Achille Rousseaux Explained

Achille Justin Ernest Rousseaux
Birth Date:29 August 1887
Death Date:1928
Birth Place:Dijon, France
Placeofburial Coordinates:Rosny-sous-Bois Cimetière communal Division F, 10e allée
Allegiance:France
Branch:Aviation
Rank:Adjutant
Unit:Escadrille C46
Escadrille N.79
Escadrille N.88
Awards:Médaille militaire
Croix de Guerre

Adjutant Achille Justin Ernest Rousseaux was a French World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.[1] [2]

Biography

See also Aerial victory standards of World War I

Achille Justin Ernest Rousseaux was born in Dijon, France on 29 August 1887.[3]

He was a cavalryman before his switch to aviation service. Details of his training are unavailable, but he was assigned as a Caudron bomber pilot. He shared his first aerial victory, on 8 September 1916, in conjunction with Jean Loste, Louis Martin, and three other pilots. In November, while cooperating with Marie Vitalis and Didier Lecour Grandmaison, among others, he was credited with downing a German Roland, an Albatros, and an Aviatik.[3]

Rousseaux was wounded in the right arm while gaining his fourth victory, on 23 November 1916. He would not score another victory until 14 April 1917. On 1 October 1916, he was posted to a Nieuport fighter squadron, Escadrille N.79, only to be moved to another fighter unit, Escadrille N.88, two days later. Rousseaux scored his sixth and final win piloting a Nieuport fighter on 2 December 1917.[3]

On 25 January 1918, he was promoted to Adjutant. On 20 February 1918, he was withdrawn from combat, and disappears from history.[3]

Awards

Médaille Militaire
"Brigadier machine-gunner of Escadrille C46. Excellent gunner, very courageous and adroit. On 16 November 1916, during the course of an aerial combat, he downed his adversary bringing therewith the number of enemy planes he had shot down to three. On 23 November he was attacked successively by groups of three or four German planes; he opposed them with remarkable resistance even after having his right arm hit by a bullet. He returned with his plane very badly damaged." Médaille Militaire citation, 2 December 1916[1] [3]

He also won the Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (France).[4]

References

Notes and References

  1. The Aerodrome website http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/france/rousseaux.php Retrieved 1 September 2020
  2. BlogGenWeb page (in French) http://www.memorial-genweb.org/~memorial2/html/fr/complementter.php?id=2594968 Retrieved 1 September 2020
  3. Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918, pp. 214 - 215
  4. The Aerodrome website page on the Croix de guerre http://www.theaerodrome.com/medals/france/cdg.php?pageNum_recipients=26&totalRows_recipients=306#recipients Retrieved 1 September 2020.