Bernard Barny de Romanet, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetBernard Barny de Romanet
World War I flying ace
Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: Saint-Maurice-de-Satonnay, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France
About Bernard Barny de Romanet
- Lieutenant Bernard Henri Barny de Romanet (28 January 1894 – 23 September 1921) was a French World War I flying ace credited with 18 aerial victories. Barny de Romanet was born in Saint-Maurice-de-Satonnay, Saône-et-Loire, and was educated at the Collège des Minimes, Chalon-sur-Saône, and then at the Collège des Montgré in Villefranche-sur-Saône, gaining his baccalauréat before going on to study at the Lycée Lamartine at Mâcon.He joined the French army in October 1913, serving in the 16e Régiment de Chasseurs, a cavalry unit, at the beginning of the war, later transferring to the 56e Régiment d'Infanterie.
- He transferred into the French air service in July 1915.
- Six months later, in January 1916, de Romanet received his brevet (permit) as a pilot.
- His first assignment to Escadrille 51 as a Caudron reconnaissance pilot.
- He trained as a fighter pilot in February 1917 and made the transition to flying single-seater Nieuport fighters for Escadrille 37.
- His first victory was scored on 3 May 1917.
- He waited almost a year before continuing, with his second triumph coming on 31 March 1918.
- He became an ace on 30 June 1918, and a double ace on 22 August.
- That was his last victory and last day with Escadrille 37.
- He was then charged with forming Escadrille 167, a Spad squadron, assumed its command, and scored eight more victories while leading it.After the war de Romanet became a successful sporting pilot, breaking the World Air Speed record on two occasions in 1920.
- Barny de Romanet died in a flying accident on 23 September 1921, testing the aircraft he was to fly in the 1921 Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe race: the accident was ascribed to the fabric becoming detached from the aircraft's wing.He is buried in the Cimetière Saint Brice in Mâcon.
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