Georges Thenault
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant ColonelAir force officer ranks
Georges Thenault was the commander of the Lafayette Escadrille
- the famed branch of the French air force in World War I
composed of American volunteer pilots. The Lafayette Escadrille
was created before the United States
gave up its neutrality, and joined France
and England
in its war against Germany
. Once the United States
formally entered the war, the Lafayette Escadrille
was absorbed into the U.S. Army.
, France (located on main highway between La Rochelle
and Tours
).
, the Battle of Verdun
, and in the Battle of Passchendaele. In early 1918, it operated in the region between Soissons
and Reims
.
Captain Georges Thenault credits Adjudant Norman Prince
for conceiving the idea of bringing together his countrymen with some of those of the French Foreign Legion
in a squadron of flyers. That was in November 1914. Support soon came about from civilian and military representatives of France and the United States. These representatives added expertise and government networking resolving over time the method of recruiting and financing, and successfully encountering the French officialdom. The men instrumental in providing this organizational support included:
This team of five experts identified the many issues involved and the obstacles that had to be overcome, and helped the first American volunteers to develop a plan:
Final approval for this plan was given by Major General Auguste Edouard Hirschauer
- Chief of French Military Aeronautics.
It started with a group of American volunteers (Norman Prince, William Thaw,He was the only member of the original squadron of volunteers who served with it throughout the entire period of its existence. Victor Chapman
, Kiffin Rockwell
, James McConnell, Clyde Balsley, Chouteau Johnson, Lawrence Rumsey, Paul Rockwell) in Paris, France, where they met to discuss how would one be able to enter the French Aviation Service to fly combat missions against the Germans. They met Monday evening, 17 April 1916, at a Paris restaurant to celebrate the final and definite organization of the Escadrille Americaine.
They became the first group to enter the French Aviation Service under the guidance of a distinguished French pilot, Captain Georges Thenault. The Escadrille N.124, first called the Escadrille Americaine, then the Escadrille des Volontaires, and finally the Escadrille Lafayette, was formed on Wednesday, 15 March 1916, under the command of Captain Georges Thenault. Into this squadron came more American volunteers who were at one time automobile mechanics, ambulance drivers, and members of the French Foreign Legion. They became an elite corps of volunteers administratively assigned to this squadron. Thus, began the association called the Franco-American Flying Corps- later to be known as the Lafayette Flying Corps
.
The Lafayette Escadrille was from the beginning a chasse, or pursuit, squadron. Originally provided with the thirteen (square)-meter Nieuport 11
, armed with a single Lewis gun on the top plane, it changed successively to the Vickers-armed fifteen (square)-meter Nieuport 17
, SPAD S.VII
with a single Vickers machinegun, and the SPAD S.XIII
with the twin-Vickers machinegun.
Between 20 October 1917 to early February 1918, the process of releasing the American volunteers from the Lafayette Escadrille so that they could become commissioned pilots of the United States Army Air Service was slow. This was mainly due to the required bureaucratic civil and military endorsements that took place between the French Bureau of the Minister of War and to the American Expeditionary Force
, Chief of Staff Major General James William McAndrew, U.S.A.http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jmcandr.htm
On Monday, 18 February 1918, under the provisions of a curious and interesting agreement between the French and American armies, the Lafayette Escadrille became the 103d Aero Squadron- originally known as 103d Pursuit Squadron- United States Army Air Service
. During its tenure, the Lafayette Escadrille had officially confirmed by the military authorities, 199 German aircraft. Of these volunteer pilots, five died of illness; six by accidents in the aviation schools; fifteen were taken prisoners; nineteen were wounded in combat; and, fifty-one were killed over the Front lines. The French government recognized the American volunteers for their heroic achievements in the skies over France with the following: four Legions of Honor, seven Medailles Militaires, and thirty-one citations (each with a Croix de guerre
).
After the disbandment of the LaFayettee Escadrille, Captain Thenault accepted orders as Chief Pilot at the French School of Aerial Acrobacy & Combat at Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, remaining there for the duration of the war.
). Between 1919 - 1921, Captain Thenault purposely wrote this book to place on record the exploits and sacrifices of those daring American volunteers who served under his command and who gave so noble a response to the "deed of LaFayette" whom they chose as their namesake.
Captain Thenault's book gained widespread American public recognition. In May 1922, he accepted an assignment that began an eleven year diplomatic service in the Embassy of France in Washington, D.C.. This started with the position of Assistant Military Attache for Aeronautics and later evolved into the position of Military Attache for Aeronautics at the French Embassy in Washington DC (1922–1933). Captain Thenault's travel to the United States began under a French diplomatic passport to the French Embassy in Washington DC aboard SS France (1910) departing from Port of La Havre, Saturday, 15 July 1922, and arriving Port of New York, Saturday, 22 July 1922.
Late fall 1922 plans were announced of Captain Georges Thenault to wed Mlle. Paule Dumont in Washington DC- daughter of the French Embassy's Military Attache for Aeronautics Colonel George A. L. Dumont, French Air Army. The wedding was to have taken place in the fall of 1922.
