Meet the Aéropostale Pioneers Who Lived and Died Carrying France's First

28 History connexionfrance.com The Connexion November 2016 The Connexion November 2016 connexionfrance.com History 29 Meet the Aéropostale pioneers who lived and died carrying France’s first airmails by JANE HANKS A dromedary WE TAKE air transport and flights gives Latécoère Carrier pigeons for granted nowadays but the early mechanic Louis days were fraught with danger. In ETH-Bibliothek Photo: Vidalon a helping hand France the first international service Latécoère Fondation Photo: was established in Toulouse as a post- to repair the were link to safety engine on this al service between Africa and South ONE of the first pilots to join Lignes Paul Vachet was Laté 25 in the America and became known as the Aériennes Latécoère in 1921 was Paul one of pioneers Moroccan Compagnie Générale Aéropostale, Vachet and a book on his life was of routes over desert the forerunner to Air France. written by Jack Mary, of Mémoire the Andes to Its existence was made possible by d’Aéropostale. Vachet was just 24 open up Chile the foresight of industrialist Pierre- when he joined but already had an and Venezuela Georges Latécoère and the bravery of exceptional war record, having been to the north its pilots, three of whom have become awarded the Croix de Guerre. – flying at French heroes and who all died in the Mr Mary quotes Vachet who told of height but cockpit: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the difficult conditions they flew in: getting little Henri Guillaumet and Jean Mermoz. “There was no closed cabin, but sim- rest as pilots Now enthusiasts in the Mémoire ply two open holes, one which was had to be fully d’Aéropostale Association are deter- narrow for the pilot and another a lit- alert throughout mined to keep the memories of this tle longer for the two period of aviation history alive and passengers; these plan a museum to the birth of the two holes were pro- inter national air post and its heroes. tected by a very Retired postman Jack Mary is a small windshield. member and said: “We hope to open a “In these condi- museum in Toulouse on December tions, pilot and pas- 25, 2018, to mark the centenary of the sengers were subject- first flight from Toulouse to Barcelona The Aéropostale pilot ed to all sorts of bad by Pierre-Georges Latécoère, who chats to a tribesman as weather encountered founded the air postal service.” staff unload his plane at on route and the His company was called Lignes Lake Chad in 1930-31 outside temperatures Aériennes Latécoère and it was a pio- were often very low neer of international flight. in winter, due to the they used could only fly for 500km at “It is difficult to sum up its 15-year Lafont, who had a huge empire in altitude.” a time. history in a few words but it is impor- South America including banks, ports Paul Vachet was The only map they had was a 9m tant to remember that period at the and railways. Friendship and duty at not given much time long marine map showing ocean very beginning of commercial air In 1927 Latécoère sold the company to learn about the depths – and it had to be folded and lines and which was started by very Brave pilots, mechanics to Bouilloux-Lafont. company. Only 12 days after joining distance of 350km, a perilous route as placed on one of the pilot’s knees. brave pilots, mechanics and entrepre- and entrepreneurs Air transport was vital in a country MadamePranville Photo: he was sent to fly the Alicante-Malaga it was across the sea. On one sector Vachet’s radiator neurs who risked their lives to cross “ with a poor infrastructure and the air- the heart of pilots’ lives route to replace a pilot who had been Poor equipment led to numerous sprang a leak forcing him to land on a borders and seas with early planes. risked their lives to line was renamed Compagnie Géné- JEAN Mermoz nearly failed his entry Like Mermoz, Henri Guillaumet was killed when his plane crashed 30km breakdowns aboard the seaplanes and beach at 6pm as night was falling and “We forget how dangerous and dar- rale Aéropostale. exam with Latécoère when he was an icon. Born in 1902 at Bouy in Marne from the airfield. there was no radio communication ... fix the 30cm hole by candle light. ing it was at that time.” cross borders and seas. Bouilloux-Lafont supplied it with asked to show his flying skills and did he saw some of the first aircraft being Conditions for pilots were very diffi- so if he got stranded he depended on At the next refuelling stop one of the The air postal service was born at Jack Mary modern radio navigation and it some stunts – but director Didier tested at the nearby Camp de Châlons. cult. They had to cope with