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125
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[ÉRABLE Henri (1903–1926)].
See original version (French)
125
-
[ÉRABLE Henri (1903–1926)].
See original version (French)
Estimate €400 - €500
Voluntary lot
Description
[ÉRABLE Henri (1903–1926)].
Letter from his mother, Jeanne ÉRABLE, dated 1 July 1927, to Jean MERMOZ; one and a half pages, in-4 (mourning).
A moving letter on the death of her son.
[On 11 November 1926, the Aéropostale pilot Henri Érable was murdered by the Moors whilst coming to the aid of Léopold Gourp’s crew, whose aircraft had broken down. See nos. 43 and 55.]
Mrs Érable thanks Mermoz for sending the ‘precious mementoes of my dear Henri’; she had received a letter from the Director of the Port-Etienne Fisheries, mentioning ‘the name of the tribe that had buried the bodies on site on the orders of the Count of Juby’, and which robbed her of ‘the hope of seeing my Riquet return to the family vault […] I have no doubt that you did everything in your power to recover whatever might remain of one of your good and dear comrades, and I do not know how to thank you for this devotion in memory of the one who is no longer with us. For the past seven months I have received no news, and yet I cannot bring myself to believe he is gone; for the past 18 months since he left his father’s house, I still believe he is out there, ready to return to me soon. I knew he was in danger, but I trusted in his caution, and I could never have imagined that, in this day and age, there might still be tribes who kill for the sheer pleasure of it. My thoughts are always with those desert regions, and I would so much like to know how this tragedy unfolded […] Has the interpreter [Ataf, the sole survivor] told you the story? He is the only one left who can speak. Life is so sad for me; Henri was a good man and gave me a glimpse of a happier future, and now there is nothing’…
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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