59 - MERMOZ, Jean

MERMOZ, Jean 11 letters (one incomplete), February–December 1921, to his grandparents, the GILLETs, in Mainbressy; 36 pages, in-8 or small in-4 format, including a postcard with an address on letterhead from the École d’Istres. Interesting correspondence regarding the end of his military pilot training and his assignment to the Levant Air Force. Istres, February 17: He recounts the difficulties he faced in obtaining his pilot’s license: “On my first flight, just as I was about to land in Nîmes, an engine failure forced me to descend […]. I slid along the wing and tumbled down. The plane was wrecked, and I broke a tooth”; the next day, a mistral wind; on the second flight, engine failure, and the troubles continued: a gust of wind, the plane pitching up, dreadful weather, etc. (the end is missing). Metz-Frescaty, May 22. He left Istres and is now “Corporal Pilot in the 11th Bombardment Regiment, 7th Squadron”... “Great disappointments awaited me here: I have none of the advantages I thought I’d have. I hardly fly at all; we’re not held in any regard. I eat with the rookies […] On top of that, it’s the military—it’s all about duty; just think, there are 32 regiments in Metz right now. […] I might be leaving for the East soon. It’s not in my best interest to stay, because even if I wanted to remain in civil aviation, I’d need at least 200 to 300 flight hours. But here, it would take me 10 years to accumulate that many”… Pont Saint-Esprit, August 19. He is about to board a ship in Marseille bound for Beirut: “I still feel just as brave about going there; the unknown doesn’t frighten me, and besides, there’s nothing anxiety-inducing about it”… Beirut, September 19. He recounts his boat trip and his arrival in Beirut: it’s very hot, but he likes it there: “I don’t regret my decision—far from it; so far, I haven’t been disappointed, because I hadn’t set myself up for any illusions”… Saida. – September 25. He is waiting to go “survey the dangerous and non-dangerous areas, and from there I’ll head to the theaters of war. We have to complete one or two missions and succeed at them before being promoted to non-commissioned officer.” […] This is the countryside—rocks and scorched thistles everywhere. From time to time, we catch a glimpse of a caravan of camels making its way slowly toward Acre or Jerusalem”… – October 20. He has finished his training and is set to leave for Palmyra: “I now have my plane all to myself, along with my mechanic; I’m happy about this because it’s a first step toward personal freedom”… – November 5. “My ‘taxi’ is fully equipped and ready to go; it, too, is philosophically awaiting events. In the meantime, since I’m alone here, I fly three hours a day. I’ve already flown over Tyre and Acre—in short, I’m completely happy”; he was able to attend a Maronite wedding in the mountains… Palmyra. – December 4. It was impossible to fly because the weather was so bad; he had just finished his “fourth carafe 40 km from Palmyra; the engine caught fire; fortunately, I was able to land safely. […] I managed to send word to the squadron by carrier pigeon, but I spent that fateful night in the countryside,” and they came to pick him up… – December 5. “Many admire us, but it’s really just a matter of training, habit, and a little composure and energy, to tell the truth. We don’t even think for a minute about a possible accident. You climb into it just like you would a bicycle.” In bad weather, “it’s a real wrestling match between the pilot and the plane. We always manage to gain control.” They are waging a guerrilla war: “Our job as pilots is to flush out Bedouin gatherings, strafe them, protect the advancing convoys, serve as a liaison between these convoys, and bomb villages and caravans. Such is the war in the East.” They sleep rough, eat camel meat, and everything is covered in sand… – December 12. He’s flying less and is expected to return to France in 72 days; he’s been assigned “to Nancy for night bombing missions in a Goliath and a twin-engine Farman. “I’m happy about that”… Damascus, December 24. An affectionate letter of holiday greetings, before bringing Christmas Eve dinner to his comrades… Enclosed is a postcard showing the Styria—an inter-Allied passenger liner—sent to send his grandparents a farewell greeting upon his departure on September 9 (written in pencil). Source: - Jean Mermoz (1901–1936); - Gabrielle Gillet-Mermoz (1880–1955); - Then passed down through the family