Raoul Lufbery

Gervais Raoul Lufbery (March 14, 1885 – May 19, 1918) was an

Death

On May 19, 1918 several 94th aviators were patrolling an area north of Nancy when the encountered a group of German Albatros fighters over Saint-Mihiel. Lufbery, who witnessed the combat from the 94th's base, jumped into a borrowed airplane and joined the fight. He took off after an Albatros that had been damaged in combat and was attempting to return to German lines. He made one pass, but in his recovery he was struck by machine gun fire from the Albatros?s rear machine gun and his plane caught fire.

Related Topics:
May 19 - 1918 - Nancy - Albatros - Saint-Mihiel - Machine gun

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What happened next has been a matter of considerable debate. At an altitude

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variously estimated between 200 and 600 feet, Lufbery either bailed out of the plane or

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was thrown from the cockpit after it flipped over above the village of Maron. Lufbery,

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who was not wearing a parachute, struck the ground and was killed. Some (most

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notably Eddie Rickenbacker, who witnessed the event) believe that he bailed out aiming for a canal of the nearby Moselle River hoping the water would break his fall, but there is no way to know for certain if this is true or not.

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He was buried with full military honors at the Aviators Cemetery at Sebastapol, France. His remains were later removed to a place of honor at the Lafayette Memorial du Parc de Garches in Paris.

Related Topics:
Aviators Cemetery - Sebastapol, France - Lafayette Memorial du Parc de Garches - Paris

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A sculpture of Lufbery and an airplane form the Harmon International Trophy, an award given annually beginning in 1926 to honor achievements in aviation. In 1998, Lufbery was enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

Related Topics:
Harmon International Trophy - 1926 - 1998 - National Aviation Hall of Fame

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