Charles Eugène Jules Marie Nungesser (15 March 1892 – presumably on or after 8 May 1927) was a French ace pilot and adventurer. Nungesser was a renowned ace in France, ranking third highest in the country with 43 air combat victories during World War I. After the war, Nungesser mysteriously disappeared on an attempt to make the first non-stop

transatlantic flight A transatlantic flight is the flight of an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe, Africa, South Asia, or the Middle East to North America, South America, or ''vice versa''. Such flights have been made by fixed-wing aircraft, airships, bal ...

from Paris to New York, flying with wartime comrade François Coli in '' L'Oiseau Blanc'' (The White Bird). Their aircraft took off from Paris on 8 May 1927, was sighted once more over Ireland, and then was never seen again. The aircraft was either lost over the Atlantic or crashed in

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

. Two weeks after Nungesser and Coli's attempt,

Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, and author. On May 20–21, 1927, he made the first nonstop flight from New York (state), New York to Paris, a distance of . His aircra ...

successfully made the journey, flying solo from New York to Paris in '' Spirit of St. Louis''. Monuments and museums honoring Nungesser and Coli's attempt exist at Le Bourget airport in Paris and on the cliffs of Étretat, the location from which their plane was last sighted in France.

Early life

Charles Nungesser was born on 15 March 1892 in Paris and, as a child, was very interested in competitive sports. After attending the École des Arts et Métiers, where he was a mediocre student who nonetheless excelled in sports such as

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

, he went to South Americafirst to

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

, Brazil, to search for an uncle who could not be located and then to

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

, Argentina, where he worked as an auto mechanic before becoming a professional racer. His interest in racing soon led him to flying airplanes; Nungesser learned to fly by using a Blériot plane owned by a friend. After he eventually found his missing uncle, he worked on his sugar plantation in the Buenos Aires province.

World War I exploits

Enlisting in the cavalry

When World War I broke out, Nungesser returned to France where he enlisted with the 2nd Régiment de Hussards. During one patrol, he and several soldiers commandeered a German Mors patrol car after killing its occupants. This impressed his superiors and he was subsequently awarded the Médaille militaire and granted his request to be transferred to the Service Aéronautique.

Serving in the Service Aéronautique

As a military pilot, he was transferred to Escadrille VB106. While there, in July 1915, he shot down his first plane, a German Albatros, and was awarded the

Croix de guerre The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...

. This action was the beginning of the Nungesser legend. On 31 July 1915, Nungesser and his mechanic Roger Pochon were on standby duty. The two took off in a Voisin 3LAS despite Nungesser's assignment to non-flying duties. In an encounter with five Albatros two-seaters, the French duo shot one down near :Nancy, France. Returning to their airfield, Nungesser was placed under house arrest for eight days for his insubordination. He was then decorated and forwarded to training in

Nieuport Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars. History Beginnings Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...

fighters. By the time Nungesser left VB106, he had flown 53 bombing missions. He had also emblazoned at least one of the Escadrille's planes with his elaborate gruesome personal insignia: the freebooter's skull and crossbones and a coffin with two candles. In November 1915, after retraining, he was transferred to Escadrille N.65 (the 65th Squadron) and was later attached to the famous Lafayette Escadrille, composed of American volunteers. While visiting the Escadrille on one of his convalescent periods recuperating from his wounds, he borrowed a plane and shot down another German aircraft while he was there. By the end of 1916, he had claimed 21 aerial victories.

Undisciplined at times

Despite being a decorated pilot, Nungesser was placed under house arrest on more than one occasion for flying without permission. He disliked strict military discipline and went to Paris to enjoy its many pleasures (such as alcohol and women) as often as possible. He was a leading

fighter pilot A fighter pilot or combat pilot is a Military aviation, military aviator trained to engage in air-to-air combat, Air-to-ground weaponry, air-to-ground combat and sometimes Electronic-warfare aircraft, electronic warfare while in the cockpit of ...

whose combat exploits against the Germans were widely publicized in France. Nungesser's rugged good looks, flamboyant personality, and appetite for danger, beautiful women, wine, and fast cars made him the embodiment of the stereotypical fighter ace. He would sometimes arrive for morning patrol still dressed in the tuxedo he had worn the night before and even occasionally with a female companion. In contrast to the unsociable but nonetheless top French ace

René Fonck Colonel René Paul Fonck (27 March 1894 – 18 June 1953) was a French aviator who ended the First World War as the top Triple Entente, Entente fighter Flying ace, ace and, when all succeeding aerial conflicts of the 20th and 21st centurie ...

