Marcel Pierre Vialet

Marcel Pierre Vialet was born in Lyon, France, on 21 August 1887. Vialet traveled in his youth, but returned home to France as World War I began. == World War I service ==

Vialet immediately joined the cavalry, but was seriously wounded in late 1914. While in hospital, he applied for a transfer to aviation. On 23 February 1915, he started training; on 12 November, he received Military Pilot's Brevet No. 2533. He then served as a test pilot on Caudrons. From there, he was assigned to Escadrille 53, having already logged 376 flight hours. On 28 April 1916, he scored his first win, over a Fokker Eindekker. In June 1916, he was reassigned to a Nieuport unit, Escadrille N.67. He would run up eight more victories there, including one shared with Georges Flachaire. Postwar, he remained in the military. He became ill during the Rif War in Morocco, and died on 21 September 1925. == Honors and awards ==

Médaille militaire "Marechal-des-Logis of the Escadrille C53. A pilot of great value who always shows his courage, audacity and sang-froid. On 28 April 1916, returning from a reconnaissance over German lines, from close in he attacked a German plane which was seen to fall disabled. On 30 April [1916] he resolutely attacked an enemy scout in order to ward it away from an airplane he was protecting. Having had his controls cut, he succeeded after a fall of 2,000 meters to stabilize his plane and save his observer." == Sources of information ==