Pavel Argeyev

Capitaine Pavel Vladimirovich Argeyev (1 March 1887 – 30 October 1922), also known as Paul d'Argueev and The Eagle of Crimea, was a Russian-born flying ace of World War I, serving the French Armée de l'Air and Imperial Russian Air Service. Initially a high-ranking officer in the Imperial Russian Army, he transferred to France, where he became an aviator. He received a variety of decorations, both French and Russian, before dying in a flying accident in 1922.

Early life Born in Yalta, Crimea, in 1887 to an engineer of steamships named Vladimir Akimovich Argeyev and his wife, Argeyev graduated from the military academy in Odessa in 1907 and Odessa College in 1909 and joined the Imperial Russian Army as a sergeant in the 184th Reserve Infantry Regiment in Warsaw, Poland. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1912 and transferred to the 29th Chernigov Infantry Regiment, where he was made a lieutenant colonel. ) and moved to France, enlisting in the French Foreign Legion with the rank of lieutenant on 12 September 1914. As with many airmen, he chose first to enlist in the infantry. He was assigned to the 131st Infantry Regiment, and participated in the Battle of the Marne, in which he received a head injury but returned to the front in October. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre, followed by an appointment as a chevalier of the Legion d'honneur in May 1915. After having accumulated flying hours on the Western Front with Escadrille N48, An uncredited victory came four months later, on the evening of 8 April, when he downed a Fokker near Mitau, in modern-day Latvia. His second official victory came at 9:45am on 21 April, followed by his third on 6 May, which he shared with Ernst Leman and Alexander Kazakov. Enlisting once more in the Armée de l'Air, he was assigned to Escadrille SPA.124, where he would spend the rest of the war.

His first victory came only days after joining the squadron, when he downed an LVG C.II on 1 June 1918.

Honours and awards Officer of the Legion d'Honneur (France, 1915), previously awarded the Chevalier (1918) Croix de guerre 1914-1918 with 8 Palmes (France, 1915) Order of St. George, 4th Class with Swords (31 October 1917, for victories in aerial combat on 23 April 1917 and 5 April 1917) Order of St. Vladimir, 4th Class with Swords (18 December 1915, "for actions in the war against the Germans on the French front") Order of St. Anna, 2nd, 3rd and 4th classes Gold Sword for Bravery (21 November 1917, for the destruction of enemy aircraft 26 May 1917)

Legion d'honneur Citation "A Russian national who took command of a company in November. Has shown by his actions great alacrity and the highest energy. He has complete authority over his men. He was lightly wounded on 17 April 1915, but retained command of his company."