Then in the fall of 1925, the engagement of Ms. Sarah Spencer to Commandant Georges Thenault was announced in Washington DC society circles. She was the daughter of Oliver Martin Spencer of Chicago (general solicitor of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
) and of Mrs. Katherine (Turner) "Danny" Spencer, and a grandniece of William J. Stone
of Ripley County, Missouri
. This engagement was released by The New York Times
as follows:
A number of U.S. Army Air Service and French Aviation Service aviators who won their spurs during the World War periodically made visits to the French Embassy, attending conferences, luncheons and dinner engagements in Washington DC. One of the well-known visitors at the time was Captain René Fonck
, French Aviation Service. He arrived in the United States at the Port of New York aboard the steamship RMS Olympic
, on Tuesday, 6 October 1925. Captain Fonck was in Washington DC for two reasons: (1) upon the invitation from the defense attorney for Colonel Billy Mitchell, U.S. Army Air Service; and, (2) to attend the international air race at Mitchell Field, Long Island, for the Schneider Trophy. Colonel Mitchell invited Captain Fonck on his behalf to reveal the truth about French aviation against the Riffs, and to testify the French Aviation Service had broken down against the Riffs because the fliers were placed under the command of infantry and artillery officers who had no flying experience.
Promoted to Commandant in 1923, Commandant Thenault completed his six year tour as military attache in spring 1928, went to France and later returned to the United States reporting to the French Embassy in Washington DC, Friday, 27 July 1928, as Military Attache for Aeronautics- replacing newly promoted Brigadier General George A. L. Dumont. In this assignment Commandant Thenault sought to strengthen bonds of friendship between the United States and France by traveling through a number of cities visiting aircraft factories, conferring with aeronautical experts, and inspecting Army air stations in order to keep his government informed of American progress in the aircraft industry.
Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1933 following successful completion of duties as Military Attache for Aeronautics at the French Embassy in Washington DC, he returned
to France and continued his military services with the French Air Army.
- western suburb of Paris. Prior to the Armistice
and the cease-fire that went into effect on Tuesday, 25 June 1940, Lieutenant Colonel Georges Thenault had plans in place to remove his American wife, the two children, and mother-in-law Katherine "Danny" Spencer out of Europe. In mid-July 1940, using their U.S. passports as identification, Danny and Sarah with the two children were able to travel through Spain via train to reach the Port of Lisbon, Portugal, where they boarded SS Exochorda
on Thursday, 25 July. Crossing at high speed over the steamship was able to successfully transit through the U-boat
infested waters of the North Atlantic, to arrive at the Port of New York, Friday, 2 August 1940. With Katherine, Sarah and the two children eventually arrived at Harwich Port, Massachusetts
, where they resided in the home of her mother during remainder of World War II.
During World War II, Lieutenant Colonel Georges Thenault resided in the Occupied Zone of France (Military Administration in Belgium and North France
) involved with personal business while his wife Sarah resided at Harwich Port, Massachusetts, with their two children: Georges Spencer and Catherine Bathilde.
. Details of the burial services are obtained from a special article from The New York Times:
, France. His wife was the former Ms. Sarah Spencer, and from this union two children were raised: Georges "Tom" Spencer Thenault (born: 28 May 1930, Washington DC) and Catherine Bathilde Thenault.
According to The New York Times article released from Washington DC in the Saturday edition of 26 March 1955:
Of significant importance is the fact that the son of Colonel Georges & Sarah (Spencer) Thenault, PFC Georges Spencer Thenault, USA, married Ms. Beatrice Ashmead MacArthur on Saturday, 14 May 1955, in St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church (Annapolis, Maryland)
. Details are derived from The New York Times special article released from Washington DC on 14 May 1955:
According to the morning edition of The Boston Globe, Tuesday, 12 January 2010, the son of Lieutenant Colonel Georges and Sarah (Spencer) Thenault, Georges "Tom" Spencer Thenault, of Harwich Port and Yarmouth Port died at his home on Saturday, 9 January 2010.
in the 2006 American movie "Flyboys
".
Air force officer ranks
Air forces of most of the countries use ranking system similar to Armies. However, the RAF and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries, or those formerly under a British influence, use a different set of ranks loosely based on naval equivalents; Lieutenant, Commander, Captain and Commodore...
Georges Thenault was the commander of the Lafayette Escadrille
Lafayette Escadrille
The Lafayette Escadrille , was an escadrille of the French Air Service, the Aéronautique militaire, during World War I composed largely of American volunteer pilots flying fighters.-History:Dr. Edmund L...
- the famed branch of the French air force in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
composed of American volunteer pilots. The Lafayette Escadrille
Lafayette Escadrille
The Lafayette Escadrille , was an escadrille of the French Air Service, the Aéronautique militaire, during World War I composed largely of American volunteer pilots flying fighters.-History:Dr. Edmund L...
was created before the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
gave up its neutrality, and joined France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in its war against Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Once the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
formally entered the war, the Lafayette Escadrille
Lafayette Escadrille
The Lafayette Escadrille , was an escadrille of the French Air Service, the Aéronautique militaire, during World War I composed largely of American volunteer pilots flying fighters.-History:Dr. Edmund L...
was absorbed into the U.S. Army.
