King Albert of Belgium decorates Willy Coppens, Belgium's Ace of Aces. Coppens describes this June 30, 1918 ceremony, in which he was awarded the Ordre de la Couronne in his memoir Flying in Flanders.

Caption: Le Roi décore l'As Belge Coppens. - Le Roi le félicite. (The King [Albert] decorates the Belgian Ace Coppens. The King congratulates him.)

Reverse:

Carte Postale

Service photographique de l'armée Belge.

Phot. Belge, r. Ma Campagne, 30, Brux

Logo PhoB

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Tuesday, July 30, 1918

"I myself was at the centre of the pilots of the 9th Squadron, between Commandant Jacquet and Captain Gallez, and, [as] 10 A.M. struck, the Royal car advanced on to the aerodrome. Then, on the crisp morning air, there rose the trembling, stirring notes of 'La Brabançomme,' and, suddenly, something seized me by the throat; I had not, until that moment, realized that all this was for me.

His Majesty stepped down, and slowly passed down the ranks of the Guard of Honour. He was followed by Prince Leopold, General Jungbluth, his aide-de-camp, and the Generals of the General Headquarters Staff.

I took three paces forward, and felt that I was terribly thin, standing there in front of my comrades."

Quotation Context

Willy Coppens, Belgium's greatest air ace of the war and the leading balloon-buster of World War I, describing the ceremony of July 30, 1918, in which Albert I, King of the Belgians, awarded him the Ordre de la Couronne. Coppens had achieved his 21st victory on June 24 after shooting down three observation balloons on the 22nd. Contrary to orders, Coppens had extended his hunting ground to the British sector. Expecting to be reprimanded for flying in the British zone, he was instead awarded the British Military Cross by General Herbert Plumer on June 26.

Source

Flying in Flanders by Willy Coppens, page 191, publisher: Ace Books, publication date: 1971

Tags

1918-07-30, 1918, July, Willy Coppens, Albert I, Coppens, Albert, medal