Many young people joined their respective militaries during WWI, and one of them was Hector Garaud. Born on August 27, 1897, in St Antoine, Garaud could not serve in the military when the war started because he was too young. Instead, he planned to study for the entrance exam to the Arts et Métiers engineering school in Paris. While preparing, he worked as a mechanic at the Renault and Canton-Unné factories. In July 1915, shortly before he turned 18, he joined the army with his father’s permission. His father was already serving as a captain. He wanted to become a pilot and was assigned to the 2nd Aviation Group. However, in September 1915, he was instead assigned as a mechanic to Squadron V 97 at the Paris Fortified Camp. Despite seeking his father’s help to become a fighter pilot, Hector Garaud’s efforts were unsuccessful. However, he managed to fly as an observer/gunner on surveillance missions.
Ace Journey of Hector Garaud
On June 18, 1916, while on patrol, his pilot saw a Nieuport fighter flying towards them. After a dogfight, both planes collided at 1,850 meters and crashed, but Hector Garaud and his pilot survived. The incident earned him a commendation and a transfer order to a flight school to train as a fighter pilot in July 1916. He graduated as a corporal and, in April 1917, was assigned to the SPA 38 squadron at La Noblette airfield near Reims. His first victory came on May 12, 1917, followed by the second in October and the third in November. After shooting down a Rumpler on December 12, he became an ace on December 22. Hector Garaud scored one more victory in December, bringing his score to six by the end of 1917. Garaud started 1918 by scoring his seventh victory on January 1. The next day, he received the Médaille militaire, with a citation, “A pilot of admirable experience, endurance, willingness, and exemplary courage, who has given since his arrival at the escadrille the full measure of his undoubted qualities of audacity and skill. He has effected numerous protection missions and had several combats during the course of which he has downed three enemy planes. On December 12, 1917, Hector Garaud reported his fourth victory. Cited in orders four times.” On February 19, he shot down another German aircraft over Prunay. The next day, he was promoted to Adjutant.
The Legacy and Death
In March, Hector Garaud shot down four more planes, but on March 26, he was wounded in the right lung on the same day he shot down the last one. That same day, he also received the honor of Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur, with a citation, “Pursuit pilot beyond compare, he has downed eleven enemy planes. He was seriously wounded after having downed his 12th plane.” After landing at his airfield, he needed to be evacuated and have lung surgery. He did not rejoin his squadron until May. Hector Garaud scored one last time on August 12, 1918, bringing his WWI score to 13. He was again wounded in the face by shrapnel on October 3. On October 20, he was promoted to the rank of temporary second lieutenant. Hector Garaud was also awarded the Légion d’honneur and the Croix de Guerre, with eight palmes and two étoiles. After the war, in 1919, he stayed with his squadron and completed a mission in Constantinople. Later, he transferred to the technical service of the military aeronautics branch. His focus shifted when he got married in August, and he chose to leave the army. He moved to Paris and became a garage manager. In the 1930s, he joined the reserves and retrained as a pilot. When WWII began, Hector Garaud was recalled to service as a commandant at the Chartres Fighter Training Center. However, he died on April 2, 1940, while training in a Curtiss H-75 at the Montpellier Training Center as he prepared to return to combat. In the Aces series, Hector Garaud was a brave ace who battled for his country from a young age, and his love for flying was visible from the start of his career. Read stories about more aces HERE.