Early life
Born December 1887, small town of Celle-LévescaultCelle-Lévescault
Celle-Lévescault is a commune in the Vienne department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France.-References:*...
, France (located on main highway between La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
and Tours
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
).
World War I
Standing 5-ft, 8-in, he was a giant in the eyes of his fellow Frenchmen and a respected leader amongst the American volunteer pilots. Identified as N.124, the Lafayette Escadrille was assigned to Groupe de Combat 13 under the overall command of Commandant Philippe Féquant. During 1916-1917, this Groupe de Combat 13 took part in such engagements as the Battle of the Somme, the Second Battle of the AisneSecond Battle of the Aisne
The Second Battle of the Aisne , was the massive main assault of the French military's Nivelle Offensive or Chemin des Dames Offensive in 1917 during World War I....
, the Battle of Verdun
Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun was one of the major battles during the First World War on the Western Front. It was fought between the German and French armies, from 21 February – 18 December 1916, on hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France...
, and in the Battle of Passchendaele. In early 1918, it operated in the region between Soissons
Soissons
Soissons is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France, located on the Aisne River, about northeast of Paris. It is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital of the Suessiones...
and Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
.
Captain Georges Thenault credits Adjudant Norman Prince
Norman Prince
Norman Prince was a leading founder of France's Lafayette Escadrille with Bill Thaw, Elliott C. Cowdin, Frazier Curtis, and Greeley S. Curtis, Jr....
for conceiving the idea of bringing together his countrymen with some of those of the French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
in a squadron of flyers. That was in November 1914. Support soon came about from civilian and military representatives of France and the United States. These representatives added expertise and government networking resolving over time the method of recruiting and financing, and successfully encountering the French officialdom. The men instrumental in providing this organizational support included:
- Dr. Edmund Louis Gros, M.D.: American pbysician havng resided for many years in Paris
- Mr. Frederick H. Allen: retired New York lawyer
- Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Bentley Mott, U.S.A.: military attache in Paris
- Colonel Victor Paul Bouttieaux, French Army: assigned at the French Ministry of WarColonel Victor Paul Bouttieaux: prior to the commencement of World War I, he was actively involved with the development and advances in heavier-than-air aeroplane technology and lighter-than-air airships, and was responsible for identifying such technological advancements to the Ministry of War for the French Aviation Service. For example, on 28 December 1910, he visited Chalons Camp (Châlons-en-ChampagneChâlons-en-ChampagneChâlons-en-Champagne is a city in France. It is the capital of both the department of Marne and the region of Champagne-Ardenne, despite being only a quarter the size of the city of Reims....
) in order to observe and report on the new biplane with hood for military use built by Mr. Henry FarmanHenry FarmanHenri Farman Henri Farman Henri Farman (26 May 1874 – 17 July 1958 was a French pilot, aviator and aircraft designer and manufacturer with his brother Maurice Farman. His family was British and he took French nationality in 1937.-Biography:...
. When France entered into World War I, Colonel Bouttieaux was a leading military aeronautical subject matter expert for the French Ministry of War. This was the main reason why he was chosen as one of the five key committee members to analyze the requirements of Captain Georges Thenault's idea of a new squadron of flyers comprising his countrymen and of French Foreign Legion volunteers. His knowledge with dirigibles and balloons were developed into his book titled La Navigation Aerienne Par Ballons Dirigeables (1909, Paris, France).
This team of five experts identified the many issues involved and the obstacles that had to be overcome, and helped the first American volunteers to develop a plan:
"There were Americans fighting in the Foreign Legion, but their identity was lost in this body; they were simply units in a tremendous group. Dr. Gros and his associates dreamed of some other form of service in which Americans might participate as Americans, even though the flag of the United States might not officially be carried into the war. The idea was constantly before them, and, when they found that among the Americans already in France and already anxious to help as best they might, were men who had learned the art of flying in this country, the plan for a special American flying corps was conceived and developed."
Final approval for this plan was given by Major General Auguste Edouard Hirschauer
Auguste Edouard Hirschauer
Auguste Edouard Hirschauer was a French lieutenant general in the First World War and from 1920 to 1936 representatives of Lorraine in the Senate....
- Chief of French Military Aeronautics.
It started with a group of American volunteers (Norman Prince, William Thaw,He was the only member of the original squadron of volunteers who served with it throughout the entire period of its existence. Victor Chapman
Victor Chapman
Victor S. Chapman was a French-American pilot remembered for his exploits during World War I.-Growing up:...
, Kiffin Rockwell
Kiffin Rockwell
Kiffin Yates Rockwell was an early aviator whose major claim to fame is as the first American to shoot down an enemy aircraft in World War I....
, James McConnell, Clyde Balsley, Chouteau Johnson, Lawrence Rumsey, Paul Rockwell) in Paris, France, where they met to discuss how would one be able to enter the French Aviation Service to fly combat missions against the Germans. They met Monday evening, 17 April 1916, at a Paris restaurant to celebrate the final and definite organization of the Escadrille Americaine.
