Jean Alfred Fraissinet
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Jean Alfred Fraissinet served in the French Air Force
during World War I
, becoming a flying ace
credited with eight aerial victories. Postwar, he took the helm of his family's shipping line in 1927. He founded two newspapers and bought another. He also bought the Château Saint-Maur and transformed it into a winery. The capstone of his career came in 1958, when he was elected to his nation's National Assembly as a member of the National Centre of Independents and Peasants
.
, beginning on 26 April 1916. On 1 August 1916, he was appointed an Aspirant
. He then reported to Dijon
for pilot training.
on 3 September 1916, he received his military pilot's license on 4 November 1916. He underwent advanced training before posting to Escadrille N57 on 14 March 1917. His commissioning as a temporary sous lieutenant followed on 17 August 1917. The following month, he began his victory string.
He won the Croix de guerre
with five Palmes and an Etoile de bronze for his gallantry. On 24 September 1918, he was promoted to lieutenant. On 1 October 1918, Fraissinet and his wingman attacked a formation of 20 German two-seaters engaged in trench strafing
; Fraissinet set two of them aflame. This courageous feat was rewarded with the Legion d'honneur
on 9 November 1918.
In 1927, Jean Fraissinet replaced his father Alfred as head of the family's shipping firm. The younger Fraissinet married Mathilde Cyprien-Fabre, who was the daughter of a shipping line owner. In 1930, the two shipping firms, as well as a third line, integrated operations to mutually increase their commercial competitiveness. The following year, Fraissinet established two newspapers–Marseille-Soir and Marseille-Matin.
The threeway alliance of shipping companies lasted until 1935; then Fraissinet took over his wife's family's line and abandoned the third company to its fate.
On 23 May 1937, he bought the historic Château Saint-Maur and its grounds from Sir Henry Laurens, the wealthy tobacconist. Fraissinet turned the property from its former agricultural uses of growing wheat, beets, and cotton into vineyards.
Fraissinet returned to his country's service in World War II, rising to the rank of captain. Following the war, in 1947 he bought another newspaper, Le Méridional
. In 1952, he merged it with Sud-Est and La France de Marseille.
As a culmination of the right wing nationalist views he espoused in his newspapers, he was elected to the National Assembly of France, as a member of the National Centre of Independents and Peasants
party, on 30 November 1958. Jean Fraissinet passed direction of the family concern to his son Roland. During Jean Fraissinet's four years in political office, he was a staunch advocate of retaining a French Algeria
, thus being opposed to Charles Degaulle's policies. Fraissinet's term ended on 9 October 1962; he was not re-elected.
The Fraissinet family shipping company would dock its last ship in 1968, and withdraw entirely from the shipping business in 1974, ending 138 years of maritime service.
Jean Fraissinet died in 1981.
French Air Force
The French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...
during 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...
, becoming a flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
credited with eight aerial victories. Postwar, he took the helm of his family's shipping line in 1927. He founded two newspapers and bought another. He also bought the Château Saint-Maur and transformed it into a winery. The capstone of his career came in 1958, when he was elected to his nation's National Assembly as a member of the National Centre of Independents and Peasants
National Centre of Independents and Peasants
The National Centre of Independents and Peasants is a liberal-conservative and conservative-liberal political party in France, founded in 1949 by the merger of the National Centre of Independents with the...
.
Early life and ground service
Jean Alfred Fraissinet was born in the port city of Marseilles, France on 22 June 1894. When World War I began, he joined the ranks of the French military, being assigned to the 6th Hussar Regiment on 7 September 1914. On 6 November 1914, he was promoted to the enlisted rank of Brigadier. After promotion to Marechal-des-logis on 27 September 1915, he attended school at SaumurSaumur
Saumur is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.The historic town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc...
, beginning on 26 April 1916. On 1 August 1916, he was appointed an Aspirant
Aspirant
Aspirant is a military rank in the Canadian Navy, French military, Brazilian military, Romanian Navy and Polish Police.-Canadian Navy:Similar to the French usage, the Canadian Navy uses the French-language rank of "Aspirant de marine" to denote a junior officer under training. The same rank in the...
. He then reported to Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
for pilot training.
Aerial service in World War I
After a further transfer to ChartresChartres
Chartres is a commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is located southwest of Paris.-Geography:Chartres is built on the left bank of the Eure River, on a hill crowned by its famous cathedral, the spires of which are a landmark in the surrounding country...
on 3 September 1916, he received his military pilot's license on 4 November 1916. He underwent advanced training before posting to Escadrille N57 on 14 March 1917. His commissioning as a temporary sous lieutenant followed on 17 August 1917. The following month, he began his victory string.
He won the 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...
with five Palmes and an Etoile de bronze for his gallantry. On 24 September 1918, he was promoted to lieutenant. On 1 October 1918, Fraissinet and his wingman attacked a formation of 20 German two-seaters engaged in trench strafing
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
; Fraissinet set two of them aflame. This courageous feat was rewarded with the Legion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The 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...
on 9 November 1918.
