Sous Lieutenant Marcel Robert Leopold Bloch was a World War I
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 ...
who fought for the French on both
Eastern
Eastern may refer to:
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and
Western Fronts. He was credited with five aerial victories, all scored against German observation balloons.
[The Aerodrome website http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/france/bloch.php Retrieved on 27 March 2010.]
World War I service
Bloch volunteered for the French military on 7 September 1916, and was assigned to aviation service. After pilot training, he was granted Military Pilot's Brevet No. 2571 on 12 October 1915.
Bloch was originally assigned to fly 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 ...
for ''Escadrille 3'' but transferred to ''Escadrille 62'' on 25 May 1916. He became a
balloon buster
Balloon busters were military pilots known for destroying enemy observation balloons. These pilots were noted for their fearlessness, as balloons were stationary targets able to receive heavy defenses, from the ground and the air. Seventy-seven fl ...
ace, destroying five German observation balloons between 26 June and 1 October 1916.
In the process of destroying number three, on 3 July 1916, he was seriously wounded twice. He downed his last two on 30 September and 1 October.
[
In 1917, Bloch was transferred from combat duty to a military mission.][ On 23 March, he was transferred to the Russian Front. He sustained serious injuries on 8 May 1917, when he suffered a flying accident. After many months in hospital, he was assigned to the French Mission to the United States on 10 September 1918.][
]
Postwar life
On 1 March 1919, Bloch returned to France.[ He would never recover from his war wounds, succumbing to them 29 March 1938 in Czechoslovakia.]
Honors and awards
*''Légion d'Honneur
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
''
*''Médaille Militaire
The ''Médaille militaire'' ( en, Military Medal) is a military decoration of the French Republic for other ranks for meritorious service and acts of bravery in action against an enemy force. It is the third highest award of the French Republic, ...
''
*''Croix de Guerre
The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...
''
*Russian Order of Saint George
The Order of Saint George (russian: Орден Святого Георгия, Orden Svyatogo Georgiya) is the highest military decoration of the Russian Federation. Originally established on 26 November 1769 Julian (7 December 1769 Gregorian) a ...
*Russian Order of Saint Ann
References
Sources
* Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank (1993). ''Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918.'' Grub Street Publishing. .
* Franks, Norman (2000). ''Nieuport Aces of World War 1.'' Osprey Publishing, 2000. , .
1890 births
1938 deaths
French World War I flying aces
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