Who's Who - Marie-Jean-Lucien Lacaze
Auguste Joseph Marie Lahoulle (1891-1959) was
a French air ace of World War One, scoring ten victories in 1918.
Born in Auray on 19 February 1891 Lahoulle enlisted with the French Army in 1910 and his pre-war service brought him tuition at the military academy at St Cyr. The outbreak of war in August 1914 brought Lahoulle immediate action. He was wounded as early as 9 August 1914 which kept him out of action until December the same year.
April 1916 brought Lahoulle a transfer to the French Air Service from the Dragoons. The following month he was appointed an observer with N48 and the following January saw him reassigned to N23. Three months later he received his pilot's brevet after which he received further training.
Two months after joining Spa57 in January 1918, Lahoulle scored his first air victory, the first of two in March 1918. He was promptly given command of Spa154 with whom he achieved a further eight 'kills' before he was severely wounded on 15 July 1918 after bringing down three enemy observation balloons.
Lahoulle subsequently saw additional military service during World War Two, in the course of which he rose to the rank of General while serving in Africa.
He died in 1959.
'White Star' was a German mixture of chlorine and phosgene gas, so-named on account of the identification marking painted on the delivery shell casing.
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