Unique and historically important WW1 French Army and Airforce Photo Album, Air Force Document and Field Post Set to Albert Camille Meyer who served as a French Army Ambulanceman from 1914 then as a front line medic / stretcher-bearer and then as a Pilot from 1917 including combat during the German Spring Offensive of 1918 and then served later into WW2.
The photo album is fantastic and the 178 private unpublished photos feature :
- many photos of Albert who is quite distinctive.
- photos in the WW1 trenches as a front line medic
- rare photos of troops in gas masks
- WW1 hospital photos
- Ambulances including British
- many photos of Albert's units
- damage to French towns
- his transfer into the Air force
- photos of him in or with his planes
- air crashes
- French aircraft hangers under attack
- photos of him with his squadron
- 2 aerial reconnaissance photos
The album is very well annotated with places and dates throughout.
There are very few photos of family - nearly all the photos are on active service.
The photos show him serving in the army primarily in the following places :
- Saint Die, west of Strasbourg in the Vosges (1914)
- Fontanelle, south west of Mulhouse (1915)
- Etival, north of Saint Die (1915)
- Spitzenberg east of Metz (1915)
- the Somme area eg Bois de Hem (1916)
The set has an unusually large archive of 360 field post letters / cards written by Albert, mostly addressed to his father, also named Albert.
The set also contains :
- his WW1 flying licence
- an interwar 1934 pilots flying badge (see below)
- 2 personal Citations
- a unit Citation for his squadron
- his Service history document
- his soldier service booklet
- his nomination document for promotion to Adjudant in 1918
- an award letter for the French Médaille Militaire In 1923
- an inter-war photo of him wearing the pilot badge and the French Croix de Guerre
- a late 1930s / 1940 photo showing him wearing the pilot badge
- his WW2 demobilisation document dated 15th July 1940 (under German occupation)
- a booklet from Luron Sports Club named to him.
- a 1916 theatre programme
The Pilots badge has a serial number of 24537 with the 24xxx range dating it to 1934. This could still have been a replacement badge belonging to Albert and relating to his later service, but it is not his WW1 brevet badge.
PERSONAL DETAILS
Name: Meyer, Albert Camille
Born: 2 May 1894 at Virey (Haute-Saône)
Profession: woodworking/furnishing trade
SERVICE TIMELINE
Infantry Service - Incorporated 24 August 1914 & Initially assigned to infantry depot/service.
His album shows him working in a Ambulanceman / medical role during 1915 and 1916 in the Vosges region including working alongside British ambulances at first and then as a stretcher-bearer in the GBD (Groupement de Brancardiers Divisionnaires) which translates as Divisional Stretcher-Bearer Group.
A GBD was the medical evacuation and frontline casualty collection unit attached to a French infantry division.
He was in this role until late January 1917 when he made a transfer to Aviation, moving through several aviation schools, including Étampes, Avord, Pau and Châteauroux which
were major French aviation training centres during WW1.
Linking back to his previous medical role, his role in the air force was as at first as part of the GDE (Groupement des Dépôts d’Éclopés).
A GDE was a rear-area recovery and holding organisation for “éclopés” — helping soldiers who were either lightly wounded, sick, exhausted (“fatigued” or temporarily unfit for frontline service). His album shows him flying as part of this role.
From this, he then moved into combat flying including during the German Spring Offensive in 1918 (further details below in his citations)
Aviation Operational Posting
He was posted to:
Escadrille N.212 / SPA 212, at first a Nieuport-equipped squadron
and later became “SPA”, a SPAD-equipped squadron
His records show him to be an active and decorated fighter pilot during these postings (see below)
He was promoted to Sergeant on 13 May 1918 by decision of the Air Service of the 5th Army dated 13 May 1918.
Escadrille 212 having been dissolved on 22 February 1919, he transferred to the G.D.E. on 22 February 1919.
Departed for the 1st Group at Dijon on 22 February 1919.”
He was promoted to Adjudant (which is a senior NCO) on 5th December 1918.
He continued in aviation service after the war, which fits with the later 1930s photograph.
As he has a WW2 demobilisation document he must have been called up for duty again in WW2.
Reserve Obligations
- Active reserve until October 1927
- Territorial reserve until October 1928
- Final reserve obligations until October 1935
- Final release date October 1942
Decorations
His service document records that he was awarded:
- “Médaille Militaire anglaise” (though a later 1923 document shows this to be the French Médaille Militaire)
- the French Croix de Guerre
CITATIONS
Personal Citation 1 - dated 7th July 1918.
Translates approximately as :
“Pilot, dependable and devoted, who ably assists the observers through his courage and skill.
On 27 May 1918, alone ensured liaison between the infantry and command in the midst of very dense barrages from enemy aircraft, artillery and machine guns.
Continued to distinguish himself during the following days of battle, several times returning with his aircraft riddled [with bullets/shrapnel].”
Note that 27 May 1918 was the opening day of the German Third Battle of the Aisne (part of the Kaiserschlacht/Spring Offensive), when German forces smashed through Allied positions on the Chemin des Dames.
Meyer was therefore flying operational liaison and observation missions during one of the most violent phases of the war.
Personal Citation 2 - dated 16th July 1918
Translates approximately as :
“Very good pilot, remarkable for audacity and drive. Since arriving at the squadron has always shown intelligence and sang-froid in numerous missions. Recently tasked with a counter-battery mission, remained airborne despite very bad atmospheric conditions, flying at low altitude throughout the mission. Violently engaged by enemy anti-aircraft fire and returned with his aircraft riddled with shell fragments".
Unit Citation - dated 19th August 1918.
Translates approximately as :
“The Aeronautics of the 5th Army Corps (composed of Escadrilles 2, 105, 250 and 212):
Under the command of Captain Séguin, has given, since 22 March, during more than four months of uninterrupted battle on the Oise, the Avre and the Marne, a fine example of devotion, energy and sacrifice, carrying out the most delicate and dangerous missions with complete success and with a spirit that losses never slowed.”
“Under the calm and enlightened direction of Lieutenant Anxionnaz, during the offensive operations of September–October 1918, [the escadrille] successfully carried out, in often delicate and dangerous circumstances, the surveillance of the operational zone of the three heavy artillery groupings of an Army Corps, the designation of objectives and the adjustment of long-range fire.
In particular, during the day of 8 October, it carried out six protection and observation sorties and reported 19 enemy batteries in action.”
