Commandant Jacques Toussaint François Ortoli was a French Corsican patriot who served France in two World Wars. In World War I, he was a

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

credited with eleven confirmed aerial victories. He returned to his nation's defense during World War II.The Aerodrome http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/france/ortoli.php. Retrieved 7 September 2010.

Early life

Jacques Toussaint François Ortoli was born in Poggio di Tallano, Corsica on 16 July 1895.

World War I

Ortoli earned his Pilot's Brevet No. 1668 on 26 June 1914, thus barely qualifying as a prewar pilot. He volunteered for French military service for the length of the war on 2 September 1914. He entered as a '' soldat de 2e classe'' in the '' 2e Groupe d'Aviation''. On 30 September, he was awarded

Military Pilot's Brevet A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

No. 608. On 14 October 1914, he was simultaneously promoted to

Corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non ...

and assigned to Escadrille 8. On 25 February 1915, he was promoted to

Sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

. On 28 April 1915, Ortoli and his observer were credited with using their

Farman Farman Aviation Works (french: Avions Farman) was a French aircraft company founded and run by the brothers Richard, Henri, and Maurice Farman. They designed and constructed aircraft and engines from 1908 until 1936; during the French national ...

to down a

Rumpler Rumpler-Luftfahrzeugbau GmbH, Rumpler-Werke, usually known simply as Rumpler was a German aircraft and automobile manufacturer founded in Berlin by Austrian engineer Edmund Rumpler in 1909 as Rumpler Luftfahrzeugbau.Gunston 1993, p.259 The fir ...

two-seater observation plane in one of history's first aerial victories. On 8 July, Ortoli was medically evacuated to hospital with a head wound. He would not return to action until 7 October, when he arrived at Escadrille 31 as a

Nieuport Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars. History Beginnings Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...

pilot. On 11 March 1916, he was promoted to

Adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

. On 4 June, he scored the second victory of his career over an

LVG Luftverkehrsgesellschaft m.b.H. (L.V.G. or LVG) was a German aircraft manufacturer based in Berlin- Johannisthal, which began constructing aircraft in 1912, building Farman-type aircraft. The company constructed many reconnaissance and light bombe ...

. Nine days later, he was awarded the ''Médaille militaire''. On 24 September 1916, he transferred to Escadrille 77.Note: Text shows him transferring back into Escadrille 31 on 16 January 1917. Victory listings show nine victories credited to Ortoli while he flew with Escadrille 77. Just to make sure life is not simple for a neophyte historian, the first of those nine wins obviously happened on 23 Jan instead of 23 Jun, just to fit the chronology. See http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/france/ortoli.php for victory list. Beginning on 23 January 1917, Ortoli began a string of nine victories that ended on 24 June. With one exception, shared with Joseph M. X. de Sévin and

Jean Chaput Lieutenant Jean Chaput was a French World War I flying ace credited with 16 aerial victories. Biography Jean Marc Chaput was born on 17 September 1893 in Paris.''Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United Sta ...

, they were solo victories. In the midst of his victory string, on 24 April, he was commissioned a

Sous lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until 19 ...

, and on 28 May 1917 was appointed Chevalier in the ''Légion d'honneur''. On 19 April 1918, he was elevated to the rank of Lieutenant. On 10 May, he took command of a Spad squadron, Escadrille 57. By the Armistice, Ortoli had amassed over 1,235 flight hours. He had flown over 500 offensive sorties, and about 400 escort, photographic reconnaissance, or artillery direction sorties. He had survived being shot down twice by anti-aircraft fire.

Between the World Wars

On 7 March 1922, Ortoli resigned from active military service. On 9 November 1927, he was raised to Officier in the Légion d'honneur. He was promoted to Captain in the reserves on 25 June 1934. On 30 March 1935, he was appointed a ''Commandeur'' in the ''Légion d'honneur''.

World War II

On 2 September 1939, Ortoli was recalled to active duty. He was demobilized again on 20 February 1941. He was recalled to active duty once again on 3 May 1943, promoted to

Commandant Commandant ( or ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ran ...

on 25 June, and served through on the Allied side until 15 July 1945.

Honors and awards

''Médaille Militaire''
A pilot of exceptional skill and audacity. On 4 June 1916 he succeeded in downing an enemy plane behind our lines; he had already downed two others in the enemy lines on 28 April 1915 and 21 February 1916. ''Médaille Militaire'' citation, 13 June 1916. ''Légion d'Honneur''
Magnificent soldier and incomparable pilot with an admirable desire for combat. Has downed eight enemy planes, and has shown intelligence, tenacity and rare courage in his long distance reconnaissances. Cited five times in orders and the Médaille Militaire.

Endnotes

References

* ''Over the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918'' (1992). Norman L. R. Franks, Frank W. Bailey. Grub Street. , .

External links

* The Aerodrom

* World War I Aviatio

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ortoli, Jacques 1895 births 1947 deaths French World War I flying aces Commanders of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Croix de Guerre (France) Recipients of the Croix de guerre (Belgium) Recipients of the Military Cross