French WWI ace Jean Chaput was injured multiple times in combat, one of which took nearly eight months to recover from and another which took six months to recover from. But his love and responsibility for flying keep him coming back every time, even months later. Chaput was born in Paris on May 6, 1898 and joined the army in 1913. Initially, he served in the infantry, but in 1914 he joined the French Air Force. He was awarded the Medal of Honor as an Airman in February 1915 and transferred to MF28.
Jean Chaput's Ace Journey
His first victory came on June 12, 1915, when Jean Chaput shot down a Fokker E in a Caudron. On June 23, he was awarded the Military Medal citation”, “A skilled, courageous, calm and dedicated pilot. In addition to its recent service in artillery reconnaissance, it has also performed very efficiently in aerial pursuit. During the operations from June 7 to June 13, 1915, he repeatedly pursued enemy aircraft that were better equipped than his own without hesitation. Return on the 12th [June] After forcing his opponent to land, his plane was riddled with machine gun bullets. ” After being injured again on 10 July, Jean Chaput did not return to duty until January 1916. lieutenant In March 1916, he achieved two victories, one on March 18 and one on April 30. In May 1916, he was transferred to No. 57 Fighter Squadron. On May 22, 1916, he achieved his fourth victory and was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. Jean Chaput became an ace when he shot down an EA plane on June 19, and followed that up with two more victories in June and another in July, bringing his tally to eight points.
Legacy and death
On August 24, Jean Chaput was seriously injured again. This time, he did not return to duty until early 1917. He scored twice on April 5, and one goal each in May and June 1917, taking his tally to 12. After this victory, his next was in March 1918, and it cannot be independently confirmed whether he was injured again or rested. Jean Chaput scored two victories in March 1918 and two more in April, taking his personal score to 16. Chaput commanded Spa57 in April 1918, but was killed in action on 6 May 1918, when his SPAD XIII was shot down by Hermann Becker of Jasta 12. Jean Chaput was awarded the Belgian Cross of Merit on September 13, 1917, and the British Military Cross on April 17, 1918. He also received several awards for the French Cross of Merit. In the Aces series, Jean Chaput is a tough ace who continues to perform his duties despite various injuries. Read more Ace stories here.
