Léon Bourjade

Leon Jean Pierre Bourjade 25 May 1889 - 22 October 1924) was a leading French fighter pilot in World War I, notable for being his country's leading ace against observation balloons. In later life, he became a missionary.

Bourjade was born at Montauban, France. It was his childhood dream to become a missionary. In 1908, he entered the noviate of The Fathers of the Sacred Heart of Issoudun, in Spain. By 1914, he had moved on to study theology in Switzerland.

Instead of continuing studying for the priesthood in the neutral country of Switzerland, in 1914 he returned to France to enter the army. He served as an artilleryman for nearly three years. His initial service was with 23eme Regiment d'Artillerie for the Battle of the Marne. In 1915, he transferred to the 125e Brigade de Bombadiers, which was a mortar brigade.

He transferred to aviation in 1917, receiving his Military Pilot's Brevet on 17 June. He went on to advanced training at Pau. From there, he joined Escadrille 152, and became its highest scoring pilot. Originally, he flew a Nieuport with his own personal touch - a Sacré-Coeur banner streaming from his headrest.

He opened his list on 27 March 1918, after his squadron re-equipped, flying his newly acquired Spad XIII to a single-handed victory over a German observation balloon. It was the beginning of what would become, with a single exception, a long string of triumphs over German observation balloons.

Bourjade scored another victory in April and two in May. He then went off combat duty for three weeks to attend gunnery school. After his return, he became an ace on 25 June with the first of his four scores for the month. His seventh shoot-down, on 29 June 1918, would prove to be his only winged victim, a Fokker D VII.

In the remaining four months of his career, his victories totaled seven in July, one in August, four in September, and eight in October. Beginning in August of 1918, he made it a practice to coordinate his attack on the balloons with other French pilots. He ended the war with a victory list of 27 balloons and one aircraft shot down, with a second airplane as an unconfirmed victory. It was a total that left him second only to Willy Coppens of Belgium as a balloon buster.

He was awarded a Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur. In 1920, he was raised to Officier in the Legion.

On 26 July 1921, he was finally ordained as a priest. In November of 1921, he took ship to the Gilbert Islands, and eventually to New Guinea. Bourjade died on Yui Island, on what was then British New Guinea, while ministering to lepers. He was 35 years old.

Citations for Decorations

Légion d'Honneur (Chevalier)

"Officer pilot of uncommon bravery and audacity. After brilliant conduct in the artillery, he has proven the highest qualities of courage by attacking numerous balloons and has shot down four. Four citations." Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur citation, June 5, 1918

Légion d'Honneur (Officier)

"Officer of the highest value; pursuit pilot of heroic bravery. Specialist in the attack of enemy observation balloons, has rendered brilliant service, proven by the numbers of his victories and by magnificent personal examples. Fourteen citations. One wound." Officier de la Légion d'Honneur citation, June 16, 1920.

References/Outside links

* http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/france/bourjade.php Accessed 1 September 2008.
* http://www.century-of-flight.freeola.com/Aviation%20history/airplane%20at%20war/upload3/Leon%20Bourjade.htm Accessed 1 September 2008.
* John Guttman, Harry Dempsey. "Spad XII/XIII Aces of World War I". Osprey Publishing, 2002.