France's second highest scoring fighter pilot of World
War One, George Guynemer was accepted for training as
an aircraft mechanic in 1914, but he was eventually
accepted for pilot training, joining Escadrille MS.3 on 8 June
1915. With this unit, he scored his first victory, on 19 July.
Guynemer scored his fifth victory in February 1916, and
was promoted to lieutenant in March. By year's end, his
score had risen to 25. At the end
of July, he became the first French ace to attain 50 victories
and was lionized by the French press, becoming a national
hero. Having scored a total of 53 victories, Guynemer failed
to return from a combat mission on 11 September 1917. He
was only 22 at the time of his death.
Neither he nor the wreckage of his airplane were ever
found by the Allies, but the Germans announced that he
had been shot down by Lt. Kurt Wissemann of Jasta 3.
Guynemer's death was a profound shock to France;
nevertheless, he remained a popular icon for the duration
of the war.