They became the first group to enter the French Aviation Service under the guidance of a distinguished French pilot, Captain Georges Thenault. The Escadrille N.124, first called the Escadrille Americaine, then the Escadrille des Volontaires, and finally the Escadrille Lafayette, was formed on Wednesday, 15 March 1916, under the command of Captain Georges Thenault. Into this squadron came more American volunteers who were at one time automobile mechanics, ambulance drivers, and members of the French Foreign Legion. They became an elite corps of volunteers administratively assigned to this squadron. Thus, began the association called the Franco-American Flying Corps- later to be known as the Lafayette Flying Corps
Lafayette Flying Corps
The Lafayette Flying Corps is a name used to describe the American volunteer pilots who flew for the French during World War I. It includes the pilots who flew with the bona fide Lafayette Escadrille squadron. The estimations of number of pilots range from 180 to over 300. The generally accepted...
.
The Lafayette Escadrille was from the beginning a chasse, or pursuit, squadron. Originally provided with the thirteen (square)-meter Nieuport 11
Nieuport 11
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Angelucci, Enzio, ed. The Rand McNally Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft. New York: The Military Press, 1983. ISBN 0-517-41021-4....
, armed with a single Lewis gun on the top plane, it changed successively to the Vickers-armed fifteen (square)-meter Nieuport 17
Nieuport 17
|-Specifications :-See also:-Bibliography:* Bruce, Jack. "Those Classic Nieuports". Air Enthusiast Quarterly. Number Two, 1976. Bromley, UK:Pilot Press. pp. 137–153....
, SPAD S.VII
SPAD S.VII
The SPAD S.VII was the first of a series of highly successful biplane fighter aircraft produced by Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés during the First World War. Like its successors, the S.VII was renowned as a sturdy and rugged aircraft with good climbing and diving characteristics...
with a single Vickers machinegun, and the SPAD S.XIII
SPAD S.XIII
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Bruce, J.M. The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps . London: Putnam, 1982. ISBN 0-370-30084-X.* Sharpe, Michael. Biplanes, Triplanes, and Seaplanes. London: Friedman/Fairfax Books, 2000. ISBN 1-58663-300-7....
with the twin-Vickers machinegun.
Between 20 October 1917 to early February 1918, the process of releasing the American volunteers from the Lafayette Escadrille so that they could become commissioned pilots of the United States Army Air Service was slow. This was mainly due to the required bureaucratic civil and military endorsements that took place between the French Bureau of the Minister of War and to the American Expeditionary Force
American Expeditionary Force
The American Expeditionary Forces or AEF were the United States Armed Forces sent to Europe in World War I. During the United States campaigns in World War I the AEF fought in France alongside British and French allied forces in the last year of the war, against Imperial German forces...
, Chief of Staff Major General James William McAndrew, U.S.A.http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jmcandr.htm
On Monday, 18 February 1918, under the provisions of a curious and interesting agreement between the French and American armies, the Lafayette Escadrille became the 103d Aero Squadron- originally known as 103d Pursuit Squadron- United States Army Air Service
United States Army Air Service
The Air Service, United States Army was a forerunner of the United States Air Force during and after World War I. It was established as an independent but temporary wartime branch of the War Department by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation...
. During its tenure, the Lafayette Escadrille had officially confirmed by the military authorities, 199 German aircraft. Of these volunteer pilots, five died of illness; six by accidents in the aviation schools; fifteen were taken prisoners; nineteen were wounded in combat; and, fifty-one were killed over the Front lines. The French government recognized the American volunteers for their heroic achievements in the skies over France with the following: four Legions of Honor, seven Medailles Militaires, and thirty-one citations (each with a Croix de guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre 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 awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
).
After the disbandment of the LaFayettee Escadrille, Captain Thenault accepted orders as Chief Pilot at the French School of Aerial Acrobacy & Combat at Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, remaining there for the duration of the war.
Interwar Years
Following the end of World War I, Captain Thenault continued military service in the Armée de l'Air (ALA)- literally Air Army, and found time to compile his personal diary notes into a historical work pertaining to the famous LaFayette Escadrille published in Boston MA by the Small, Maynard & Company, Inc. Captain Thenault wrote his book at his home located in Vaux-en-Couhe Vienne France (Vaux, VienneVaux, Vienne
Vaux is a commune in the Vienne department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France....
). Between 1919 - 1921, Captain Thenault purposely wrote this book to place on record the exploits and sacrifices of those daring American volunteers who served under his command and who gave so noble a response to the "deed of LaFayette" whom they chose as their namesake.
Captain Thenault's book gained widespread American public recognition. In May 1922, he accepted an assignment that began an eleven year diplomatic service in the Embassy of France in Washington, D.C.. This started with the position of Assistant Military Attache for Aeronautics and later evolved into the position of Military Attache for Aeronautics at the French Embassy in Washington DC (1922–1933). Captain Thenault's travel to the United States began under a French diplomatic passport to the French Embassy in Washington DC aboard SS France (1910) departing from Port of La Havre, Saturday, 15 July 1922, and arriving Port of New York, Saturday, 22 July 1922.
