Has fulfilled in the past six months two special missions requiring the
finest spirit of sacrifice, and has waged thirteen aerial combats, two
of which ended in the enemy airplanes falling in flames." This mention
was already behindhand, having been based upon the report dated December
8. To the two victories therein mentioned should be added those of the
5th and the 14th of December. Decorated at the age of twenty-one, the
enlisted mechanician of Pau continued to progress at breakneck speed.
The red ribbon, the yellow ribbon and green War Medal with four palms,
are very becoming to a young man's black coat. Georges Guynemer never
despised these baubles, nor in any way concealed the pleasure they
afforded him. He knew how high one has to climb to pick them. And he
was eager for more and more, not because of vanity, but for what they
signified.
On the 3d and 5th of February, 1916, new combats took place, always in
the region of Roy and Chaulnes. On February 3 he met three enemies
within forty minutes, on the same round: "Attacked at 11.10 an L.V.G.,
which replied with its machine-gun.
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