Robert Marchi
Robert Marchi | |
|---|---|
 Marchi and his Yak (04959) | |
| Born | 26 July 1919 Chalon-sur-Saône, France |
| Died | 17 July 1946 (aged 26) Toussus-le-Noble, France |
| Allegiance |  France |
| Service | Free French Air Force |
| Years of service | 1938 - 1945 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | Normandie Group |
| Known for | Aviator, flying ace |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
Robert Marchi, (26 July 1919 - 17 July 1946) was a French World War II fighter ace with thirteen confirmed victories.
Biography
[edit]Robert Marchi was born on 26 July 1919 at the Chalon-sur-Saône and buried in Chagny.
Wartime service
[edit]Marchi spent the first years of the war in North Africa.[1] While in Oran, his qualities as a pilot were quickly noticed and in 1942 he was appointed instructor at Kasba Tadla in Morocco. In October of 1943, he left for East Prussia to join the Normandie-Niemen. On 7 January 1944, he arrived in Tula where he was assigned to the 1st Squadron.
Marchi shot down his first plane on 16 October 1944. He shot down three planes that day: two Junkers Ju 87 and a Focke-Wulf Fw 190. In one week, while the great offensive on Prussia, he recorded six victories. In total, the most official sources credit him with thirteen confirmed victories credited between 16 October 1944 and 12 April 1945.[1][2]
Postwar
[edit]On 20 June 1945, Marchi returned to civilian life where many manufacturers asked him to be a test pilot. A year later, on 17 July 1946, Marchi died during a test flight crash.
“It is beyond certainty,” said General Pierre Pouyade, former commander of “Normandie-Niemen” during his funeral, “he would have become a great champion of aerial acrobatics... His virtuosity was incomparable."
References
[edit]- ^ a b Chiodetti, Augustin. "Robert Marchi as de Normandie-Niemen". Corse Images et Histoire (in French). Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "Marchi Roger - Normandie Niemen". www.cieldegloire.fr. Retrieved 26 August 2024.