Late fall 1922 plans were announced of Captain Georges Thenault to wed Mlle. Paule Dumont in Washington DC- daughter of the French Embassy's Military Attache for Aeronautics Colonel George A. L. Dumont, French Air Army. The wedding was to have taken place in the fall of 1922.
Then in the fall of 1925, the engagement of Ms. Sarah Spencer to Commandant Georges Thenault was announced in Washington DC society circles. She was the daughter of Oliver Martin Spencer of Chicago (general solicitor of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
) and of Mrs. Katherine (Turner) "Danny" Spencer, and a grandniece of William J. Stone
William J. Stone
William Joel Stone was a Democratic politician from Missouri who represented his state in the United States House of Representatives from 1885 to 1891, and in the U.S...
of Ripley County, Missouri
Ripley County, Missouri
Ripley County is a county located in the Ozarks of Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 13,509. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 13,485. The largest city and county seat is Doniphan...
. This engagement was released by The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
as follows:
"MISS SPENCER TO WED COMMANDANT GEORGES THENAULT. Chicago Girl Is Engaged to Former Commander of the Lafayette Escadrille. Mrs. Oliver M. Spencer of Chicago and St. Joseph, Mo., has announced the engagement of her daughter, Miss Sarah Spencer, to Commandant Georges Thenault, Assistant Military Attache for Aeronautics of the French Embassy in Washington. mis Spencer attended Miss Hall's school at Pittsfield, Mass., and is a member of the Chicago Junior League. She is a daughter of the late Justice Spencer of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, and a grandniece of the late Senator William Joel Stone of Missouri. Major Thenault was commander of the Lafayette Escadrille from the time of its formation in April, 1916, until it disbanded in January, 1918. he published a book entitled 'The Story of the Lafayette Escadrille'. His appointment as attache to the United States in 1922 was intended as a compliment to America and especially as a mark of appreciation for the services rendered by American members of the escadrille."
A number of U.S. Army Air Service and French Aviation Service aviators who won their spurs during the World War periodically made visits to the French Embassy, attending conferences, luncheons and dinner engagements in Washington DC. One of the well-known visitors at the time was Captain René Fonck
René Fonck
René Paul Fonck was a French aviator who ended the First World War as the top Allied fighter ace, and when all succeeding aerial conflicts of the 20th and 21st centuries are also considered, Fonck still holds the title of "all-time Allied Ace of Aces". He received confirmation for 75 victories ...
, French Aviation Service. He arrived in the United States at the Port of New York aboard the steamship RMS Olympic
RMS Olympic
RMS Olympic was the lead ship of the Olympic-class ocean liners built for the White Star Line, which also included Titanic and Britannic...
, on Tuesday, 6 October 1925. Captain Fonck was in Washington DC for two reasons: (1) upon the invitation from the defense attorney for Colonel Billy Mitchell, U.S. Army Air Service; and, (2) to attend the international air race at Mitchell Field, Long Island, for the Schneider Trophy. Colonel Mitchell invited Captain Fonck on his behalf to reveal the truth about French aviation against the Riffs, and to testify the French Aviation Service had broken down against the Riffs because the fliers were placed under the command of infantry and artillery officers who had no flying experience.
Promoted to Commandant in 1923, Commandant Thenault completed his six year tour as military attache in spring 1928, went to France and later returned to the United States reporting to the French Embassy in Washington DC, Friday, 27 July 1928, as Military Attache for Aeronautics- replacing newly promoted Brigadier General George A. L. Dumont. In this assignment Commandant Thenault sought to strengthen bonds of friendship between the United States and France by traveling through a number of cities visiting aircraft factories, conferring with aeronautical experts, and inspecting Army air stations in order to keep his government informed of American progress in the aircraft industry.
Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1933 following successful completion of duties as Military Attache for Aeronautics at the French Embassy in Washington DC, he returned
to France and continued his military services with the French Air Army.
World War II
Lieutenant Colonel Georges Thenault with his family (wife Sarah, children Catherine and George) were residing in France when World War II erupted. Their residence was 56 Rue Tahère Saint-CloudSaint-Cloud
Saint-Cloud is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.Like other communes of the Hauts-de-Seine such as Marnes-la-Coquette, Neuilly-sur-Seine or Vaucresson, Saint-Cloud is one of the wealthiest cities in France, ranked 22nd out of the 36500 in...
- western suburb of Paris. Prior to the Armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
and the cease-fire that went into effect on Tuesday, 25 June 1940, Lieutenant Colonel Georges Thenault had plans in place to remove his American wife, the two children, and mother-in-law Katherine "Danny" Spencer out of Europe. In mid-July 1940, using their U.S. passports as identification, Danny and Sarah with the two children were able to travel through Spain via train to reach the Port of Lisbon, Portugal, where they boarded SS Exochorda
SS Exochorda
SS Exochorda, a 473-foot, 14,500-ton cargo liner in service with American Export Lines from 1948 to 1959. A member of the line's post-war quartet of ships, "4 Aces", Exochorda sailed regularly from New York on a Mediterranean route...
on Thursday, 25 July. Crossing at high speed over the steamship was able to successfully transit through the U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
infested waters of the North Atlantic, to arrive at the Port of New York, Friday, 2 August 1940. With Katherine, Sarah and the two children eventually arrived at Harwich Port, Massachusetts
Harwich Port, Massachusetts
Harwich Port is an affluent beach resort census-designated place in the town of Harwich in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The village is a very popular vacation spot on Cape Cod. The population was 1,809 at the 2000 census. In addition to the village of Harwich Port, the village...
