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110
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MERMOZ Jean
See original version (French)
110
-
MERMOZ Jean
See original version (French)
Estimate €500 - €700
Voluntary lot
Description
MERMOZ Jean
L.A.S. ‘Jean’, Casablanca, 31 December 1926, to his grandparents, the GILLETs; 2 pages, in-4, in blue ink.
He regretted not being with his family to celebrate Christmas: ‘As for me, I returned to Casa on the 24th; I was able to spend Christmas Eve there with my friends, but then I had to leave again two days later and returned from Juby this morning. […] May 1927 be a peaceful year for you, free from all material worries—I shan’t say moral ones—with me myself remaining a constant source of comfort to you. May the deep affection I feel for you be a source of strength powerful enough to keep you close to me and to all those who love you and whom you love. I hope that this year will soon bring me the joy of seeing you again; I intend to spend the warmer months in France, in anticipation of a certain change in my circumstances, as I may have to leave for South America or Europe depending on how events unfold. I see that winter is harsh in France. We are also feeling its rigours, though naturally less so here. We had a two-day hailstorm in Casa. There were twenty centimetres of snow in Fez, something no one can remember happening for X years! I went to Alicante the other day. There were snowstorms all the way to Gibraltar. Spain is completely white, and the Spaniards are utterly amazed by it. I don’t recall ever having been as cold in nearly six years of flying as I was that day. I’m in great shape and my spirits are as high as ever. I’ve just clocked up 2,000 flying hours and 210,000 km since I started flying this route – a little over five times round the world from 24 December to 26 December. I’m staying in Dakar for another two months. We’ve been given new equipment. It took three deaths for the Société de Navigation Aérienne to take notice and force the airline to provide us with new gear. I think we’re taking fewer risks now. I have armed myself with a sturdy revolver to try and take down the Moors in Juby who killed our comrades and who are lurking around the fort there. Moreover, if I go down in the bush, I shall at least have the satisfaction of not letting myself be shot like a rabbit”…
Correspondence, No. 102.
Source: - Jean Mermoz (1901–1936);
- Gabrielle Gillet-Mermoz (1880–1955);
- Then passed down through the family
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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