| Théophile Henri Condemine | |
| Birth Date: | 25 January 1895 |
| Death Date: | [1] |
| Birth Place: | Champagne-et-Fontaine, France |
| Death Place: | Angoulême, Charente, France |
| Allegiance: | France |
| Branch: | Cavalry; aviation |
| Rank: | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit: | 10ème Régiment de Hussards, 68ème Régiment d'Infanterie, Escadrille 154 |
| Awards: | Legion of Honour, Croix de Guerre with five palmes (palm branches) and an étoile de bronze (bronze star) |
Lieutenant Colonel Théophile Henri Condemine, or Henri Théophile Condemine,[2] (25 January 1895 – 20 December 1981) was a French soldier and fighter pilot who began his military career during World War I. He became a flying ace credited with nine confirmed aerial victories, all against observation balloons. He also served during World War II.
Théophile Henri Condemine was born on 25 January 1895 in Champagnac-Fontaine.
Condemine joined the French military on a three-year enlistment on 10 February 1914, and was assigned to the cavalry. He was promoted to enlisted brigadier on 1 August 1914; on 26 April 1916, he was promoted again, to Maréchal-des-logis. On 3 December 1916, he was detached to infantry duty. While in this assignment, he was commissioned as a sous-lieutenant. On 29 July 1917, he was severely wounded in the face, but carried on despite a German artillery barrage. A month later, he was awarded the Légion d'honneur for this action.[3]
After healing, Condemine was transferred to aviation training at Chartres, arriving the day before Christmas in 1917. On 10 March 1918, he was granted Military Pilot's Brevet Number 12102; two days later, he was sent to Pau for advanced training. Early on 22 August 1918, he arrived at Escadrille 154 to serve as a SPAD XIII pilot; at noon, he scored his first aerial victory, teaming with Paul Y. R. Waddington and Louis Prosper Gros to destroy a German observation balloon. On 7 September, he destroyed a balloon singlehanded. A week later, he teamed with Michel Coiffard to destroy a balloon over Gernicourt and another one at Cormicy. The next day, Condemine, Coiffard, and Jacques Ehrlich downed three more balloons in two minutes. Condemine rounded out his career as a balloon buster with solo victories a week apart, on 3 and 10 October 1918, the last two wins for his squadron. On 28 October, he flew a protective escort for Coiffard after the latter's wounding during his final fatal mission.[3] [4]
Condemine survived the war. He returned to service during World War II, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel.[3]