, where they resided in the home of her mother during remainder of World War II.
During World War II, Lieutenant Colonel Georges Thenault resided in the Occupied Zone of France (Military Administration in Belgium and North France
Military Administration in Belgium and North France
The Belgium and Northern France was an Axis-occupied territory that included present-day Belgium and the French departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais...
) involved with personal business while his wife Sarah resided at Harwich Port, Massachusetts, with their two children: Georges Spencer and Catherine Bathilde.
Final Years
While on a hunting trip outside Paris, Lieutenant Colonel Georges Thenault suffered a heart attack. He died in Paris, France, on Sunday, 19 December 1948. He was buried on Thursday, 30 December 1948, with all military rites in the presence of many French and American representatives in the crypt of the LaFayette Escadrille Memorial Monument in the park of Villeneuve L'etang, between the suburbs of Garches and Marnes-la-CoquetteMarnes-la-Coquette
Marnes-la-Coquette is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. Located from the center of Paris, the town is situated between the Parc de Saint-Cloud and the Forest of Fausses-Reposes...
. Details of the burial services are obtained from a special article from The New York Times:
"COL. THENAULT IS BURIED. Rites for French Air Hero Held at Lafayette Escadrille Park. Special to The New York Times. PARIS, Dec. 30- In the presence of many French and American aviation enthusiasts including fliers of both World Wars, Col. Georges Thenault, French pilot who commanded the Lafayette Escadrille in the first World War, was buried with military rites today. The burial was in the crypt of the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial in the park of Ville-neuve L'etang, between the suburbs of Garches and Marne la Coquette. The memorial, endowed by the generosity of the late William Nelson CromwellWilliam Nelson CromwellWilliam Nelson Cromwell was an American attorney active in promotion of the Panama Canal and other major ventures.He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised there by his mother, Sarah M. Brokaw, a Civil War widow...
, serves also as the tomb for pilots who were with the squadron and as a monument on which has been inscribed the names of all the American volunteers. Present at the ceremonies today were Jean MoreauJean MoreauJean Moreau was a French politician.He belonged first to the Republican Party of Liberty , then to the Independent Republicans and then to the National Centre of Independents and Peasants . During 1953, he was France minister of Budget for a few months....
, Secretary of State for Air; Col. Francis Valentine, air attache of the American Embassy; Vice Marshal Robert Allingham George, air attache of the British Embassy; representatives of the American Aero Club of France and delegates of veterans' organizations."
Family
Lieutenant Colonel Georges Thenault, French Air Army, was the son of Monsieur and Madame Paul Thenault of Coulombiers, VienneCoulombiers, Vienne
Coulombiers is a commune in the Vienne department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France....
, France. His wife was the former Ms. Sarah Spencer, and from this union two children were raised: Georges "Tom" Spencer Thenault (born: 28 May 1930, Washington DC) and Catherine Bathilde Thenault.
According to The New York Times article released from Washington DC in the Saturday edition of 26 March 1955:
"SOLDIER IS FIANCE OF MISS M'ARTHUR. Georges Spencer Thenault and Ex-Student at the SorbonneSorbonneThe Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
Will Be Wed. Special to The New York Times. WASHINGTON, March 26- The engagement of Miss Beatrice Ashmead MacArthur, daughter of Mrs. Littlefield MacArthur of Washington and Lake Worth, Fla., and of Bowman McCalla MacArthur, also of Washington, to Pvt. Georges Spencer Thenault, U.S.A., has been announced by her mother. The prospective bridegroom is the son of Mme. Georges Thenault of Paris and the late Lieutenant Colonel Georges Thenault, one-time air attache at the French Embassy. Miss MacArthur is a grand-daughter of the late Capt. Arthur MacArthurArthur MacArthur IIIArthur MacArthur III was a United States Navy officer, whose active-duty career extended from the Spanish-American War through World War I. He was the elder brother of General Douglas MacArthur ....
, U.S.N., brother of General of the Army Douglas MacArthurDouglas MacArthurGeneral of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
. Their father was the late Lieut. Gen. Arthur MacArthurArthur MacArthur, Jr.Lieutenant General Arthur MacArthur, Jr. , was a United States Army General. He became the military Governor-General of the American-occupied Philippines in 1900 but his term ended a year later due to clashes with the civilian governor, future President William Howard Taft...
