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Raoul Lufbery Newspapers Raoul Lufbery Collection (MS-502)

March 2019

Lufbery Cut Leave to Fly to His Death

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Repository Citation (2019). Lufbery Cut Leave to Fly to His Death. .

This Newspaper is brought to you for free and open access by the Raoul Lufbery Collection (MS-502) at CORE Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Raoul Lufbery Newspapers by an authorized administrator of CORE Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. so that he enlisted in the United States the two Hun airplanes fell too far with­ regulars. He served 18 months in the In the en,,my's lines to be placed to the Philippines. When his enlistment end­ credit of Lufbery. Lufbery Cut Leave ed he went to Japan, China, India and In a combat with a German flier on later went to Constantinople, where he Dec. 27, 1916, Lufbery almost lost his worked as a waiter in a restaurant. life, four bullets striking bis plane very In a few months, his spirit of ·unrest near to his body. He brought down directed him to Cochin-China, where at hi~ opponent, making it his sixth re­ !"aigon, he met Marc Pourpe, a young corded German machine. to Fly tO His Death French aviator, who was giving flying In the war activities of 1917, Lufbery 6xhibitions In Asia. Pourpe was in need wa,i equally successful. In a recent de­ +------of a mechanic. Lurbery had never seen spatch he was mentioned as having Continued From Firl!lt Pace man of his years. Since the early days an airplane, but he applied for the posi­ brought down 18 German airplanes. He tion and secured it. is known to have participated In more In writing a record of his life since he of his boyhood his career had been continuously one of excitement and 'This was the beginning of a firm than 50 aerial battles, and doubtless had became an aviator for some little time adventure. friendship between the two men. The brought down more than a score of previous to his death. Major Lufbery, who was 34 years old ll'rench aviator an<1 his American as­ opponents not credited officially. He Lufbery never missed an opportunity sistant gave flying exhibitions all over easily led all the American fliers. 1 at the time of his recent tragic death, to knock down an enemy machine, fre­ was born In a town in the Cevennes the, French provinces in Indo-China. Lufbery won the cross of the Legion quently tal,ing desperate chances tc, Mountain range of France. His father Lufbery received his first 1essons In of Honor, the gold medal of the Aero ~.dd to his victories. It was only yester­ was JMarseilles he set sail for northern tagonist as if trying to get something Africa and passed some time In Al­ Lufbery was soon decorated with the family of Major Raoul Lufbery, the about his machine In fighting trim geria, Tunis and Egypt. He fell Ill in military medal and the French war American aviator whose death has been again, and It was during this period cross, and was cited for bravery. Algiers and was confined in a hospital, announced, today received from him that he lost the advantage In position where he became an orderly and re­ Lufbery continued his good work. Al­ that led to his defeat. mained for a year. He went from most daily throughout the summer of some effects which gave them the im­ A bullet from t:,e German machine north Africa to Constantinople, where 1916, he had one or more combats, often pression that he Intended to come here punctured his gasolene tank and soon he worked for several weeks In a res­ returning to his home park with his on a visit. An hour later a report came j "his machine was In flames. He jumped ta.urant. He visited Rumanla and then mar.hine- full of bullet holes, and more of the death of Major Lufbery, but when some 800 yards from the earth. GE