, Nungesser was well liked by his comrades. He suffered a very bad crash on 6 February 1916 that broke both his legs and he was to be injured again many times. He was often so hobbled by wounds and injuries that he had to be helped into his cockpit.

Victories as a fighter ace

Notwithstanding early setbacks, Nungesser became an ace in April 1916. He was wounded on 19 May 1916 but continued to score victories, a streak that ended once he was wounded again in June. Nevertheless, he finished the year with 21 aerial victories. It was during this time he downed two German aces, Hans Schilling, on 4 December, as well as Kurt Haber on the 20th. His silver

Nieuport 17 The Nieuport 17 C.1 (or Nieuport XVII C.1 in contemporary sources) is a French sesquiplane fighter aircraft, fighter designed and manufactured by the Nieuport company during World War I. An improvement over the Nieuport 11, it was a little large ...

plane was decorated with a black heart-shaped field, within which was painted in white a macabre

Jolly Roger Jolly Roger was the England, ensign flown by a piracy, pirate ship preceding or during an attack, during the early 18th century (the latter part of the Golden Age of Piracy). The vast majority of such flags flew the motif of a human skull, or � ...

, a coffin and two candles. He had adopted the title "The Knight of Death", paraphrasing the French word ''mort'' ("death"), a play on words for the German Mors vehicle like the one he captured as a cavalryman. In early 1917, Nungesser had to return to hospital for treatment of injuries but managed to avoid being grounded. He had pushed his score to 30 by 17 August 1917, when he downed his second

Gotha Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine Wettins from 1640 until the ...

bomber. Injuries from a car crash in December got him a month's respite as an instructor before he returned to flying combat with Escadrille 65. He still flew a Nieuport (a Nieuport 25), even though the squadron had re-equipped with SPADs. By May 1918, he had 35 victories, including a shared victory each with Jacques Gérard and Eugène Camplan and was eventually raised to Officer of the Légion d'honneur. By August 1918, he finally received a Spad XIII aircraft and resumed his winning streak. On 14 August, he shot down four observation balloons for wins 39 through 42. The following day, he shared a win with Marcel Henriot and another pilot and finished the war with 43 official victories, the third highest number among French fliers behind

and Georges Guynemer. In his flying career, Nungesser received dozens of

military decoration Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medallion. Civil decorations award ...

s from France, Belgium, Montenegro, United States of America, Portugal,

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

and the United Kingdom.

Wounds and injuries

By the end of the war, a succinct summary of Nungesser's wounds and injuries read: "Skull fracture, brain concussion, internal injuries (multiple), five fractures of the upper jaw, two fractures of lower jaw, piece of anti-aircraft shrapnel imbedded icin right arm, dislocation of knees (left and right), re-dislocation of left knee, bullet wound in mouth, bullet wound in ear, atrophy of tendons in left leg, atrophy of muscles in calf, dislocated clavicle, dislocated wrist, dislocated right ankle, loss of teeth, contusions too numerous to mention."

Post-World War I activities and disappearance

Work in the film industry

After the conclusion of World War I in November 1918, Nungesser tried to organize a private flying school but failed to attract enough students. As the post-World War I economic

recession In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction that occurs when there is a period of broad decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be tr ...

had left many World War I aces without a job, he decided to take his chances with cinema in the United States, where the days of heroic flying were a very popular theme. It was when Nungesser was in the U.S. doing the film '' The Sky Raider'' that he became interested in the idea of making a transatlantic flight and told his friends his next trip to America would be by air. In 1923, Nungesser became engaged to Consuelo Hatmaker. They married in 1923 and separated in 1926.

Attempt at aircraft sales

In late 1923, Nungesser headed up an ill-starred voyage to

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.José Manuel Cortina, when the latter was vacationing in Paris, Nungesser seemed to have assumed he had received an official tender from the Cuban government. At any rate, Nungesser brought four World War I SPADs with him, as well as two fellow veterans. Nungesser based the SPADs with the Cuban Air Corps at Campo Colombia. He then proposed that the Cubans buy forty or more airplanes from him. When the Cuban Army pleaded lack of budget, Nungesser so aggressively importuned the Cuban Congress that the Cuban army

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

, General Alberto Herrera y Franchi, threatened to throw Nungesser's party out of the country. On 10 February 1924, the French ace ended his Cuban sojourn with a fundraising flying exhibition, proceeds going to charity.

