1-217-217 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Georges Guynemer, French fighter ace, c1916. Guynemer (1894-1917) became the first French ace to attain 50 victories, a mark he reached at the end of July 1917. As his tally grew, Guynemer was lionized by the French press and became a national hero, with his exploits going some way to taking the public's mind off the appalling losses being sustained in the trenches at the time. On 11 September 1917, with a total of 53 kills to his credit, Guynemer was apparently shot down after attacking a German observation plane. Neither his aeroplane nor his body were ever found.