List of aerial victories
See also Aerial victory standards of World War IAerial victory standards of World War I
During World War I, the national air services involved developed their own methods of assessing and assigning credit for aerial victories.The victory scores of the pilots represented at List of World War I flying aces often cannot be definitive, but are based on itemized lists that are the best...
| No. | Date/time | Aircraft | Foe | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 September 1917 @ 1435 hours | Spad Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés SPAD was a French aircraft manufacturer between 1911 and 1921. Its SPAD S.XIII biplane was the most popular French fighter airplane in World War I.-Deperdussin:... |
Albatros reconnaissance plane | Destroyed | Fort de la Pompelle Fort de la Pompelle The Fort de la Pompelle, also known as Fort Herbillon, is one of a number of forts built around Reims after 1870 as part of a fortification belt in the Séré de Rivières system. The forts saw combat during the First World War in the defense of Reims. The fort is located about north of the town of... |
Victory shared with Charles Nuville Charles Nuville Lieutenant Colonel Charles Marie Joseph Leon Nuville was a World War I flying ace credited with twelve confirmed aerial victories.-Early service:... and another French pilot |
| 2 | 12 April 1918 | Spad | Aviatik Aviatik Automobil und Aviatik AG was a German aircraft manufacturer during World War I. The company was established at Mülhausen in 1910 and soon became one of the country's leading producers of aircraft, relocating to Freiburg in 1914 and establishing a subsidiary in Vienna as Österreichisch-Ungarische... reconnaissance plane |
Destroyed | Hangard Hangard Hangard is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Hangard is situated on the D76 road, some southeast of Abbeville.-Population:-History:... |
|
| 3 | 2 May 1918 | Spad | Aviatik reconnaissance plane | Destroyed | Domart-sur-la-Luce Domart-sur-la-Luce Domart-sur-la-Luce is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The commune is situated on the D934 road, on the banks of the Luce, some southeast of Amiens.-Population:-History:... |
|
| 4 | 31 May 1918 | Spad | Albatros reconnaissance plane | Destroyed | Étrépilly | Victory shared with Marcel Nogues Marcel Nogues Sous Lieutenant Marcel Joseph Maurice Nogues was a World War I flying ace credited with thirteen aerial victories. He was an ace over enemy observation balloons, as well as enemy airplanes.-World War I service:... and another French pilot |
| 5 | 23 June 1918 | Spad | Halberstadt Halberstädter Flugzeugwerke Halberstädter Flugzeugwerke or Halberstadt was a German aircraft manufacturer. It was formed in April 1912 as a British-German joint venture under the name German Bristol works Flugzeuggesellschaft mbH in Halberstadt. Initially the plant produced Bristol Boxkites and Bristol Prier monoplanes, but... reconnaissance plane |
Destroyed | South of 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.... |
|
| 6 | 15 July 1918 @ 0455 hours | Spad | Albatros reconnaissance plane | Destroyed | Fleury | Victory shared with Charles Nuville and another French pilot |
| 7 | 1 October 1918 @ 1800 hours | Spad | Halberstadt reconnaissance plane | Destroyed; set afire | Aure Aure, Ardennes Aure is a commune in the Ardennes department in France.... |
|
| 8 | 1 October 1918 @ 1805 hours | Spad | Halberstadt reconnaissance plane | Destroyed; set afire | Somme-Py | Victory shared with another French pilot |
Post World War I
Fraissinet would not be discharged from military service until 7 October 1919.In 1927, Jean Fraissinet replaced his father Alfred as head of the family's shipping firm. The younger Fraissinet married Mathilde Cyprien-Fabre, who was the daughter of a shipping line owner. In 1930, the two shipping firms, as well as a third line, integrated operations to mutually increase their commercial competitiveness. The following year, Fraissinet established two newspapers–Marseille-Soir and Marseille-Matin.
The threeway alliance of shipping companies lasted until 1935; then Fraissinet took over his wife's family's line and abandoned the third company to its fate.
On 23 May 1937, he bought the historic Château Saint-Maur and its grounds from Sir Henry Laurens, the wealthy tobacconist. Fraissinet turned the property from its former agricultural uses of growing wheat, beets, and cotton into vineyards.
Fraissinet returned to his country's service in World War II, rising to the rank of captain. Following the war, in 1947 he bought another newspaper, Le Méridional
La Provence
La Provence is a French daily newspaper founded in 1997 and published in Marseille. It was created in Marseille from the merger of two daily newspapers, Le Provençal and the Le Méridional, which was bought by Gaston Defferre....
. In 1952, he merged it with Sud-Est and La France de Marseille.
As a culmination of the right wing nationalist views he espoused in his newspapers, he was elected to the National Assembly of France, as a member of the National Centre of Independents and Peasants
National Centre of Independents and Peasants
The National Centre of Independents and Peasants is a liberal-conservative and conservative-liberal political party in France, founded in 1949 by the merger of the National Centre of Independents with the...
party, on 30 November 1958. Jean Fraissinet passed direction of the family concern to his son Roland. During Jean Fraissinet's four years in political office, he was a staunch advocate of retaining a French Algeria
French Algeria
French Algeria lasted from 1830 to 1962, under a variety of governmental systems. From 1848 until independence, the whole Mediterranean region of Algeria was administered as an integral part of France, much like Corsica and Réunion are to this day. The vast arid interior of Algeria, like the rest...
, thus being opposed to Charles Degaulle's policies. Fraissinet's term ended on 9 October 1962; he was not re-elected.
The Fraissinet family shipping company would dock its last ship in 1968, and withdraw entirely from the shipping business in 1974, ending 138 years of maritime service.
Jean Fraissinet died in 1981.