Roland Garros, pionnier et héros de l'aviation
1888-1918. Famous before the war for having broken various records and after having accomplished the first aerial crossing of the Mediterranean in September 1, in 1913h7 min, he was shot down in flight in 53 south of Vouziers.
Born in 1888 on the island of Réunion, this hero and aviation pioneer developed the technique of firing through the propeller shaft, creating the very first fighter aircraft. This ingenious system enabled him to excel in combat.
He now rests at French military square of the civil cemetery of Vouziers. The monument overlooking the vault was created and installed in 1924 by Victor Pierrard, at the initiative of the aviator's mother.
In 1913, 1 year before the start of the First World War, he was the first aviator in the world to cross the Mediterranean, in just under 8 hours from Fréjus to Bizerte (Tunisia).
From the beginning of the conflict, he committed himself as volunteer soldier within the French forces. In April 1915, forced to land in occupied territory, he was made prisoner for 34 months in Germany before escaping.
He returned to the front in 1918 to fight his last battles in the region. in aerial combat that Roland Garros lost his life above Saint-Morel on October 5, 1918, a few weeks before the end of the fighting.
A stele is located on the site where the lieutenant-aviator lost his life aboard his SPADXIII.
He now rests at French military square of the civil cemetery of Vouziers. The monument overlooking the vault was created and installed in 1924 by Victor Pierrard, at the initiative of the aviator's mother.
Ten years after the death of Roland Garros, his friend Émile Lesieur, president of Stade Français and fellow student at HEC, decided to name the tennis tournament at Porte d'Auteuil in Paris after him. This internationally renowned event remains one of the most prestigious events in the Grand Slam series, played on clay.
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