Leon Bourjade
Encyclopedia
Léon Bourjade born Jean-Pierre Léon Bourjade, was a leading French fighter pilot in World War I
, notable for being his country's leading balloon busting ace. He interrupted his theological studies to fight in World War I; post-war, he completed his studies and devoted the remainder of his life to service as a medical missionary to lepers.
, France
. It was his childhood dream to become a missionary. In 1908, he entered the noviate of The Fathers of the Sacred Heart of Issoudun
, in Spain. By 1914, he had moved on to study theology in Switzerland.
Instead of continuing studying for the priesthood in the neutral country of Switzerland, in 1914 he returned to France to enter the army. He served as an artillery
man for nearly three years. His initial service was with 23eme Regiment d'Artillerie for the First Battle of the Marne
. In 1915, he transferred to the 125e Brigade de Bombadiers, which was a mortar brigade.
in 1917, receiving his Military Pilot's Brevet on 17 June. He went on to advanced training at Pau. From there, he joined Escadrille 152, and became its highest scoring pilot. Originally, he flew a Nieuport
with his own personal touch - a Sacré-Coeur banner streaming from his headrest.
He opened his list on 27 March 1918, after his squadron re-equipped, flying his newly acquired Spad XIII to a single-handed victory over a German observation balloon. It was the beginning of what would become, with a single exception, a long string of triumphs over German observation balloons.
Bourjade scored another victory in April and two in May. He then went off combat duty for three weeks to attend gunnery school. After his return, he became an ace on 25 June with the first of his four scores for the month. His seventh shoot-down, on 29 June 1918, would prove to be his only winged victim, a Fokker D VII.
In the remaining four months of his career, his victories totaled seven in July, one in August, four in September, and eight in October. Beginning in August 1918, he made it a practice to coordinate his attack on the balloons with other French pilots. August was the month he spent largely out of action, with three weeks in the hospital and eight days leave spent with his parents.
He ended the war with a victory list of 27 balloons and one aircraft shot down, with a second airplane as an unconfirmed victory. It was a total that left him second only to Willy Coppens
of Belgium as a balloon buster
.
He was awarded a Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur
. In 1920, he was raised to Officier in the Legion.
, and eventually to New Guinea
. Bourjade died on Yule Island
, in what was then British New Guinea, while ministering to lepers. He was 35 years old.
Visiting French destroyers would fire salutes over his grave.
"Officer pilot of uncommon bravery and audacity. After brilliant conduct in the artillery, he has proven the highest qualities of courage by attacking numerous balloons and has shot down four. Four citations." Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur citation, June 5, 1918
Légion d'Honneur (Officier)
"Officer of the highest value; pursuit pilot of heroic bravery. Specialist in the attack of enemy observation balloons, has rendered brilliant service, proven by the numbers of his victories and by magnificent personal examples. Fourteen citations. One wound." Officier de la Légion d'Honneur citation, June 16, 1920.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, notable for being his country's leading balloon busting ace. He interrupted his theological studies to fight in World War I; post-war, he completed his studies and devoted the remainder of his life to service as a medical missionary to lepers.
Early life and service
Bourjade was born at MontaubanMontauban
Montauban is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It was his childhood dream to become a missionary. In 1908, he entered the noviate of The Fathers of the Sacred Heart of Issoudun
Issoudun
Issoudun is a commune in the Indre department in central France. It is also referred to as Issoundun, which is the ancient name.-History:...
, in Spain. By 1914, he had moved on to study theology in Switzerland.
Instead of continuing studying for the priesthood in the neutral country of Switzerland, in 1914 he returned to France to enter the army. He served as an artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
man for nearly three years. His initial service was with 23eme Regiment d'Artillerie for the First Battle of the Marne
First Battle of the Marne
The Battle of the Marne was a First World War battle fought between 5 and 12 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German Army under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke the Younger. The battle effectively ended the month long German offensive that opened the war and had...
. In 1915, he transferred to the 125e Brigade de Bombadiers, which was a mortar brigade.
Aviation service
He transferred to aviationAviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
in 1917, receiving his Military Pilot's Brevet on 17 June. He went on to advanced training at Pau. From there, he joined Escadrille 152, and became its highest scoring pilot. Originally, he flew a Nieuport
Nieuport
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.-Beginnings:...
with his own personal touch - a Sacré-Coeur banner streaming from his headrest.
He opened his list on 27 March 1918, after his squadron re-equipped, flying his newly acquired Spad XIII to a single-handed victory over a German observation balloon. It was the beginning of what would become, with a single exception, a long string of triumphs over German observation balloons.
Bourjade scored another victory in April and two in May. He then went off combat duty for three weeks to attend gunnery school. After his return, he became an ace on 25 June with the first of his four scores for the month. His seventh shoot-down, on 29 June 1918, would prove to be his only winged victim, a Fokker D VII.
In the remaining four months of his career, his victories totaled seven in July, one in August, four in September, and eight in October. Beginning in August 1918, he made it a practice to coordinate his attack on the balloons with other French pilots. August was the month he spent largely out of action, with three weeks in the hospital and eight days leave spent with his parents.
He ended the war with a victory list of 27 balloons and one aircraft shot down, with a second airplane as an unconfirmed victory. It was a total that left him second only to Willy Coppens
Willy Coppens
Willy Omer Francois Jean Coppens was Belgium's leading fighter ace and the champion "balloon buster" of World War I.-Background and Early Military Service:...
of Belgium as a balloon buster
Balloon buster
Balloon busters were military pilots known for destroying enemy observation balloons. These pilots were noted for their fearlessness. Seventy-six fighter pilots in World War I were each credited with destroying five or more balloons, and thus were balloon aces....
.
He was awarded a Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
. In 1920, he was raised to Officier in the Legion.
Post war
On 26 July 1921, he was finally ordained as a priest. In November 1921, he took ship to the Gilbert IslandsGilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...
, and eventually to New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. Bourjade died on Yule Island
Yule Island
Yule Island is a small island in Central Province, Papua New Guinea. It lies 160 km from Port Moresby.-History:Yule Island was one of the first areas in Central Province to have contact with Europeans...
, in what was then British New Guinea, while ministering to lepers. He was 35 years old.
Visiting French destroyers would fire salutes over his grave.
Citations for Decorations
Légion d'Honneur (Chevalier)"Officer pilot of uncommon bravery and audacity. After brilliant conduct in the artillery, he has proven the highest qualities of courage by attacking numerous balloons and has shot down four. Four citations." Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur citation, June 5, 1918
Légion d'Honneur (Officier)
"Officer of the highest value; pursuit pilot of heroic bravery. Specialist in the attack of enemy observation balloons, has rendered brilliant service, proven by the numbers of his victories and by magnificent personal examples. Fourteen citations. One wound." Officier de la Légion d'Honneur citation, June 16, 1920.