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About Constant Soulier
- Maréchal-des-logis Constant Frédéric Soulier was a World War I flying ace credited with six confirmed aerial victories and nine unconfirmed.Soulier was a high school student, candidate at the École Polytechnique when the war began.
- His first attempts to join the military were frustrated by his ill health and his minority, as he was only seventeen years old.
- Soulier managed to join the artillery in March 1915, but then wangled a transfer to aviation.
- He began aviation training at Pau in March 1916, and was brevetted a pilot two months later.
- He was posted to Escadrille 26 under command of Commandant Brocard in June 1916.
- He began his aerial victories as a balloon buster, destroying a German observation balloon on 24 August 1916.
- He had two additional wins before he began a prolonged hospital stay in January 1917.
- He returned to duty in March, and in May shot down two more enemy planes.
- On 27 May, Soulier became the youngest ace in French service, his predecessor, Paul Sauvage, having been killed in action.
- Soulier returned to hospital at the end of June 1917, and remained there until December.
- His illness ended his combat duty.
- He was sent to the United States to demonstrate combat flying to American pilots.
- He made a favorable impression on this public relations trip, being referred to as short and boyish, but solemn and self-assured.
- He was attributed with 430 flying hours and 60 dogfights.
- But suffering PTSD, he discovered cocaïne in USA and became a drug addict and an alcoholic.
- He died prematurely at age 33, having never dropped his addictions.
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