Russian Negro pilot Frenchman (5 photos) Bashny.Net

Ebony franzuz Russian pilot - it's all one person.

In autumn 1916 the correspondent of the magazine "Ogonyok" interviewed very amazing for what was then the Russian Empire lichnosti- black native of the Polynesian islands of French nationality serving in the Russian army in aviaekskadre heavy bombers and wearing epaulets sergeant.





Black French citizen and a Russian sergeant major Marcel Plage, the hero having two George Cross. The first cross is supposed to be over before he got shot down an airplane.

This man was interesting not only for its rather unusual life story, but also a real feat accomplished in the service of his adopted country, for which he was awarded one of the highest honors soldiers. As a result of his courageous and selfless actions of bomber crew escaped certain death or capture, and the airplane was rescued and landed safely at its airport.

Marcel was born on the territory of French Polynesia and in 1907 was brought as a teenager in Russia, or rather came with her mother, who served as a nurse. Growing up, he decided not to go home or to France and settle in Russia, soon married a Russian woman and the child started. After the start of World War I as a person who has French citizenship, he could, would leave Russia, is to join the national forces, but he was feeling already much more Russian than Frenchman decided to stay and start to serve in the Russian army .

He was accepted as a volunteer, and probably as technically competent and past educational qualification for the right to wear the title, with the skills of driving a car, at first served as a driver and technician pozzhe--machine gunner in the crew of an airplane "Ilya Muromets - № 10".

On one of the combat missions, April 13 1916, when the bombing of a strengthened anti-aircraft batteries Daudzevas station, by return fire from the ground plane was badly damaged. His commanding officer, being injured and in spite of the heavy fire from the ground, still decided to go to the second round and once again fly over the enemy. Total airplane during the bombing were dropped 20 bombs that destroyed the station building and damaged part of a military ammunition.

In the closing seconds of the fight, when the bomber had actually gone out of enemy fire, he overtook another volley of shrapnel, and the head of the pilot crew AM Kostenchik was wounded again, already hard, lost consciousness and fell to the pilot's seat, pulled wheel itself. First, the airplane went up sharply, but lost speed, banked on the wing and was rapidly approaching the earth.

In the first version, Marseille was at the time one of the planes, after bonding over the counter and at the time of the crash broke and dangled in the air. What he experienced in these momenty- guessed it (later, by the way, long admired the strength of Russian airplane design, which saved his life). Plage again pulled on the rope on the wing, and during the subsequent flight continued attempts to start engine damage.

In the second version, the volunteer Plage was inside the "Ilya Muromets" during the crash he broke his arm ripped off mounting the device, but, despite the pain, he was able to catch and hold a heavy machine gun, fall out of the window. At an altitude of 1500 meters assistant commander of VF Yankoviusu managed to level the plane, wounded the head of the crew were assisted, and the flight lasted three working engines (in the second version, only one).



Abner Markovic Kostenchik with the Order of St. George.



Victor F. Yankovius.

Marseille Plage left wing during the flight across the front line, which lasted 52 minutes, was engaged in servicing engines, supporting them in working order, and tried to run faulty. Largely thanks to him with 70 bullet holes bomber managed to hold on to its airport, located in Zegevolde and more or less successfully sest- landing broke the plane of the upper right kryla- spar was interrupted and the wing was held only by the lift!

For heroism during this combat flight lieutenant AM Kostenchik was awarded the Order of St. George 4-th degree, and Ensign VF Yankovius St. George received a gold sword. Sergeant Major Kasatkin was made an officer and a soldier Marcel Plage awarded the George Cross 3rd Class.



"Ilya Muromets number 10" After landing, a wing collapsed during the run on the airfield.



In my opinion, this is also Marseille Plage, visiting friends in hospital?

We know about another fight Marcel Plage. He offered to take him in a combat flight on advanced bomber "Ilya Muromets G-3", where there was a battle station the tail gunner. Lieutenant Lavrov, the commander of the crew of an airplane, knowing its accuracy Russian Polynesian agreed. During the execution of the first job of the debut of the new airplane collided with an enemy aircraft. Below is a description of the battle with the witness of events.

"All aboard prepared. The first fighter with excess of 150 m, began to attack with the removal of 300 m. It is in a dive opened fire. Almost simultaneously, he said Plage. Conspiracies and top gun. German jerked to the side, he rolled over and began to fall randomly. Then I went to the second attack. Plage gave him aim and fired first. Fighter without changing the angle of dive, slipped past "Murom" and rushed to the ground. The third bit like circles, turned around and went back home. ".

From this story we can assume that he was the first black aviastrelkom, shot down enemy aircraft in combat and probably shot down another before.

In Sunday's issue of the magazine "Ogonyok" on October 23, 1916 he published an article about a black Russian hero. It describes that the sergeant major is perfectly fluent in Russian, occasionally swallowing and may even end use zaboristye soldiers catchwords. Note, by the way, is written in a slightly playful tone and shows Plage as a sweet, smart, union, but it's much more fun black soldier, not as serious, the real heroes of the Great War. This is probably a consequence of the manner of the then war correspondents portray the Russian soldiers in besshabashno- rollicking form, beats the Germans and Austrians left hand, his right holding the belt ...

& quot; _Zdorovo, Marcel!
-Zdravim Wishes vashskorodi!
How did you live?
-Nichivo Live pomalinku
Sparkle black-black eyes, sparkling teeth and a shiny nose-negro negro. Just how: on the head Russian soldier's cap, canvas tops on his feet, and is a distinct "health mine". Anyone with a question for him:
-How Did you get here?
Marcel says eagerly. Russian language he speaks fine, but the end of the swallows. He likes to show off the soldiers by words, zaboristye as peppers.
He is the son of distant magical islands of the Pacific Ocean where the sun is wedded to the sea and their children are happy, the island full of smiles, flowers and whisper of waves.
And in his blood diluted sun and song of blue tide.
Marseille Plage-French citizen. Nine years ago, his mother was brought richest people in Russia as a nurse and her curled and lively teenager.
Cold Russia became a second home to black Plage. Now he is married to a Russian, has a child.
When the war started, he as a French citizen, was to appear in the ranks of Joffre, but remained, volunteered for the Russian army, first as a chauffeur, then minder airship
On the "Ilya Muromets" he earned two cross & quot;

Unfortunately, it is not known what happened to Marcel Plage, a black Frenchman, a Russian soldier and, of course, the hero, after 1916 and how his fate in the Russian revolutionary whirlwind of those years
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Istonik: kot-c-cebepa.livejournal.com