Charles Quette

Sous lieutenant Charles Alfred Quette was a French World War I flying ace credited with ten confirmed and five unconfirmed aerial victories.

Charles Alfred Quette
Born19 May 1895
Paris, France
Died5 June 1918(1918-06-05) (aged 23)
AllegianceFrance
Service/branchInfantry; aviation
RankSous lieutenant
Unit89e Regiment d'Infanterie, Escadrille 38, Escadrille 64, Escadrille 62
AwardsMédaille militaire, Croix de guerre, Mentioned in Dispatches thrice

Early life

Charles Alfred Quette was born in Paris on 19 May 1895.[1]

World War I

Quette originally was a soldat de 2e classe in the infantry. He transferred to aviation and on 5 July 1915 joined Escadrille 38 as a mechanic. On 24 August, he transferred again, to Escadrille 64 as a gunner/observer on Caudrons. His service there earned him two citations in orders. He then trained as a pilot. On 11 April 1917, he was promoted to Corporal and assigned to Escadrille 62 as a Spad pilot.[1]

Quette scored his first aerial victory on 22 July 1917. He was then awarded the Médaille militaire; the accompanying citation noted he had already been wounded twice. He was also promoted to sergeant on 25 August 1917. In September, Quette scored four more times to become an ace. A promotion to adjutant followed.[1]

Between 15 March and 4 June 1918, Quette scored five more times. On 5 June, having been promoted to temporary sous lieutenant five days prior, Quette disappeared and was posted missing in action. On 9 July 1918, he was mentioned in dispatches for his ten victories.[1]

Honors and awards

Pilot of Escadrille N62. Young and full of courage and sang-froid. He has distinguished himself in many situations and has had numerous combats, during the course of which his plane was hit several times by enemy fire. On 22 July 1917, he downed a German plane after a difficult combat. Wounded twice and cited in orders twice during the course of the war. –Médaille Militaire citation–[1][2]

Croix de guerre also awarded[3]

Endnotes
  1. Over the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918. p. 210.
  2. The Aerodrome website at http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/france/quette.php Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  3. The Aerodrome medals awards Retrieved 11 November 2017.
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References
  • Over the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914-1918 Norman L. R. Franks, Frank W. Bailey. Grub Street, 1992. ISBN 0-948817-54-2, ISBN 978-0-948817-54-0.
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