Air maneuvers ordered despite the storm

TWO AVIATORS KILLED TEN AIRCRAFT DESTROYED

The military authority had ordered that air maneuvers would take place yesterday morning in the Rambouillet region. The wind was blowing like a storm when the planes had to leave their respective airfields at Le Bourget, Villacoublay, and Buc.

But the military authority is, by definition, not very concerned about human lives and the aviators, when they are military, must obey and "keep quiet without murmuring". Those, who were disciplined, and brave to boot, climbed onto their planes at eight o'clock in the morning.

What had to happen happened. As soon as they took off, the planes could not stand up to the hurricane. Seven planes at Villacoublay and three at Buc were knocked to the ground by eddies and destroyed. Fortunately, no deaths were to be deplored.

It was not, alas! the same at Le Bourget. There, an airplane that was being piloted by Warrant Officer Alfred Béguier, aged 26, living at Le Bourget, and his mechanic, Sergeant Champaud, aged 32, living at 28, rue Biscornet, had managed to take to the air. It was still flying over the airfield when it was suddenly seen to nose dive and fall vertically to the ground. The fall lasted barely a few seconds. Those present rushed to the scene, but it was to witness the terrible agony of the two unfortunate men.

The plane, when it crashed, had been literally reduced to pieces and, from its debris, the two bodies were removed, half-carbonized and horribly mutilated. The mechanic and the pilot, who met a tragic death there, were both married and fathers. Their very brilliant war services had earned them several citations. However, the test did not seem conclusive to the military authorities, who were attached to their aerial maneuvers.

At 11 o'clock, in Rambouillet, Commander Villermoz and Warrant Officer Vaucandenberg received the order to take off. A first test damaged their aircraft. They were made to try again, but it was to obtain, on a new aircraft, an identical result.
Then the military authorities, in the person of General Huet, judged that, decidedly, enough was enough for that morning. Two dead, ten aircraft destroyed, two others damaged, that is, in fact, a respectable record.
Orders were given to suspend the maneuvers, which moreover no urgent reason had imposed.

An investigation into the accident at Le Bourget

General Nollet, Minister of War, ordered an investigation into the causes of the accident at Le Bourget. They obviously stem from the storm. But it seems to us that we can go further up the scale of responsibilities. Above the person responsible for Fatality, there are those who, warned of the approaching storm by the meteorological centres (military services, however), nevertheless delivered the men under their command to certain death.