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Estimate €800 - €1,000
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MERMOZ Jean L.A.S. ‘Your Jean’, Buenos Aires, 20 February 1929, to his grandparents, the GILLETs; three and a half pages, quarto size, on Via Aeropostal paper. His flight had been banned by the Ministry of the Air; he expresses anger towards the French authorities. He has learnt of his great-uncle’s death and shares his grandfather’s grief. He laments ‘this terrible blow… The Ministry of Aviation, to which I am, alas, answerable, has refused to grant me authorisation for a transatlantic flight. Parliamentarianism, posturing and red tape – such are the reasons. In practical terms, they do not exist. The Americans are truly men of substance for having allowed and helped a Lindbergh to set out across the Atlantic. Here at home, our men of action are falling into disrepair. We need bold, thoughtful individuals, yet all we have are sluggish, pessimistic thinkers who shout about the greatest glory and revival of theFrench Air Force from the depths of their office chairs, whilst concerning themselves more with a change of ministry that might harm their own interests than with encouraging initiative. Instead of crying ‘Down with Poincaré!’, they would do better to think of ways to halt the advance of foreign aviation, whose rallying cry is ‘Down with French aviation!’. Politics is a terrible scourge. What harm it does! When will we have a dictatorship that will make us realise what we once were, what we are now, and what we can become!! I have become a nationalist since I’ve been abroad. It makes my blood run cold to see our prestige gradually crumbling here, solely through the fault of our pitiful representatives, who are a reflection of our parliamentary stagnation. It is lamentable to think that the best of our will, our energy and our efforts are being used to fuel speeches and debates, when we would prefer them to be channelled towards the success and prosperity of all that is ours. It is distressing. The danger at the moment comes from America. Postal routes are advancing rapidly on our side. Lindbergh is in the lead, and the prestige attached to this veritable living flag opens every door for him and threatens to cause us real harm in South America. So, farewell to our sacrifices! The fruit of over a year’s intense and unimaginable labour is slipping from our grasp just as we are on the verge of success. […] We, too, need a figurehead abroad. Costes could have been that man; he is a businessman. I know a few among the airline pilots who would be capable of being such men. For my part, I have been looking for ways to make this happen for a year; I had almost found them. I would have succeeded; I could feel it. I’ll probably do it, but I’m afraid it might be too late by then. Successfully flying from Paris to New York now – and we have the means to do so at present – would be a feat that would instantly boost our prestige just when we need it most. I wasn’t asking anyone for anything; I was managing with the funds I’d managed to raise – and then, bang! The raid was banned, with land-based aircraft prohibited until further notice… Politics… So I’m waiting. The Count of La Vaulx, whom I brought back from Brazil and am currently travelling with in Argentina, has promised to help me realise my idea as soon as he returns in March. I’m waiting. I’m not wasting my time, though. I’m going back to Chile to carry out a courier mission, then organise the route. I’ll try to get there before the Americans. Plans for July: French Guiana and perhaps the West Indies. They’re getting an aircraft ready for me. The Managing Director in Toulouse intends, I’m told, to recall me to France to train me on a large seaplane and have me make a few sea crossings between Dakar and Natal. Always plans’… Source: - Jean Mermoz (1901–1936); - Gabrielle Gillet-Mermoz (1880–1955); - Then passed down through the family
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Auction time 11/03/2026 at 11:00 AM
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