Nungesser disappears

François Coli, a navigator already known for making historic flights across the Mediterranean, had been planning a transatlantic flight since 1923, with his wartime comrade Paul Tarascon, another World War I ace. When Tarascon had to drop out because of an injury from a crash, Nungesser came in as a replacement. Nungesser and Coli took off from Le Bourget airport near Paris on 8 May 1927, heading for New York in their ''L'Oiseau Blanc'' (The White Bird) aircraft, a Levasseur PL.8 biplane painted with Nungesser's old World War I insignia. Their plane was last sighted heading past

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

and, when they never arrived, the assumption was that their plane had crashed in the

North Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

. Two weeks later, American aviator

successfully crossed from New York to Paris and was given an immense hero's welcome by the French, even as they mourned for the losses of Nungesser and Coli. Over the years, there have been various investigations to try to determine what happened to Nungesser and Coli. Most believe that the plane came down in the Atlantic due to a rain squall, but the aircraft has never been recovered. The leading alternative theory is that the aircraft may have crashed in

. A report in a French newspaper that Nungesser and Coli arrived safely was followed by a detailed description of the festivities, etc., but all this was a hoax. The anti-American sentiment it generated led to Lindbergh being advised to delay his own flight a few weeks, until the furore and resentment had died down.

Commemoration

Many streets in France are named after Nungesser, usually jointly with Coli. In 1928, the Ontario Surveyor General named a number of lakes in the northwest of the province to honour aviators who had perished during 1927, mainly in attempting oceanic flights. p 14. Amongst them are Nungesser Lake () and Coli Lake (). The town of Gander, NL, Canada has named a street after Charles Nungesser (48.953497, −54.612927). The modern town of Gander was started in late 1950s and most of its streets are named after famous aviators.

In film

The first American air fighting super production film, '' The Dawn Patrol'' (1930), featured Nungesser flying himself in his own plane with The Knight of Death emblem on it. The film was released in 1930, well after Nungesser's disappearance, but filmed four years earlier. The plane he flew was not a

, as he flew in the war, but a Hanriot HD.1 type. The film, directed by

Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, Film producer, producer, and screenwriter of the Classical Hollywood cinema, classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American ...

, became a success due to the many scenes of spectacular

dogfight A dogfight, or dog fight, is an air combat manoeuvring, aerial battle between fighter aircraft that is conducted at close range. Modern terminology for air-to-air combat is air combat manoeuvring (ACM), which refers to tactical situations requir ...

ing. A number of other aces of World War I, of various nationalities, have been used to fly planes in similar film productions or airshow demonstrations as well. Contrary to rumor, Nungesser was not one of the stunt pilots killed during the filming of '' Hell's Angels'' (1930), the epic aviation movie by

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American Aerospace engineering, aerospace engineer, business magnate, film producer, and investor. He was The World's Billionaires, one of the richest and most influential peo ...

. In 1982, a French film '' L'as des as'' (Ace of Aces) starring

Jean-Paul Belmondo Jean-Paul Charles Belmondo (; 9 April 19336 September 2021) was a French actor. Initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s, he was a major French film star for several decades from the 1960s onward, frequently portraying police officer ...

extensively used many anecdotes from Nungesser's life, mostly for comedic effect. In addition to dogfighting, his night life in Paris had become a legend of sorts. A 1999 Canadian made-for-TV children's special movie, '' Dead Aviators'' (airing on U.S. cable TV as " Restless Spirits"), uses the mystery of the disappearance of ''The White Bird'' as the key plot device. A young girl, who struggles with her pilot-father's death in a plane crash years before, visits her grandmother in Newfoundland. While there, she encounters the ghosts of Nungesser and Coli, whose restless spirits constantly relive their own unheralded 1927 crash in a nearby pond. The girl decides to help the pair move onto the afterlife by assisting them in rebuilding their airplane and completing their flight so they may be released and, by doing so, works through her own emotional distress over her father's test flight death. The depiction of ''The White Bird'' and Nungesser's crest and dialog references to Nungesser's wartime achievements are very consistent with some published accounts. In the '' Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'' episode ''Attack of the Hawkmen'',

Indiana Jones ''Indiana Jones'' is an American media franchise consisting of five films and a prequel television series, along with games, comics, and tie-in novels, that depicts the adventures of Indiana Jones (character), Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, ...

meets Nungesser (played by Patrick Toomey) when Jones, as a Belgian officer, is temporarily attached to the Lafayette Escadrille. Nungesser is depicted as the squadron's reckless, flamboyant and charismatic hero, who parties in Paris and duels with the Red Baron. Nungesser flies Jones in and out of Germany in a German biplane to accomplish an undercover spy mission concerning Dutch aircraft manufacturer

Anthony Fokker Anton Herman Gerard "Anthony" Fokker (6 April 1890 – 23 December 1939) was a Dutch aviation pioneer, aviation entrepreneur, aircraft designer, and aircraft manufacturer. He produced fighter aircraft in Germany during the First World War such ...

