Question for Avion Ancien

If you meet a piebald horse, wish before you see his tail.
New Forest Proverb

Not my proverb mate!:D Happy New Year to one and all!:)

Ha ha…our grandad came from Lyndhurst he did.:)
Alan

If you meet a piebald horse, wish before you see his tail.
New Forest Proverb

Not my proverb mate!:D Happy New Year to one and all!:)

Hallo everyone, and a Happy New Year all round.

Looking up aerial fire cover I came across this book and thought it might be of interest. The thread is from 2005:

This is a short word to announce the release of the book “L’appui-feu de Baka”. It relates the story of the armed T-6 Harvards of the Belgian Air Force during the period of the independence of Belgian Congo in 1960. It is written by Congo specialist J-P Sonck and myself and should be available in the specialised bookshops.

Image

The book can be obtained in all specialised bookshops or by making a deposit of €15 + €1.80 (Belgium), or + €5 (Rest of the World) P.P. on account 001-0799131-24 of Daniel Brackx – Molenveld, 74 – B1982 Elewijt/Belgium with the mention “Flight Appui Feu”. (CAUTION – this may no longer apply)

brgds
Alan

Thanks Ian for the translation and Happy New Year to everyone and the power of this forum in solving knotty questions.

Baz: I simply translated the extract that T-21 posted.
Laurence

Hi Laurence
Yes I had realised that but was just adding some more that i thought might be of interest.

regards baz

Baz: I simply translated the extract that T-21 posted.
Laurence

Hi Laurence
Happy new year to you as well !!

I dont know if the French preface is shorter or if T21 only asked for a partial translation…in the english preface PC also says….

The principal episodes in the action of the story are authentic and taken from my own experience.I flew over the country described,and I knew people like characters portrayed in the book.I met several Dorvals in Algeria.They all acted and thought as he does .
For reasons of security I have modified radio codes,call signs and the numbers of squadrons and units.If certain pseudonyms seem rather transparent to those who have served in Algeria,the ‘likenesses’,according to the time-honoured phrase – are ‘purely coincidental’.

there is more but the above is possibly the relevant part for this forum

cheers baz

Morning Baz. Happy New Year, and same to all on the forum.
Yes, appui-feu is fire support, as the others surmised. Oued is the French for Wadi, a dried-up river bed common in north Africa and Arabia. Djebel or Jebel or Jabal is a mountain (like Jebel Akhdar in Oman where I described the crashed Venom).
Laurence

Hi Laurence
What would you say is the literal translation of the original French title,Leo 25 is merely Dorvals callsign !
‘Appui Feu sur L’Oed Hammail ‘…. I think Phil was probably close but I am no french speaker !!

regards baz

Translation for T-21

T-21: You asked for a translation:
Here goes:
Extracts from the Preface by Pierre Closterman.

Yesterday in Le Grand Cirque I tried to bring to life the combat of a Free French fighter pilot in the skies of Europe in 1942-1945.

Today, Appuie-feu sur l’oued Hallaïl is the story of a reserve officer pilot called up in Algeria 1956-1957. It is neither an autobiography nor imaginary fiction. In the guise of a historical story, it is rather a photographic report where words replace film.

One and a half million young French men served France in Algeria, and thirteen thousand of them died there during thankless, confused and desperate military operations. This book is not concerned with the political aspect of this war. Algerian politics has already impassioned the audiences of the Salle Wagram or the Forum d’Alger. Politics has done too much for the pitiless ambitions of exiles in the grand hotels of Cairo and Tunis. They are all despised by the men on both sides who suffered and died in the Algerian mountains.

But in the end, in spite of all arguments, whether a child is killed in a savage way or a civilised way, torn apart by a modern 20mm shell or ripped open by an old-fashioned dagger, it is still a dead child, it is still a crime.

We live in a sad century, where we kill too easily for too many good reasons.

Hope it helps.
Laurence

Just a further thought. What happened at Wadi Hammail?

Good question sir !!
The book is about Commandant Dorval,his callsign is Leo 25.
In the preface PC states…it is not an autobiography,nor is it a work of fiction…more in the nature of an historical account.
He also states that he met several Dorvals in Algeria !

Towards the end of the book Dorval is engaged as forward air controller in the Wadi Hallail but I dont know if Hammail is another place name or a ba5tardisation of Hallail.
Wadi Hallail does exist in Algeria.

regards baz

Yes BAZV but I was hoping that if I found the English publisher it might give the original English title 😉

I only asked because the english title was on line 3 of post 1,my original question was taken from the inside cover of my own copy,I asked the question because the literal translation of the French title was very obviously not
‘Leo 25 Airborne’

regards baz

Yes BAZV but I was hoping that if I found the English publisher it might give the original English title 😉

Just a further thought. What happened at Wadi Hammail?

The English version was published in 1962 as “Leo25 Airborne” by Chatto & Windus.

Did you read post No 1 T21 ?? 😀

regards baz

The English version was published in 1962 as “Leo25 Airborne” by Chatto & Windus.

Sorry I’m late to the debate. ‘Appuie feu’ is not a term with which I am familiar but I think that Phil is about there. In the context quoted I suspect that the verb ‘appuyer’ has the meaning ‘to back up’ or ‘to support’, hence ‘back up fire’ or ‘support fire’ – as in ‘l’attaque sera appuyer par l’aviation’ meaning ‘the attack will be given air support’. So I suspect that the original title of the book translates as ‘Back up fire on Wadi Hammail’. Tomorrow I’ll ask my neighbour whether ‘appuie feu’ has some other technical meaning although I am sure that there are other forum members whose French is much better than mine and so could give a definitive translation in the meantime.

Need translating Appui-feu sur l’oued Hallaïl

Extraits de la préface de Pierre Clostermann

Hier, par Le Grand Cirque, j’ai voulu faire revivre le combat d’un pilote de chasse de la France Libre dans les cieux d’Europe 1942-1945.

Aujourd’hui, Appui-feu sur l’oued Hallaïl est l’histoire d’un officier pilote de réserve rappelé en Algérie 1956-1957. Ce n’est une autobiographie, ni une œuvre littéraire d’imagination. Sous la forme d’un récit historique, c’est plutôt un reportage photographique où les mots tentent de remplacer la pellicule.

[…]

Un million et demi de jeunes Français ont servi la France en Algérie, et treize mille d’entre eux y sont morts au cours d’opérations militaires ingrates, confuses et décourageantes. L’aspect politique de cette guerre n’intéresse pas ce livre. La politique algérienne a trop servi les passions des tribuns de la salle Wagram ou du Forum d’Alger. Elle a trop nourri les ambitions impitoyables des exilés des Palaces du Caire et de Tunis. Les uns et les autres sont méprisés par les hommes des deux camps qui souffrent et qui meurent dans les djebels.

[…]

Mais, au fond des choses et malgré les grands raisonnements, qu’un enfant soit tué d’une façon sauvage ou civilisée, déchiqueté par un obus moderne de 20 mm ou éventré par un poignard anachronique, c’est toujours un enfant mort, et c’est toujours un crime.

Nous vivons un triste siècle, où l’on tue trop facilement pour trop de bonnes raisons.

[…]

Références : Appui-feu sur l’oued Hallaïl, Editions Flammarion, 1960

It is about his experiences flying in the Algerian war.

Thanks Phil
Sounds reasonable since he flew Broussards as a reserve officer in Algeria 1956 – 57,I did not know which was the best online translator so did not try that avenue.

regards baz