Jacques Ehrlich
Jacques Louis Ehrlich | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 October 1893 Paris, France |
| Died | 10 August 1953 (aged 59) Paris, France |
| Allegiance | France |
| Service/ | Infantry; aviation |
| Years of service | 1913–1918 |
| Rank | Escadrille 154 |
| Awards | Médaille militaire Croix de Guerre Mentioned in dispatches |
Sous Lieutenant Jacques Louis Ehrlich (1893-1953) was a French World War I
balloon busters
of the war.
Biography
Jacques Louis Ehrlich was born in Paris on 25 October 1893.[1]
He enlisted in the French army on 29 May 1913.Sous lieutenant.[1]
His total of 18 balloons downed garnered him the sixth spot on the
balloon busters list. He also shared a victory over an Albatros fighter.[3] This made him the highest scoring Allied Jewish ace of World War I,[5] one of five notable Jewish aces in France.[6] His score was matched by a Jewish-born German ace, Wilhelm Frankl, who had converted to Catholicism to marry his Austrian bride.[5]
Ehrlich died in his native Paris on 10 August 1953.[1]
Honors and awards
Citation for Médaille militaire
"Remarkable pursuit pilot who has distinguished himself by his exceptional audacity and tenacity which have earned him twelve victories in one month. He flamed three balloons in a few minutes. One wound. Three citations." Médaille militaire citation, 10 September 1918[1]
Sources of information
- ^ a b c d Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918, pp. 157 - 158
- ^ a b c Balloon-Busting Aces of World War 1, p. 15.
- ^ a b c The Aerodrome website [1] Accessed 19 December 2009.
- ^ firstworldwar.com website [2] Accessed 19 December 2009.
- ^ a b SPAD XII/XIII Aces of World War I, p. 60
- ^ Les cahiers du judaïsme 21-22 Alliance israélite universelle – 2007"Cinq As juifs se distinguent dont Jacques-Louis Ehrlich – dix-neuf avions et Drachens abattus -, Eugène Weismann, ... Jacques-Louis Ehrlich de l'escadrille 154, quinzième As dans le palmarès des aviateurs, demeure très humble au sujet ..."
References
- Balloon-Busting Aces of World War 1. Jon Guttman. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2005. ISBN 978-1-84176-877-9.
- Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918 ISBN 978-0-948817-54-0.
- SPAD XII/XIII Aces of World War 1 (Aircraft of the Aces), Jon Guttman. Oxford UK:Osprey Publishing, 2002. ISBN 978-1841763163