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an old letter with handwriting on it next to a piece of paper
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MERMOZ Jean 2 letters ‘Mermoz’ and ‘Jean’, Casablanca, 12 and 27 July 1927, to his grandparents, the GILLETs; one and a half pages and two pages in-4, in blue ink. Legion of Honour; difficult return journey from Cap-Juby. 12 July. ‘I am pleased to inform you that I was appointed a Knight of the Legion of Honour two days ago. I was made a Knight of the Order of Wisham Alaouite, an order of the Sultan of Morocco, two days prior to that. Both were special promotions for two of my comrades and myself. My nomination as an Officer of the Order of Wisham will be announced shortly. Furthermore, I have been appointed acting airfield commander in Agadir, much to my despair, as I detest this sedentary post with a passion!! Fortunately, it is a temporary replacement that will only last until the date of my leave. So many honours in such a short space of time!! I simply regret that some of my comrades were not appointed at the same time as me, even though they deserved it just as much!! 27 July. He’s looking forward to going to see them in a month’s time. “It’s not that I need a rest. I’m in good shape and don’t feel tired. But mentally, a bit of peace and quiet can only do me good. Getting away from the atmosphere of an uncertain future for a month is a welcome break. […] I’m a member of the International League of Aviators; it’s just that there are pilots in the ranks who’ve been flying longer than me and need a rest, whereas I can easily do without it, never feeling the slightest hint of fatigue. I’m holding my own’... But the leave mustn’t go on too long: ‘By the end of my leave, I miss my work! The thrill of the air gets the better of me again so quickly!’… It’s haymaking season, and his parents have to ‘toil like two slaves […] On my last return from Juby, we had a devilish sirocco the likes of which I’d never seen before! The engine temperature stayed at 90° throughout the journey. The outside temperature at 2,000 metres was 40°! I was forced to fly in my shirt sleeves, wearing a helmet, for 5 hours and 30 minutes. The sand formed an opaque yellow haze up to 2,500 metres. In the two and a half years that the Dakar route has been operating, we’ve never seen anything like it. Thank goodness it was just a one-off! Five pilots, future base commanders, have set off for America. Another departure is likely to take place in November. I might be among them, but I haven’t yet finalised the date. In any case, I don’t think I’ll be returning to Juby. I’ll have done my bit there.” Correspondence, Nos. 120 and 122. 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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