AIRCRAFT COLOURS AND MARKINGS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR ERA

France: Escadrille 124
"Lafayette Escadrille" / "Jeanne d'Arc"


Formed from American volunteers N.124 was originally known as "the Escadrille Americaine", but after complaints from the Germans over neutral Americans fighting for France, N.124 was renamed after the French soldier of fortune who had fought on the side of the Americans in the American Revolution.

At first each pilot marked his own aircraft as he saw fit, but by mid-1916 they adopted an Indian head wearing a 'Seminole' head dress (even though the Seminole never wore such attire), this was later replaced with the more familiar Sioux head as seen here. These differed slightly from aircraft to aircraft in minor details - tassels, headband etc.

After the American pilots transferred to the USAS as the 103rd Aero Sqn in January 1918, SPA.124 was renamed"Jeanne de Arc", and a new insignia was adopted depicting the famed heroine of France

It should be noted that the Indian Head was adopted after they had begun to fly the Nieuport 17, hence profiles depicting the head on Nieuport 11/16s are in error.

UPDATE: In July 2005, after V2 was released, I was asked if I wanted to illustrate a forthcoming Datafile Special on N.124 by Jon Guttman. Once it was completed, we found out Alan Toelle and Bernard Klaeyle had been researching N.124 Nieuports for some time, and with their help we revised all of the illustrations. Alan also put us in touch with Marvin Jones, who helped with the patterns worn by the camouflaged Ni11/16s. All of the Nieuports seen here are the result of their help.


 


Nieuport 11 N.11xx
Cpl James McConnell
May 1916
Source: N.124 DF Special

 


Nieuport 16 N.1120
Lt Delaage
May- June 1916
Source: N.124 DF Special

 

 


Nieuport 11 N1148
Victor Chapman
May- June 1916
Source: N.124 DF Special
w/top view


Nieuport 16 N.1208
Sgt Bert Hall
June 1916
Source: N.124 DF Special
w/3-View

 


Nieuport 11 N.1256
Sgt Raoul Lufbery
June 1916
Source: N.124 DF Special

 

 


Nieuport 16 N.1281
Cpl Kiffin Rockwell
June 1916
Source: N.124 DF Special


Nieuport 17 N.1372
Capt Thenault
June 1916
Source: N.124 DF Special

 


Nieuport 11 N.1116
Sgt Norman Prince
June 1916
Source: N.124 DF Special

 

 


Nieuport 11 N.1292
Cpl James McConnell
June-July 1916
Source: N.124 DF Special


Nieuport 11 N.1247
Clyde Balsley
June 1916
Source: N.124 DF Special

 


Nieuport 11 N.1286
Sgt Dudley Hill (?)
June-July 1916
Source: N.124 DF Special

 

 


Nieuport 16 N.1131
Sgt Elliot Cowden
July 1916
Source: N.124 DF Special

Nieuport 17 N.1490 
S/Lt Charles Nungesser
July 1916
Source: Nieuport 17 Datafile


Nieuport 17 N.1490 
S/Lt Charles Nungesser
July 1916
Source: N.124 DF Special

 

 


Nieuport 16 N1208
Sgt Paul Pavelka
Summer 1916
Source: Windsock 5/2

Nieuport 16 N.1131
Sgt C Chocteau Johnson
July 1916
Source: N.124 DF Special
REVISED 8/06


Nieuport 11 N.1290
Cpl Rumsey
June-August 1916
Source: N.124 DF Special
w/ top view

 

 


Nieuport 11 N.1314
Cpl Masson
August 1916
Source: N.124 DF Special


Nieuport 17 N.1582
Lt. William Thaw
August 1916
Source: N.124 DF Special

 


Nieuport 21 N1615
Sgt Raoul Lufbery
September 1916
Source: N.124 DF Special
REVISED 8/06

 


Nieuport 17 N.1803
Lt William Thaw
September 1916
Source: N.124 DF Special

Nieuport 17 N.1844
Adj Raoul Lufbery
October 1916
Source: N.124 INFO
REVISED


Nieuport 17 N.1977
Sgt Robert Soubiran
January 1917
Source: N.124 INFO
REVISED



Nieuport 17 N.1993
Walter Lovell
March-April 1917
Source: N.124 DF Special

Nieuport 17 N.1887
Sgt Wallis B Haviland
Spring 1917
Source: N.124 INFO


Nieuport 17 N.1887
Edward Hinkle
March-April 1917
Source: N.124 DF Special

 

 


Nieuport 17 N.2297
Edwin C Parsons
April 1917
Source: N.124 DF Special


Nieuport 24bis N.3772
Courtenay Campbell
May -June 1917
Source: N.124 DF Special

 


Nieuport 24 N.4392
Thomas Hewitt
June-July 1917
Source: N.124 DF Special

 

 


Nieuport 23 N.3578
Courtenay Campbell
June-July 1917
Source: N.124 DF Special

SPAD VII S.1777
Raoul Lufbery
Autumn 1917
Source: OTF 15/3


SPAD VII
Robert Soubiran
-
Source: Captain Games

 

 


SPAD VII S.1615
-
-
Source: Captain Games

SPAD S.XIII


Source: CCI 33/1