St Exupery's aircraft found?

[FNG]

There has long been speculation as to what happened to Antoine de St Exupery after he set out on his final flight, a reconaissance sortie in a P38 Lightning, on 31st July 1944. Engine failure? Shot down? The BBC today reported the discovery of wreckage of an aircraft believed to be St Exupery's, but the report did not indicate what conclusions, if any, could be drawn as to the cause of the crash.

Edit: BBC link

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3606903.stm


Two St Ex links (the first in French):-

http://www.saint-exupery.org/

http://www.westegg.com/exupery/

[Onan the Clumsy]

I saw this on TV5 yesterday. About five years ago a fisherman had pulled up a bracelet that identified StE, but his discovery was met by blank stares and ridicule.

Apparently they've been to the wreakage now and matched serial numbers to prove the a/c was the correct one.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Also a piece in Thursday 8ths Daily Telegraph.

G

[Prince of Dzun]

When St. Exupery was rescued from the Egyptian desert (after crashing on his Paris to Saigon record attempt) he was near death from thirst and exposure. He laid to rest the ghost that resulted from his harrowing experience by flying a single engine Simoun on a pioneering flight across 9000 km of desert from Casablanca to Timbuktu. Read what he has to say about this: quote " I have an old account to settle with the desert and I was happy when the tiny square appeared 30 km away after all that emptiness. For hours the engine beat like a heart but that wasn't enough. A fine punishment awaited me if I fell below my own opinion of myself. I am home happy with my trip and myself, mountains, storms, sands these are my familiar gods to be met as equals." Unquote. (From a private letter to his friend Nelly de Vogue). Inspiring words and deeds, no wonder the French revere him so.

Prince of Dzun

[henry crun]

Something is not quite right with that distance quoted of 9000 kms unless there were dog legs involved.

A quick glance at my atlas, admitedly not accurate, shows that direct route to be about 4000 kms.

[Prince of Dzun]

henry crun:
What I quoted is from the biography "Antoine De Saint Exupery the Life and Death of the Little Prince" page 175 and 176 by Paul Webster. The figure of 9000 km is quoted by Paul Webster and I think he is referring to the entire flight Paris - Casablanca- Timbuktu and return. The way I copied it out (to cut down the text) it makes it look as if St. Ex actually quoted 9000 km in his letter which he did not. My apology for not making this crystal clear.
Regards,

Prince of Dzun

[shack]

I think that any aviator who has read his works can only admire the man for his flights. It is hard to understand the difficulties that he faced and overcame.

The other thing for me to admire is that as I am lucky enough to live a few kilometres from the family home, Chateau de Tiregand, the Comtess de Saint-Exupery is still making excellent wine!!!

[Onan the Clumsy]

Something is not quite right with that distance quoted of 9000 kms unless there were dog legs involved. Well people do say that since the advent of jet travel the world is shrinking :8