Edmond Thieffry

Name:

Edmond Thieffry

Country:

Belgium

Rank:

Sous Lieutenant

Units:

4me, 5me

Victories:

Born:

28 September 1892

Place of Birth:

Etterbeek, Belgium

Died:

11 April 1929

Place of Death:

150 km from Albertville, Belgian Congo

An attorney when the war began, Thieffry joined the army but was soon captured by the Germans. He escaped on a stolen motorcycle and was interned when he entered the Netherlands. Employing all his legal skills, he successfully argued for his release and was promptly back on the stolen motorcycle, heading for home. In July 1915, Thieffry transferred to the Belgian Air Service where he crashed more aircraft during training than any other Belgian pilot. As a result, his superiors were reluctant to assign him to a two-seater squadron for fear he would kill the observer in a crash. Instead, he was assigned to fly single-seat fighters. Thieffry soon crashed his first Nieuport scout and as he attempted to extract himself from the wreckage, he inadvertently fired his machine gun, scattering the onlookers who were rushing to his aid. His skills as a pilot eventually improved and Thieffry went on to become an ace. In February 1918, he was shot down in flames but survived and was captured.

Victories

	Date	Time	Unit	Aircraft	Opponent	Location
1	15 Mar 1917	p.m.	5me	Nieuport	Two-seater (DES)
2	23 Mar 1917	a.m.	5me	Nieuport	Two-seater (DES)	Ghisteles
3	12 May 1917	0700	5me	Nieuport	Two-seater (DES)	Houthulst Forest
4	14 Jun 1917	2030	5me	Nieuport	Albatros D.III (DES)	Westende
5	03 Jul 1917	1330	5me	Nieuport	Albatros D.III (DES)	N of Dixmude
6	03 Jul 1917	1332	5me	Nieuport	Albatros D.III (DES)	N of Dixmude
7	16 Aug 1917	0915	5me	SPAD	Albatros C (DES)	Houthulst Forest
8	22 Aug 1917	1015	5me	SPAD	Scout (DES)	Beerst
9	26 Aug 1917	1940	5me	SPAD	Scout (DES)	Slype
10	16 Oct 1917	1140	5me	SPAD	Scout (DES)	Merckem

Books

Above Flanders' Field: by Walter M. Pieters / Hardcover / Grub Street (May 1998)
Above the War Fronts: by Norman L. R. Franks, Russell Guest, Gregory Alegi / Hardcover / Grub Street (September 1997)