also known as a flamboyant car racer, inventor and sportman.
As a Lieutenant, he flew MS 406 in june in 1940 with Groupe de Chasse GC I/2.

Doing some research I found another one.
Theodor "Theo" Osterkamp was one of the rare cases to be an ace in two World Wars. Theo shot down 32 aircraft in the First World War, and between the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain he managed to shoot down six more enemy aircraft. He was later promoted to general and retired from flying.
Below we see from left to right, Galland, Mölders and Osterkamp.

 

[tyrodtom]

There were many, many more than that.
I've got a book 'Over the Front' a complete record of fighter aces of the US and French air services, its got short biographies of each man, and this is just of the men who were aces in WW1.
Just opened to a random page, Harvey Weir Cook, flew with 94th aero, 7 victories, died in 1943 in a P-40 in New Zealand.
another page, Eugene Seeley Coler, 16 victories WW1, also served with the 319 Bomb Group in WW2.
There has to be hundreds of them, and that's just from the ones who made ace in WW1.
There are so many with noted WW2 service but no details, I can't list them all

 

[tyrodtom]

Lionel Alexandre Pierre DeMarmier Lt. 6 victories WW1, fought in the Spanish civil war, and was recalled to French service for WW2, commanded a Polish squadron, shot 3 Luftwaffe aircraft, escaped to England joined the Free French as a Lieutenant Colonel, died in a aviation accident 1944.
There is much more to these hero's than this book covers, it gives pretty good details of their WW1 service, but just some details of their life after WW1.

 

[Frog]

Lieutenant Amand Pinsard : 27 victories flying a black painted Spad VII.
As a Commandant, he led the Groupe de Chasse 21 flying a black and silver painted MS 406. Général de Brigade under the Vichy regime, Condemned with a term of 10 years in prison, liberated in 1947.

Sous-Lieutenant Marcel Émile Haegelen : 22 victories.
As a reserve Lieutenant Colonel, commanded the Bourges airfield defense flight (1 victory) flying a Curtiss H-75.

Sous-Lieutenant Marius Jean Paul Elzéar Ambrogi : 14 victories.
Deputy commander of Groupe de Chasse I/8 flying Bloch 152 (1 victory on a Do 17).

Sous-Lieutenant Hector Eugene Joseph Garaud : 13 victories.
Died with the rank of Commandant in a flying accident (Curtiss H-75).

Capitaine Marcel Anatole Hugues : 12 victories.
As a Lieutenant Colonel, returned from retirement to command Groupe de Chasse II/5 (Curtiss H-75).

Capitaine Adrien Louis Jacques Leps : 12 victories.
Deputy commander of Groupe de Chasse 21 (MS 406).

Adjudant André Julien Chainat : 11 victories.
2IC of Groupe de chasse III/6 (MS 406).

Lieutenant Auguste Joseph Marie Lahoulle : 10 victories.
Served in North Africa during WW2, retired as a General.

Lieutenant Jean André Pezon : 10 victories.
Commanded coloniale n°2 flying Potez 25 in 1940.

Sous-Lieutenant Arthur Marie Marcel Coadou : 9 victories.
Commandant of Groupe de Chasse I/2 in 1940 (MS 406).

Sous Lieutenant Marcel Marc Dhôme : 9 victories.
With the rank of Commandant; in command of Groupe de Chasse I/55 (Dewoitine 520).

 

[Sabrejet]

Many moons ago I was perusing the flying log books at RAF Museum, Hendon and was amazed to see one for a flyer who had learnt to fly in WW1 and one of his last aircraft flights was in a Meteor, just post-WW2. I think he was a staff officer by that time but still was earning his flying pay.

 

[tyrodtom]

There are so many I can't possibly do them all justice. Maybe hundreds just among the French and American Air Service alone.
A remarkable number that stayed in aviation, civil or military, died in the 20's and 30's.

Capt. Joseph Heurtaux , 21 victories ,became inspector of fighters in WW2, then after the fall of France, joined the resistance, ended up in Buchenwald, survived and promoted to General after liberation.

So many great stories have to be out there, surely someone has wrote a book about these indomitable men, or if they haven't they should.