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an old letter from a man who is holding a piece of paper
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MERMOZ Jean 2 letters ‘Mermoz’, 12 and 26 March 1927, to his ‘dear Mum’; one and a quarter pages and two pages in-4, in blue ink. Rescue of Uruguayan airmen who crashed in the Maures. 12 March. He has no time to write. ‘For the past 15 days, it’s been nothing but the search for the Uruguayan seaplane. My comrade Ville and I had the pleasure of being the first to find it. The four Uruguayans had been held captive by the Moors. I’ve been shuttling back and forth between Juby and Casa to take reporters and journalists. It’s a splendid opportunity for Latécoère ahead of the forthcoming opening of the transatlantic route. So he’s obliged to give us some publicity. Sought by the Spanish, the British, and a host of Spanish ships and aeroplanes, it was found by Latécoère’s pilots, and yesterday the Uruguayans were brought back to Juby by two of our colleagues after being ransomed from the Moors’ captivity’…. 26 March. Their letters must have crossed, and he is worried at having heard nothing from her. She must have read about the Uruguayans’ adventure in the newspapers: ‘This adventure, all too ordinary for us who have lived through it and who face the frequent dangers of this region, has become something of a legend. The facts are being exaggerated to an extraordinary degree. It’s a shame because the facts, in their simplicity, weren’t all that bad, but the fuss only serves to diminish them. We’ve all done what we’ve done time and again: picking up a mate who’s broken down in the sticks – good heavens, what a story!’… He sold his car and bought a Moroccan handbag for his mother… Correspondence, nos. 109 and 110. Enclosed is the letter of congratulations sent to Mermoz by the International League of Aviators, 12 April 1927, following the rescue of the Uruguayan airmen (1 p. in-4, on letterhead). Provenance: - Jean Mermoz (1901–1936); - Gabrielle Gillet-Mermoz (1880–1955); - Passed down through the family
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About the sale Historical Memories
Auction location
Auction time 11/03/2026 at 11:00 AM
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