Pierre Clostermann's victories

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Cher Monsieur Cony,

Firstly congratulations for the magnifique work onto the AVIONS Serie and also for this very very interesting topic.

Some years ago another French Historian made a similar work but was fined judicially, in France. On your case, you seem to have had a good relationship to have access to his RAF Logbooks...

I became a civilian comercial pilot partially due to Reading Clostermann and Jubelin while I was 14 years old...so you can imagine the Gratitude I owe to them and to this kind of Reading. Of course, with the years, "Le Grand Cirque" was desmistified after Reading other books and cross-checking informations, like you did on the ORB(s).

For Brazilian researchers like myself, Clostermann being born in Curitiba (not a small town like you said onto the PDF accessible part of the article but the Capital of PARANÁ State (we are like France divided on several small States, similar to your Departments - I lived 4 years onto Départment 69 - Rhone Alpes, for instance), we do consider him a Brazilian-French and not a French-Brazilian...so a most welcomed article.

So, do you believe that, after all your work, that there would be a possibility of a FUTUR revision of "Le Grand Cirque" with the "correct" facts with the aval of the Clostermann Family???

I am writing a major book tribute to the "Brazilians in RAF Service, 1939-45" and Clostermann do have a chapter, where some of his claims were matched too (or at least I tried to) and some information from his war-memories dismistified...but I was advised to not publish due to the judicial problem with the French Historian who was fined some 100.000 Francs (or plus) by Clostermann himself (the Judges I mean).

Sincerely I do believe that most of us (historians - professionals or "sprogs" like me) are just trying to match things...to add details, not to criticize or judge the acts of pilots who died and did their job (overclaiming or not).

Congratulations again and I shall buy avidly this article and magazine. Keep going and preserving the deeds of a Generation and a Breed of Men (and Women) that Mankind will see NO MORE.

Most humbly yours,
Adriano S. Baumgartner, ASV 00.344
baumgartner_asv@yahoo.com.br

[Alfred.MONZAT]

Originally Posted by Adriano Baumgartner

we do consider him a Brazilian-French and not a French-Brazilian...

Are you suggesting in France we consider him French-Brazilian ? Because not. He is born in Brazil. Period.

[Rémi Baudru]

Hallo,

" Le Grand Cirque" was one of my favorite books when i was a kid. I am still believing that it is one of the best aviation books.
I spent two hours yesterday reading this very interesting article written by Cony. He has access to primary sources (including from Clostermann family) and give us a complete story of the life of Clortermann. Cony made a careful account of all the planes shoot down (with each time comparison with the actual german losses) or destroyed on the ground by Clostermann.
On the other side each of the Spitfire and Tempest flown by Clostermann are illustrated with a lot of new photos and very good art works.
Cony gave me the willing to read once more time "Le Grand Cirque".

Rémi Baudru

[Alfred.MONZAT]

Couldn't have said it better, excellent article.