torna- carrier pigeons to take messages to a planes crashed on landing and its pilot the end of the First World War when became the first commercial flight to Daurat told him: “We don’t need acro- In 1908, watching Henri Farman start does, storms, heat, driving rain and rescue boat! was forced to abandon the journey. planes which had been built for the Mémoire d’Aéropostale fly at night, across the Andes and the bats, we need bus drivers.” To teach the first cross-country flight – of 30km faulty material which had just been Next was South America where new It took 36 hours but two planes military were no longer required in Atlantic Ocean, had the longest flights him a lesson Daurat hired him as – made him decide to be a pilot. He through a war. Mr Mary found routes were being opened. On January reached Buenos-Aires and the journey active service. with post from France and he had in the world and it had the best pilots. a mechanic. joined the air force in 1922 and when records of an incessant list of repairs 14, 1925 three pilots, including Paul was shown to be much faster than the Industrialist Latécoère had been everything at his disposal to do so.” It was the pilots’ bravery that made Born in 1901 in Aubenton, Aisne, he demobilised in 1926 his friend Mermoz to leaking radiators, broken oil cir- Vachet, were given permission to fly four-day trip by sea. building train carriages in Toulouse At that time it was difficult to fly for it work. They had to fly increasingly had been in the air force and Latécoère suggested he join the company. cuits, propellers out of alignment… 2,300km from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil Vachet continued to work in South but during the war was asked to divert 500km without problems so going long journeys across inhospitable ter- soon recognised his skills. He flew He flew Toulouse-Barcelona-Alicante Vachet was given a new mission – to to Buenos-Aires in Argentina over America for Aéropostale, opening up resources to make planes, being com- further afield seemed impossible but rain – oceans, deserts and mountains. Toulouse-Spain and Casablanca-Dakar. and then Casablanca-Dakar where he cross the Mediter ranean from two days. They needed regular stops more lines and then for Air France. He missioned in September 1917 to build on Christmas Day 1918 the first flight If they crashed they might fall into In 1926 he crash-landed in the desert met and became best friends with Alicante in Spain to Oran in Algeria, a to refuel as the Breguet 14 biplanes enjoyed a long career and died in 1974. 1,000 Salmson 2A2 aircraft. to Barcelona took place and Lignes the hands of unfriendly locals. In the A Latécoère 17 plane like the one which was found near Toulouse and was imprisoned by tribesmen and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. By Armistice Day his Montaudran, Aériennes Latécoère was created. Sahara the Moors frequently took only freed a few days later after a ran- He had several extraordinary adven- factory near Toulouse, had built 800 By 1919 there was a regular service pilots hostage and demanded a ran- som was paid. tures and in 1928 received the Légion and he was left with a fleet of small between Toulouse and Rabat, the cap- som to secure their release. Their d’Honneur for helping save cap- From trailblazer planes with no further use – plus a ital of Morocco, then to Senegal. exploits turned them into heroes. Chip of paint is vital tured Uruguayan pilots. team of mechanics and pilots who no At that time business was opening The early journeys were in three sec- In 1929 he flew the Buenos- public Domaine Photo: longer had any war work. up in South America and it was in tions. Toulouse to Dakar by plane; G.Garitan Photo: Aires to Santiago du Chile route to beloved author Mr Mary said: “It was then he had a France’s interest to have a speedy Dakar-Natal (Brazil) by boat as planes clue to Latécoère planes but on June 13 1930 a snow- stroke of genius. His planes were too postal service. But setting it up was did not yet cross the Atlantic, then storm forced him to land in the ANTOINE de Saint-Exupéry, the most well-known of the small to carry people but they could difficult and in 1926 Laté coère went from Natal by plane to Rio de Janeiro AN AIR historian has found remains of craft remains in the wood but nearly 90 Andes. He walked for five days French aviation pioneers, is best-known today as author of carry letters and there was a need to to Buenos Aires where he met French in Brazil, Buenos-Aires in Argentina an Aéropostale Latécoère 17 plane near- years later Mr Collaveri and Aero- in the snow until saved by a Le Petit Prince.

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