Full medal write up
Large 38 x 30cm photo album containing 260 original WW1 photos, plus 15 loose photos belonging to Adjutant André Marie de Limur 25th Dragoons, later Escadrille’s N49 and N89. Marrying an American Nurse, post War he became a Diplomat but resigned during WW2 becoming an American Citizen and joining the US Arm. With Army Intelligence landed on D-Day General Patton's liaison with Free French forces, he accompanied Gen. Jacques Philippe LeClerc at the liberation of Paris.
Album, which only contains WW1 photos 1914-16, starts off with the Limur’s service in the Army in 1914 – 15 where he served in the 25th Dragoon’s. Quite a lot of group shots of soldiers; various uniforms, some good shots taken of the owner in the trenches on the Somme, Dragoons on their way to the trenches, horses etc etc. Also two 1915 shots of a Nieuport 10 fighter belonging to the well known early war pilot Adolphe Celestin Pegoud, a future Ace and squadron member of N49, who served alongside the owner of the album.
There are a couple of aircraft photos earlier in the album (Pegoud’s), however its not until we get to photo 86 onwards that photos are of the Limur’s aviation service. However from here onwards almost everything is aviation. Initially, photos seem to be of training, lots of shots of various two seaters types; Voisen, Caudron, Nieuport’s, FBA seaplanes.., fellow pilots, machine gun and gunnery practice etc. However by photo 162, the Limur has clearly been assigned to a fighter squadron and by 166 is the first mention of Escadrille N49. From here onwards the album contents is all N49 with a large number of shots of Nieuport Scouts and the squadron’s fighter pilots; many of whom are named, some of whom are Aces. The is a great number of variation in uniforms and insignia; the pilots coming from different regiments and corps; visiting dignitaries, medals being worn, lots of candid shots of pilots at rest and leisure, crashes, 7 aerial photos, etc. There are some great shots of Nieuport XI’s on the airfields and looks like N49 had several Nieuport XII too, indeed one shot has Limur standing next to one with ‘FOC’ painted on it.
Among loose photos are a couple of Spad VII’s, one with visiting Italian pilots, but none in the album itself. N49 was not reequipped with Spad’s until December 1917, therefore these are probably from Limur’s later service in Escadrille N89. Since there is room for many more photos in blank pages of the album, it must be assumed the when Limur left N49 he just didn’t bother adding more photos.
228 of the photos are numbered and although most have a description underneath, additionally with the album is an old A4 (ish) double sided page which lists each photo and what it is of.
Quality of the photos varies; the first part of the album is pretty mixed, with perhaps up to a third faded or partially faded photos. However bar the first 10-15 aviation photos (numbered 86 -100) which are a little faded, the rest of the aviation photos are very good to excellent, indeed you can see the photo paper is of a different quality. Spine of album has come away from the pages (no pages missing) but is complete and could be glued back if wished.
All in all an excellent and very scarce photo album to an early French fighter pilot, who has a most interesting service.