(played by Craig Kelly), who was building new planes like the Fokker Dr.I for Germany's war effort.

Citations of honors

Médaille militaire citation "Brigadier of the 2nd Light Cavalry Regiment, on 3 September 1914, with his officer having been wounded during the course of a reconnaissance, he at first sheltered him, then with the assistance of several foot soldiers, after having replaced the disabled officer, he secured an auto and brought back the papers by crossing an area under fire by the enemy." Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur citation, 4 December 1915 "Pilot detached at his own request to an Escadrille in the rear, has never ceased since his arrival to seek any occasion to fly; flying up to four hours, thirty minutes each day in spite of the inclement weather. During the course of his last combat he gave proof of the highest moral qualities by approaching to within 10 meters the enemy machine he was pursuing firing in response up to the last moment. He succeeded in downing his adversary which caught fire and exploded in front of the French trenches." Officier de la Légion d'honneur citation, 19 May 1918 "Incomparable pursuit pilot, with exceptional knowledge and magnificent bravery, which reflect the power and inflexible will of his ancestry. In the cavalry, where during his first engagements he earned the Médaille militaire, then in a groupe de bombardement where for his daily prowess he was cited several times in orders and was decorated with the Legion of Honor, and finally with an Escadrille de chasse, for thirty months his exploits were prodigious, and he always presented himself as a superb example of tenacity and audacity, displaying an arrogant contempt for death. Absent from the front several times because of crashes and wounds, his ferocious energy was not dampened, and he returned each time to the fray, with his spirit undaunted gaining victory after victory, finally becoming famous as the most feared adversary for German aviation. 31 enemy aircraft downed, three balloons flamed, two wounds, fifteen citations." Other awards * Croix de guerre (France) with 28 palms *

Order of Leopold (Belgium) The Order of Leopold (, , ) is one of the three current Belgian national honorary orders of knighthood. It is the oldest and highest order of Belgium and is named in honour of its founder, King Leopold I. It consists of a military, a ma ...

* Croix de guerre (Belgium) *

Distinguished Service Cross (United States) The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the United States Army's second highest Awards and decorations of the United States military, military decoration for soldiers who display extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. Action ...

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

(United Kingdom) * War Cross (Portugal) * Victory Medal * 1914–1918 Commemorative war medal (France) * Insignia for the Military Wounded *

Order of Karađorđe's Star Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * ...

(

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

) * Order of Prince Danilo I (

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

) *Verdun Medal

References

Citations

Sources

* 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 1914–1918.'' Grub Street, London. , . * Norman Franks (2000). ''Nieuport Aces of World War 1.'' Osprey Publishing. , . * Jon Guttman. ''SPAD XII/XIII Aces of World War I.'' Osprey Publishing, 2002. , 9781841763163. * Jon Guttman, Harry Dempsey. ''Pusher Aces of World War 1''. Osprey Pub Co, 2009. , . * Hagedorn, Dan. ''Conquistadors of the Sky: A History of Aviation in Latin America''. University Press of Florida, 2008. , . * *

External links

List of victories and color profiles

* ttp://www.acepilots.com/wwi/fr_nungesser.html The French ace C. Nungesser
Charles Nungesser page at theaerodrome.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nungesser, Charles 1892 births 1920s missing person cases 1927 deaths Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents French World War I flying aces Lafayette Escadrille Missing aviators People from Valenciennes People lost at sea Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) Recipients of the Military Cross Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1927 Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in international waters

Early life

World War I exploits

Enlisting in the cavalry

Serving in the Service Aéronautique

Undisciplined at times

Victories as a fighter ace

Wounds and injuries

Post-World War I activities and disappearance

Work in the film industry

Attempt at aircraft sales

Nungesser disappears

Commemoration

In film

Citations of honors

See also

References

Citations

Sources

External links