74 - MERMOZ, Jean

MERMOZ, Jean 7 letters “Jean” or “Mermoz,” 1924 and undated, to his “Beloved Mother”; 17 pages, mostly in-8. Paris, January 8 (on the back of a letter from a Louis [Gilbert Louis?]): “Arrived safely at Le Bourget. I flew for three-quarters of an hour this afternoon. The plane is running smoothly, and I plan to return to Thionville soon, weather permitting "... Thionville, January 16 [following his accident on the 14th, during a flight from Le Bourget to Mourmelon]: “I’m grounded again for four days for having filed a non-compliant accident report. […] I haven’t heard back from Latécoère yet. There’s no time to waste. It’ll take time for them to conduct their own investigation and for it to go to headquarters in Paris; nevertheless, I expect a response any day now”… Thursday [June 26?]. He got a reprieve: “I’m being discharged next week.” He met someone “who’s taking care of getting me hired by a company in Paris. […] You’ve got to seize the opportunity with both hands. […] I haven’t flown in two days. The squadron commander doesn’t want to hear any more about it. He wants me to leave with my bones intact. Bah! I’m invincible now!”… Ferrières. Vacation; bike rides; he stops by Pontoise where he sees his dog again, “my old Rip. […] He gave me such a welcome! He was wild”… Tuesday. He has “a bunch of paperwork to fill out for my transport license; I have my medical exam tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Le Bourget, and a technical exam on Thursday. I also need a certificate confirming I haven’t been discharged from the Air Force […] an extract from my flight log […] Plus, I need a certificate stating that I’ve completed a few flights over the past semester,” which I’ll have to request from the Northern Aeronautical Association… Thursday. In case he doesn’t receive a favorable response, Captain Schmeiltz “will take care of my reenlistment if necessary”… $ Soissons, Tuesday morning. He is on leave and worried about his mother’s new job in Lille: “As for your son, he tries to look on the bright side of life, and even if he doesn’t always succeed, he bears it bravely, thinking that his mother is making an even greater sacrifice. And besides, he loves her so much!”… Source: - Jean Mermoz (1901–1936); - Gabrielle Gillet-Mermoz (1880–1955); - Then passed down through the family