Jean-François Jannekeyn (16 November 1892 – 17 November 1971) was a French military aviator, general, politician and Olympic fencer. A

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

credited with five aerial victories as a bomber pilot, he flew a

Breguet 14 Breguet or Bréguet may refer to: * Breguet (watch), watch manufacturer **Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747–1823), Swiss watchmaker **Louis-François-Clement Breguet (1804–1883), French physicist, watchmaker, electrical and telegraph work * Bréguet ...

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Retrieved 17 August 2020. As a professional officer, he remained in the French Air Force after World War I and he also competed at the 1924 Summer Olympics as a sabre fencer. During World War II, he held the rank of general and served as Minister of Air in

Vichy France Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its te ...

from 1942 to 1943.

Biography

Jean François Jannekeyn was born in Cambrai, France on 16 November 1892. Jannekyn served as a cavalryman before his transfer to aviation service during World War I.''Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918'', pp. 179 - 180 Transferring in 1917, he served as an aerial

observer An observer is one who engages in observation or in watching an experiment. Observer may also refer to: Computer science and information theory * In information theory, any system which receives information from an object * State observer in co ...

. On 23 May 1918, he took command of ''Escadrille BR.132'', a bomber squadron. He usually flew with Lieutenant Eugène Weismann as his pilot. Jannekyn gained his first aerial victory on 22 August 1918. Then, on 14 September 1918, Jannekyn and Weismann were one of four Bréguet air crews battling German

Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII qui ...

s. Four Fokkers were shot down, and all French participants were credited with four aerial victories. In 1939, at the start of World War II, he was a

Brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

; the following year, he was bumped to

Major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

. In 1942 and 1943, he served as Minister of Air.

Awards and honors

Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...

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"An officer of exceptional merit who has never ceased throughout the war, at first as a volunteer in a cavalry battalion, then in day bombardment aviation, to be an example of courage and self-denial. Five citations." ''Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur'' citation, 27 March 1919 He also won the '' Croix de Guerre'' with two ''palmes'', an ''etoile de vermeil'', an ''etoile de argent'' and an ''etoile de bronze''.

Endnotes

References

* Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank (1993). ''Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918'' London, UK: Grub Street Publishing. .

External links

*
Biography, list of aerial victories
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jannekeyn, Jean 1892 births 1971 deaths Fencers at the 1924 Summer Olympics Olympic fencers for France French World War I flying aces French male sabre fencers French military personnel of World War II Chiefs of the Staff of the French Air and Space Force

Biography

Awards and honors

Endnotes

See also

References

External links