Georges Madon

Georges Flix Madon (July 28, 1892 November 11,

1924) was the fourth ranked French ace pilot of the First
World War.[1] His lengthy career and wide variety of aviation experiences were remarkable.

1
1.1

He was then posted to Escadrille MF218 as a sergeant

directing artillery re. He requested transfer to a ghter
squadron.[2]
After retraining at Pau and Cazaux, he was posted to
y Nieuports with N38 on September 1, 1916.[2][5] He
scored his rst victory on the 28th. By the years end, he
was up to four and had been promoted to adjutant.[1]

Life and career

Madon began the new year by strang an enemy locomotive to a halt. Later, on July 2, 1917, he was wounded
in action when he collided with an enemy aircraft and
crashed. By then, he had 12 victories. The following
month, he was commissioned a sous lieutenant. By October, his conrmed score was 17, with 20 unconrmed.
He was said to have returned with blood and brains on
his planes propeller three times; another time, he brought
home the glasses from an enemy observers face stuck in
his planes wire bracing.[2]

Early years

Madon was born in Bizerte, Tunisia and was athletic from

an early age. He was short but had an erect stance,
and was exceptionally strong. He boxed and played
football.[2]

Madon rst became interested in aviation when just 15

years old, when he made an unsuccessful attempt to build
his own craft.[3] He had quit school to get over a siege of
malaria. After building models and kites, he fabricated a By March[1] 1918, his personal score stood at 25
conrmed. He was appointed to command Escadrille
bicycle-powered aviette.
Spa38, which was re-equipped with new Spad XIIIs. AlHis desire to y led him to attempt to become a pilot for though principally a photo reconnaissance unit, Spa38 agthe Ottoman Empire. When that failed, he enlisted in the gressively defended itself. They lived up to the motto they
First Engineering Regiment in Versailles, and ended up adopted from their commander: Whoever rubs against
as a cook. He repeatedly requested pilots training.[4]
me gets pricked. They also adopted his black thistle insignia on their planes.
As part of Madons new role, he mentored other pilots
who became aces because of his tutelage; among these
were Andre Martenot de Cordou, Hector Garaud, and
He subsequently qualied as a pilot in June 1911, after
American David Putnam.
19 lessons. On March 12, 1912, he enlisted in the French
military and received his military pilots license at Avord, By wars end, he was credited with 41 conrmed victories
France, in January 1913.[1] Although only a corporal, he and 64 probables. About the latter, he once nonchalantly
was one of Frances most experienced military pilots. He remarked: The Boche knows his losses. His score of 41
originally ew reconnaissance and night-time bombing still ranked him fourth among all French pilots.[5]
missions while assigned to y prewar Bleriots with Es- In an ironic twist, he was promoted to temporary captain
cadrille (squadron) BL30. The night ying missions were on the last day of the war, Armistice Day, 1918.[1] In an
some of the rst ever, and his experience probably ac- era when ghter aces careers were commonly measured
counted for this assignment. Certainly it saved his life, in months, he had had a two-year string of victories. With
when on October 30, 1914, his engine was destroyed by seven years of ying experience, he was one of the worlds
a direct hit from 77 mm cannon re. It took exceptional most experienced aviators by the wars end.
skill to coax the Bleriot to a dead stick landing against the
wind within French lines.[2]

1.2

Aerial Service

1.3 Later years

In April 1915, thrown o course by heavy fog, Madon

ew into Swiss air space while qualifying upon a new 80
horsepower (60 kW) Farman, and was interned for several months.[3] It took him two tries to escape, but he
freed himself in December by chloroforming and kidnapping his guard. His reward was a court-martial and
60 days connement.

Madon stayed in aviation after the war ended. In 1922,

he ew a radically designed racing monoplane scheduled
for the Coupe-Deutsch Race. The Simplex monoplane
had a 320 horsepower (240 kW) Hispano-Suiza engine
crammed into a short fuselage; pilot view was seriously
1

EXTERNAL LINKS

3 Citations for Decorations

George Felix Madon, Lieutenant temporary (active) engineer, pilot aviator, ocer elite ghter pilot of an indomitable energy, heroic bravery and supreme skill. Also
winner in the ordinary course of committed countless battles without concern of many opponents, or the removal
of our lines, never reached even a single bullet through the
devastating speed of his attacks, the precision of his maneuvers, the infallibility of his shot, wounded sometimes
in terrible falls, leads tirelessly by his splendid example,
the squadron under his command and it shows every day
with new exploits. On 11 August 1918, he slaughtered
his 40th enemy plane. A injury. Chevalier de la Lgion
d'honneur for war. Nineteen citations. "[4]

4 References
[1] Georges Felix Madon - The Aerodrome - Aces and Aircraft of World War I. Theaerodrome.com. Retrieved
2009-01-05.

Madon leaning against a Spad

[2] La Tourette Driggs, Laurence (1918). Chapter IX: Other

French Aces. Heroes of Aviation. Little, Brown, and
company.
[3] First World War.com - Whos Who - Georges Madon.
Firstworldwar.com. Retrieved 2009-01-05.

limited by a rearward seating behind a barrel radiator.

Madon crashed the plane during a test ight and suered
severe injuries.[6]
Precisely six years after Armistice Day, at age 32, Madon
was killed in his native Tunisia preparing for a tribute to
fellow airman Roland Garros. His aircraft suered mechanical trouble, and he gallantly crashed it into the roof
of a villa rather than hit spectators.[3] He died in Tunis.

[4] Biography of Captain George MADON. Ministry of

Defense. 5 February 2007. Retrieved 2008-01-17.
[5] VII Aces of World War I By Jon Guttman
[6] Russell Naughton. Flying Wings : An Anthology : Ren
Arnoux. Ctie.monash.edu.au. Retrieved 2009-01-05.
[7] http://www.ba702.air.defense.gouv.fr/

5 External links
2

Legacy

Madons legacy is founded on more than his experienced

long service to his country and his long rise through military ranks. His score sheet included an incredible 64
probable victories. Conrmation of any sizable number
of these might raise him to a score even greater than that
of Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron himself.
Madon was awarded three medals by his own country:
Mdaille Militaire, Chevalier de la Lgion d'honneur, and
Croix de Guerre with ten palms. He also was awarded
the Italian Order for Valor, and the Romanian Order for
Valor.
The Avord Air Base, near Avord in central France, where
he learned to y, is named Base Arienne 702 Capitaine
Georges Madon.[7]

Norman Franks and Frank W. Bailey (1992). Over

the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces
and Units of the U.S. and French Air Services, 19141918. Grub Street, London.
http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/madon.htm
http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/arnoux.
html

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

6.1

Text

Georges Madon Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Madon?oldid=710542963 Contributors: Klemen Kocjancic, Saga City,

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6.2

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