Les Gloires de l’Aviation Militaire Belge

A recent visit from our grandsons brought startling explosions, destruction, fire and noisy deaths into our normally peaceful domestic setting. 

Yet their video game(s) went on merrily enough – somehow no one seemed any the worse for it. 

This little picture card is certainly a dramatic image, with its striking colours and  powerful composition, complete with the hero's portrait in the bottom corner. It's one of many that Liebig – a forerunner of Oxo, extracting meat essence – included free with their product, from 1875 to 1940.

Les Gloires de l’Aviation Militaire Belge

Willy grins, safe in his bubble
while all around the clouds explode
as if all this were nothing at all
to do with him. Improbably
a grey balloon deflates in flames –
Bien Meilleurs! The sky is full
of drama. Thirty-five of them
I read – that’s quite a bag –
no wonder he is smiling!
His biplane banks, the pram wheels spin –
he’s off to find another.
Reproduction interdite – you must not try
to do this too but should you
wish to find out more, just look behind –
explication au verso.

I'm not sure how successful the Belgian Air Force turned out to be, but this dashing fellow learnt to fly in eight weeks in Britain at his own expense in 1915 and became an Ace, eventually badly injured.  Losing a leg didn't prevent him going on later to hold a parachute record, when he jumped from 6000 metres, which stood (so to speak) for years.

He was ennobled by Belgium, decorated by 7 nations (including an MC and DSO from Britain) and organised Resistance work in the Second World War, dying at the grand old age of 94.

I can't help but admire Willy Coppens in his flimsy flying machine, while at the same time being conscious of the shocking glorification, almost trivialisation of this violence.

Not to mention the amusement at this heroism being associated with meat extract cubes, which are themselves Bien Meilleurs – much better! (with an exclamation mark!)

Humour, heroism; death and destruction – all something of a game...

A jaunty little poem to go with a little picture card. 

And the games go on.