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Pégoud Receiving the Croix de Guerre |
The term "ace" was first used in World War I when French newspapers described Adolphe Pégoud (1889–1915) as l'as (French for "ace") after he shot down five German aircraft. After serving in the French Army he pursued a career in aviation and received his private pilot's license in March 1913.
While he was a test pilot for Blériot, he was credited with being the first aviator to fly a loop, although it was discovered much later that a Russian pilot had preceded him by 13 days, and, also to be the first pilot to jump with a parachute from his aircraft. Joining the French Air Service he was assigned to fly a Maurice Farman over the Argonne sector, where he achieved his five victories.
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| Immortalized in Comics |
After gaining a sixth victory, Pégoud was shot down and killed on 31 August 1915 by one of his prewar students, Walter Kandulski.
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| Pégoud's Tomb at Montparnasse Cemetery, Paris |
Sources: Tony Langley Collection, Wikipedia, Traces of War and theaerodrome.com
Adolphe Pegoud contributed to advancing the history of aviation and aerial combat. The illustrations in the article are essential, where his courage to innovate helped show the risk-taking early aviators took to win the war. Pegoud's unselfishness fostered national pride in France. The article shows how young generations can learn about bravery, sacrifice, and innovation.
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