, U.S.A. The prospective bride is a grand-daughter also of Mrs. MacArthur of Chevy Chase, Md., Mrs. W. L. Littlefield of Lake Worth and the late Captain Littlefield, U.S.N. She is an alumna of the Holton-Arms SchoolHolton-Arms SchoolHolton-Arms is an independent college-preparatory school for girls in grades 3–12, located in Bethesda, Maryland. The School's mission is to cultivate the unique potential of young women through the “education not only of the mind, but of the soul and spirit.” Holton-Arms is an independent...
here and studied also at the Sorbonne. Miss MacArthur, who was presented to society here several seasons ago, belongs to the Junior League of Washington. Private Thenault, a graduate of Georgia Institute of TechnologyGeorgia Institute of TechnologyThe Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
, is stationed at Edgewater, Md. He is a grandson of the late Judge and Mrs. O. M. Spencer of St. Joseph, Mo., and the late M. and Mme. Paul Thenault of Coulombiers, France."
Of significant importance is the fact that the son of Colonel Georges & Sarah (Spencer) Thenault, PFC Georges Spencer Thenault, USA, married Ms. Beatrice Ashmead MacArthur on Saturday, 14 May 1955, in St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church (Annapolis, Maryland)
St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church (Annapolis, Maryland)
St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church is an historic Carpenter Gothic style Episcopal church building located at 1601 Pleasant Plains Road in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland...
. Details are derived from The New York Times special article released from Washington DC on 14 May 1955:
"MISS M'ARTHUR WED IN CAPITAL. Attired in Satin at Marriage in St. Margaret's Church to Pfc. G. S. Thenault. Special to The New York Times. WASHINGTON, May 14- In St. Margaret's Protestant Episcopal Church here this afternoon, Miss Beatrice Ashmead MacArthur was married to Pfc. Georges Spencer Thenault, U.S.A. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. Malcolm Marshall. The bride is a daughter of Mrs. Littlefield MacArthur of Washington and Lake Worth, Fla., and of Boman McCalla MacArthur of Washington. She is a granddaughter of Mrs. Arthur MacArthur of Chevy Chase, Md., and the late Captain MacArthur, U.S.N., brother of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, and of Mrs. W. L. Littlefield of Lake Worth and the late Captain Littlefield, U.S.N. Private Thenault is a son of Mme. Georges Thenault of Paris and the late Lieutenant Colonel Thenault, one-time air attache at the French Embassy. His grandparents were the late Judge and Mrs. O. M. Spencer of St. Joseph, Mo., and the late M. and Mme. Paul Thenault of Coulombiers, France. The bride, given in marriage by her uncle, Malcolm MacArthur of New York, wore a gown of ivory satin made with a fitted Empire bodice of Chantilly lace and a bouffant skirt ending in a cathedral train. Her long silk tuile veil was fastened to a bandeau of the same material and heirloom rosepoint lace caught by orange blossoms. She carried a cascade bouquet of white carnations and stephanotis. Mrs. David L. Carpenter, Mrs. Wendell N. Vest and Miss Laura MacArthur, a cousin of the bride, were the attendants. R. Tupper Barrett was best man. The ushers were A. Dawson Teague, Mr. Carpenter, Captain Vest, U.S.M.C., Evan Galbraith and Clarence F. Norment 3d. Mrs. Thenault, an alumna of the Holton-Arms School here studied also at the Sorbonne. She belongs to the Junior League of Washington. Her husband was graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology."
According to the morning edition of The Boston Globe, Tuesday, 12 January 2010, the son of Lieutenant Colonel Georges and Sarah (Spencer) Thenault, Georges "Tom" Spencer Thenault, of Harwich Port and Yarmouth Port died at his home on Saturday, 9 January 2010.
Publicity
The character of Georges Thenault was played by the French actor Jean RenoJean Reno
Jean Reno is a French actor. Working in French, English, Spanish and Italian, he has appeared not only in numerous successful Hollywood productions such as The Pink Panther, Godzilla, The Da Vinci Code, Mission: Impossible, Ronin and Couples Retreat, but also in European productions such as the...
in the 2006 American movie "Flyboys
Flyboys
Flyboys is a 2006 American drama film set during World War I, starring James Franco, Martin Henderson, Jean Reno, Jennifer Decker, David Ellison, Abdul Salis, Philip Winchester, and Tyler Labine. It was directed by Tony Bill, a pilot and aviation enthusiast. The screenplay was written by Phil...
".
World War I Lafayette Escadrille N.124 Citations
- The Lafayette Escadrille was mentioned in the French Army Orders of 23 August 1917 for its gallantry and spirit of sacrifice. This citation, which was signed by General Philippe PétainPhilippe PétainHenri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain , generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain , was a French general who reached the distinction of Marshal of France, and was later Chief of State of Vichy France , from 1940 to 1944...
, commander-in-chief of the French armies operating on the French front, stated:
"The squadrilla, composed of American volunteers who have come to fight for France in the pure spirit of sacrifice, has fought incessantly under the command of Captain Georges Thenault, who formed it for an ardent flight against our enemies. In very severe combats it has paid for the price of serious losses, which, far from weakening, have increased its morale. The squadrilla has brought down twenty-eight enemy airplanes. It has aroused the profound admiration of commanders who have had it under their orders, and also of French squadrillas which are fighting beside it and have desired to rival it in valor".
