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several old letters and envelopes are stacked on top of each other
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Estimate €3,000 - €4,000
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MERMOZ Jean 7 letters ‘Jean’ or ‘Mermoz’, 1924 and undated, to his ‘Beloved Mum’; 17 pages, mostly in-8. Paris, 8 January (on the back of a letter from a Louis [Gilbert Louis?]): ‘Arrived safely at Le Bourget. I flew for three-quarters of an hour this afternoon. The plane’s running smoothly and I think I’ll be returning to Thionville soon, weather permitting "... Thionville, 16 January [following his accident on the 14th, during a flight from Le Bourget to Mourmelon]: “I’m grounded again for four days for having submitted a non-compliant accident report. […] I haven’t yet heard back from Latécoère. There’s no time to lose. It’ll take time for them to carry out their own investigation and for it to be sent to head office in Paris; nevertheless, I’m expecting a reply any day now”… Thursday [26th? June]. He’s been granted a reprieve: ‘I’m being demobilised next week’. He met someone ‘who’s sorting out my return to a company in Paris. […] You’ve got to seize the opportunity with both hands. […] I haven’t flown for two days. The squadron commander doesn’t want to know anything more about it. He wants me to leave with my bones intact. Bah! I’m armoured now!”… Ferrières. Holidays; bike rides; he pops over to Pontoise where he sees his dog again, “my old Rip. […] He gave me such a welcome! He was beside himself”… Tuesday. He has “a load of paperwork to sort out for my transport licence; I’ve got a medical tomorrow at 2 o’clock at Le Bourget, and a technical exam on Thursday. I also need a certificate confirming I haven’t been struck off the Military Aviation register […] an extract from my flight log […] Plus, I need a certificate confirming I’ve completed a few flights over the last six months”, which I’ll have to ask the Northern Aeronautical Association for… Thursday. In the event that he does not receive a favourable response, Captain Schmeiltz “will look after me regarding my re-enlistment if necessary”… $ Soissons, Tuesday morning. He is on leave and is worried about his mother’s new job in Lille: “As for your son, he tries to look on the bright side of life and, though he doesn’t always manage it, he bears it bravely, thinking that his mum is making an even greater sacrifice. And besides, he loves her so much!’… Source: - Jean Mermoz (1901–1936); - Gabrielle Gillet-Mermoz (1880–1955); - Then passed down through the family
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About the sale Historical Memories
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Auction time 11/03/2026 at 11:00 AM
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