Guynemer in Lahoussoye.

Georges Guynemer was one of the ‘Aces of Aces’ of the Great War, with a record of 53 official victories. He was thus the second-highest-scoring French pilot, just behind René Fonck and his 75 victories.
At the head of his squadron, he was stationed at Cachy from April 1916 to January 1917. It was there, in fact, that his squadron took on its famous name, ‘L’escadrille des Cigognes’ (The Storks’ Squadron).

Paul Lengellé, who would go on to become the official painter of the Air Force, was then a student at the Lahoussoye School, in front of which you are standing. He later recounted that, in early 1917, his class was evacuated upon the arrival of British officers. He then realised that they were accompanying Georges Guynemer. He recounted: ‘I walked past him, filled with admiration, whilst one of my classmates, Paul Ballue, who was older than me, took the liberty of speaking to him…’

The pilot had made an emergency landing near the village. He went to the school to contact his unit by telephone in order to be evacuated.