139 - GUYNEMER (Georges), 1894–1917.

GUYNEMER (Georges), 1894–1917. Letter from the author, “G. Guynemer,” “Sq. No. 3 / p. 61,” Dec. 25, 1916, 1 p. in-12 with envelope, addressed to the Devambez publishing house, to which he requests that the printed block be sent by mail. Enclosed is a (blank) postcard depicting the “Vieux Charles,” the fighter plane with which he “shot down 19 enemy aircraft” and in which he went missing on September 11, 1917. A very rare autograph by the legendary aviator. When he went missing, Guynemer had 53 confirmed victories and had already survived several crashes, without ever carrying a parachute. The exact circumstances of his death on September 11, 1917, over Poelkapelle, remain unclear: neither his body nor his plane was ever found. Whether he was fatally wounded in mid-flight, killed in the crash of his aircraft, or fell victim to artillery fire after crashing into no man’s land: conflicting accounts have never allowed for a definitive conclusion, thus contributing to the legend surrounding his disappearance. Includes its original cultural property export certificate from the Ministry of Culture.