HENRI CROMBEZ -1960

Henri Crombez Henri Crombez, the Belgian representative in the 1913 Gordon Bennett cup race, shown in a Deperdussin monocoque (Belgian Institute, Brussels) from CONTACT by Henry Serrano Villard, p. 189

CONTACT by Henry Serrano Villard Selected Passages      "The starters in the Coupe Internationale d'Aviation on September 29 numbered four--three French and one Belgian. I addition to Prévost (who had been second in the 1912 contest at Chicago), two other noted aviators were on hand to defend French possession of the trophy: Emile Védrines, brother of the 1912 winner; and Eugéne Gilbert, persistent pursuer of long-distance records. Henri Crombez, the fair-haired, twenty-year-old holder of Belgium's altitude record and inaugurator of his country's first aerial post during the recent Exposition of Ghent, was the only other competitor."

 

Henri Crombez Henri Crombez seated in his Depedussin monoplane. (Belgian Institute, Brussels) from CONTACT by Henry Serrano Villard, p. 190

 

ONLINE RESOURCES      If you search for "Henri Crombez" +aviation , using Google, (9-27-07), you will find about 31 links. However, most of them only present brief anecdotes from his career. I found more information of interest from Villard's book.

 

RECOMMENDED READING

CONTACT The Story of the Early Birds Man's first decade of flight from Kitty Hawk to World War I Henry Serrano Villard Foreward by S. PAUL JOHNSTON Director, National Air and Space Museum Smithsonian Institution      In today's age of space probes and moon rockets, it is hard to believe that the aeroplane is scarcely sixty years old. Here Henry Serrano Villard, who knew many of the pioneer pilots and flew in their "bits of stick and string,"re-creates the romantic era when man first dared the miracle of flight. His anecdotal account, illustrated with 125 photographs--many from his personal album--covers the decade and a half of aeronautical history from the Wright brothers' exploits at Kitty Hawk to the outbreak of World War I.   Editor's Note:      I had the pleasure of knowing Henry for several years before his death. I found him to be a delightful companion and a remarkable source of information on the entire field of aviation. I can recommend his book, without hesitation, as an essential resource for anyone interested in the history of early aviation..

 

Henri Crombez died on January 27, 1960 from First 100 Pilots in Belgium

 

Editor's Note: If you have any more information on any of these pioneer aviators, please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper

 

Back