Maurice Boyau

Vocation

French rugby union player and a leading French ace of the First World War with 35 victories, and one of the most successful balloon busters. Balloon busting was the dangerous act of bringing down enemy observation balloons; these balloons were densely protected by anti-aircraft artillery and patrol flights. Boyau first served in the 144th Infantry Regiment before the war. Boyau was already known to the public when war began in 1914, having led the French rugby team. He served as an Army Service Corps driver for the first year or so of the conflict, then was accepted for pilot training. In the spring of 1918, Boyau pioneered the use of air-to-air rockets; he had rocket tubes affixed to the inner set of interplane struts of his Spad XIII. He made his mark with repeated successes in the summer of 1918, scoring four victories in June; nine in July; and three in August. He burned his last four balloons in three days of September, but was killed by defending German fighters on the 16th. Link to Wikipedia biography