- According to an article published within the Aerial Age Weekly journal, the War Department Director of Military Aeronautics Brigadier General William L. KenlyWilliam L. KenlyWilliam Lacy Kenly was a Major General in the United States Army. During World War I, he was a leader of a progenitor of the United States Air Force, the United States Army Air Service...
, U.S.A., announced having received (February 1919) a second list of Honors and Awards conferred upon American Aero Squadrons and flying officers of the American Expeditionary Forces. This listing gives citations of five squadrons, including the Lafayette Escadrille, the 17th and 148th which were the British; the 90th and the 99th Squadrons. The citation of the Lafayette Squadron, formerly the Lafayette Escadrille, was signed by General Petain and read as follows:
"Brilliant unit which has shown itself, during the course of operations in Flanders, worthy of its glorious past. In spite of losses which took away a third of its effectives, in a difficult sector, it has assured a perfect security to our Corps Observation airplanes, a complete service of reconnaissance at both high and low altitude, and the destruction, not only near the front lines but deep in the enemy's territory, of a great number of German airplanes and captive balloons".
- According to an article published within the Aerial Age Weekly journal, the War Department Director of Military Aeronautics Brigadier General William L. Kenly, U.S.A., was advised (February 1919) by cable from General Pershing, that the 103d Aero Squadron, formerly the Lafayette Escadrille, was one of the two organizations of the A.E.F. entitled to wear Fourragers awarded by the French government. This organization was awarded the Fourragers in the colors of the Croix de Guerre, having received two citations of the French Orders of the Army.
World War I Service Record of Captain Georges Thenault
- FRENCH AVIATION SERVICE ASSIGNMENTS:
- From the beginning of the war.
- Ecole militaire d'Avord,http://albindenis.free.fr/Site_escadrille/Ecoles_Avord.htm 12 January to 23 March 1915.
- AT THE FRONT:
- Escadrille C.11, Lieutenant, August to 1 December 1914.
- Escadrille C.34, 25 March 1915. Promoted to Captain, May 1915.
- Escadrille C.42, détachement de l'armée de Lorraine (D.A.L.), commanding officer, 31 July 1915.
- Escadrille LaFayette N.124, commanding officer, 9 April 1916 to 18 January 1918.
- Chief Pilot, School of Acrobacy & Combat at Pau, 18 January 1918 to Armistice
- Assistant Military Attache for Aeronautics: French Embassy, Washington DC (1922–1925)
- Military Attache for Aeronautics: French Embassy, Washington DC (1925–1933)
- Final Rank: Lieutenant ColonelAir force officer ranksAir force officer ranksAir forces of most of the countries use ranking system similar to Armies. However, the RAF and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries, or those formerly under a British influence, use a different set of ranks loosely based on naval equivalents; Lieutenant, Commander, Captain and Commodore...
- DECORATIONS:
- Légion d'honneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
- Croix de guerreCroix de guerreThe Croix de guerre 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 awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
, with four Palms - FourragèreFourragèreThe fourragère is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, that is shaped as a braided cord. The award has been firstly adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal.- History :...
in the colors of the Croix de Guerre - CITATIONS:
- French Order of the Army, 27 August 1914, while serving with the Escadrille C.11
- Legion of Honor, 29 October 1914, while serving with the Escadrille C.11
- Légion d'honneur
External links
- Der rote Baron (2008)
- Flyboys (2006)
- House Report 107-333 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 CONFERENCE REPORT
- Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should continue to honor its commitment to the United States aviators who lost their lives flying for France during World War. Introduced in House- June 13, 2001
- Restoring the Lafayette-Escadrille Memorial -- (House of Representatives - May 01, 2001)
- Von Richtofen and Brown (1971)
- Darling Lili (1970)
- The Blue Max (1966)
- Lafayette Escadrille (1958)
- The Tarnished Angels (1958)
- The Dawn Patrol (1938)
- Hell's Angels (1930)
- Wings (1927)
- Major General James William McAndrew, USA
- Ecole militaire de pilotage d'Avord
- Lafayette Escadrille Memorial and Burial Crypt, Parc de Villeneuve-l'Etang Garches, France
- The Early Birds of Aviation, Inc. Copyright@ January 14, 2000, Ralph Cooper; revised: October 13, 2009. Photos of Captain Georges Thenault
- The American Friends of Lafayette. A Message from the President of The American Friends of Lafayette. Robert Rhodes Crout, President. 77th ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN FRIENDS OF LAFAYETTE NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND – JUNE 11-13, 2009
- The Lafayette Escadrille: Their Role in the Great War 1916 - 1918. © 2005-2006 The New England Air Museum
- American Ambulance Hospital of Paris- The Field Service
- A Multimedia History of World War One: Prose & Poetry- Literary Ambulance Drivers
- History of the American Field Service in France: Friends of France, 1914-1917, Told By Its Members With Illustrations. Houghton Mifflin Company: Boston and New York: 1920
- World War I: Aircraft of France
