Ernest Maunoury
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Ernest Joseph Jules Maunoury | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 20 November 1894 Saint-Clair-de-Halouze |
| Died | 21 September 1921 (aged 26) Cazaux |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | France |
| Branch | Infantry; aviation |
| Rank | Sous lieutenant |
| Unit | 24e Regiment d'Infanterie Escadrille 64 Escadrille 16 Escadrille 152 |
| Awards | Médaille militaire Croix de Guerre with seven Palmes and one étoile de vermeil Mentioned in Dispatches twice |
Sous Lieutenant Ernest Joseph Jules Maunoury was a French flying ace during World War I. He was credited with eleven confirmed aerial victories. He survived the war, only to die in a flying accident on 21 September 1921.
Ernest Joseph Jules Maunoury was born in Saint-Clair-de-Halouze on 29 November 1894.[2]
World War I
Manoury joined the French military on 7 September 1914, being assigned to the 24e Regiment d'Infanterie. On 19 February 1915, he was promoted to Sergeant; not quite a year later, on 16 February 1916, he was mentioned in his brigade's orders. He was seriously wounded in action and offered the opportunity to transfer out of combat; however, he elected to volunteer for aviation duty. On 2 June 1916, he transferred to flying service. His first assignment was to Escadrille 64 as a gunner/observer. On 26 September 1916, he downed a Fokker; this initial victory gained him another mention in dispatches, on 7 October.[2]
On 27 January 1917, he was transferred to Escadrille 16. He began pilot's training at Dijon on 20 March 1917, and was granted his Military Pilot's Brevet on 7 June 1917. He then joined a brand new squadron, Escadrille 152, as a Spad pilot. On 30 June 1918, he scored his second victory, destroying a German observation balloon. On 20 July, he shared a double win with Del Vial. Then he began a string of seven consecutive victories shared with premium balloon buster Léon Bourjade. Double victories on 15 September and 1 October 1918 brought his tally to eight enemy observation balloons destroyed, along with two German reconnaissance planes and a Fokker.[3]