110 - MERMOZ, Jean

MERMOZ, Jean L.A.S. “Jean,” Casablanca, December 31, 1926, to his grandparents, the GILLETs; 2 pages, in-4, in blue ink. He regretted not being with his family to celebrate Christmas: “As for me, I returned to Casa on the 24th; I was able to celebrate Christmas Eve there with my friends, but then I had to leave again two days later and returned from Juby this morning. […] May 1927 be a peaceful year for you, free from all material worries—I won’t say moral ones—with me myself remaining a constant source of support for you. May the deep affection I feel for you be a source of strength powerful enough to keep you close to me and to all those who love you and whom you love. I hope this year will soon bring me the joy of seeing you again; I plan to spend the warmer months in France, in anticipation of a certain change in my work, as I may have to leave for South America or Europe depending on how things unfold. I see that winter is harsh in France. We’re also feeling its severity here, though naturally to a lesser extent. We had a two-day hailstorm in Casa. There were twenty centimeters of snow in Fez—something no one can remember happening in X years! I went to Alicante the other day. All the way to Gibraltar, there were snowstorms. Spain is completely white, and the Spaniards are genuinely amazed by it. I don’t remember ever being as cold in nearly six years of flying as I was that day. I’m doing great, and my spirits are as high as ever. I just hit 2,000 flight hours and 210,000 km since I started flying this route—a little more than five times around the world from December 24 to December 26. I’ll be staying in Dakar for another two months. We’re being given new equipment. It took three deaths for the Société de Navigation Aérienne to take notice and force the airline to provide us with new gear. I think we’re taking fewer risks now. I’ve armed myself with a sturdy revolver to try to take down the Moors in Juby who killed our comrades and who are lurking around the fort there. Besides, if I go down in the bush, I’ll at least have the satisfaction of not letting myself be shot like a rabbit”… Correspondence, No. 102. Source: - Jean Mermoz (1901–1936); - Gabrielle Gillet-Mermoz (1880–1955); - Then passed down through the family