Born: 1890, Mouchamps, France Died: 1928, unknown. Disappeared on last flight of Latham 47.02
René Cyprien Guilbaud was considered one of France’s best pilots and held the rank of capitaine de corvette (lieutenant commander). He began his career at the French Naval Academy in Brest, in 1909, before serving on several vessels. During the First World War he escorted convoys in the Mediterranean. In 1916, Guilbaud joined the French Navy’s flying school, and from 1920 to 1922 he led the military flying school at Hourtin. Four years later, in 1926, he completed the first flight from France to Madagascar on a CAMS 37 military flying boat. By 1927, Guilbaud was an Officier de la Légion d’honneur.
In the spring of 1928, Guilbaud was on a test flight of Latham 47.02 between Caudebec, France and Bizerte, Tunisia. The trip was made without stopovers and was estimated to be almost 2000 kilometres 📜.
In the summer of 1928, Guilbaud was preparing for a flight across the Atlantic with Latham 47.02, but on 14 June 1928 he received orders from the Minister of the Navy, Georges Leygues, to make the Latham and crew available to assist Roald Amundsen in his search for the missing Italia expedition 📜. “I am delighted that it is Roald Amundsen I will make the trip with,” Guilbaud told the newspapers 📜.
On June 16, 1928, Guilbaud flew with the Frenchmen Albert de Cuverville, Gilbert Georges Paul Brazy and Emile Valette from Caudebec-en-Caux in France to Bergen, Norway, to meet up with Amundsen and Leif Dietrichson. To the newspaper journalists who had turned up in Bergen, Guilbaud said, “We had to make our preparations hastily. On Friday morning we were told that it was now a matter of being fast, and 24 hours later we rose and headed north. This is about human life and so we must not think of our own comfort.” 📜
Guilbaud glances across at the photographer during a press conference at Hotel Terminus, Bergen, June 17, 1928. Photo: Preus museum.
From Bergen they continued the next day to Tromsø. On the afternoon of June 18, 1928, as Guilbaud stepped once again into his machine, newspapers recorded his last words to those around him: “Let’s not waste time shaking hands with each other to say goodbye, but let’s go where we are needed.” 📜 At around 4 p.m., Latham 47.02 took off from Tromsø, and no one knows for certain what happened next.
Several theories have since been advanced, but only three pieces of wreckage have been identified as being from theLatham and what might have happened is still the subject of discussion 📜.
After their disappearance, several memorials were established in honour of Guilbaud and the others lost on Latham 47.02. These include a mountain top on Svalbard named Guilbaudtoppen📜.
Guilbaud was posthumously promoted to Commandeur de la Légion d’honneur. The Léonore database of the French Archives Nationales contains several digitized documents related to his honours 📜.
Sources: Hovdenak, Gunnar: Roald Amundsens siste ferd 📜 Kristensen, Monica: Amundsens siste reise
One of the Netsilik Inuit Amundsen met during the expedition through the Northwest Passage, 1903-06. A tinted photograph of him hangs in Amundsen’s home.
The girls Nita and Camilla Carpendale went to Norway and Svartskog together with Amundsen in 1922 where they lived until 1924. The girls called Amundsen “Grandpa”.
Betty was one of the key women in Amundsen’s life. She was the nanny when he grew up, and when Amundsen moved to Svartskog, she joined him and moved into the gatehouse, which became “Betty’s house”.
Eivind Astrup became one of the world’s most experienced polar explorers of his time and a great role model for Roald Amundsen. He chose to end his life when only 24 years old.
Roald Amundsen had strong feelings for Kristine Elisabeth “Kiss” Bennett. She visited Uranienborg several times, but even though Amundsen transferred ownership of it to her, she never moved in.
The girls Nita and Camilla Carpendale went to Norway and Svartskog with Amundsen in 1922 and lived there until 1924. The girls called Amundsen “Grandpa”.
Sigrid Flood Castberg, often called “Sigg”, was one of the women Amundsen had a relationship with. But when Amundsen proposed, she was already married and wanted to wait, and when she was ready he wanted…
Håkon Hammer met Roald Amundsen in Seattle in 1921. He quickly became a collaborator and supporter, but was later named by Amundsen as one of the reasons for his personal bankruptcy.
Participated in the Maud expedition, but left the expedition in 1919, together with Peter Tessem. Both perished. What really happened to them is still unknown.
The Alaska Inupiaq called Elizabeth Magids “Queen of the Arctic”, Amundsen’s crew referred to her as “the mysterious lady”. Amundsen called her “Bess”. She went to live with Amundsen in Norway in 1928….
Participated as a research assistant on the Maud expedition, and as a meteorologist on the Norge expedition. Died on Umberto Nobile’s airship expedition in 1928.
One of the Netsilik Inuit Amundsen met during the expedition through the Northwest Passage 1903-06. A coloured picture of him decorates a window in Amundsen’s home.
Nobile was the airship engineer whom Amundsen criticized after the expedition in 1926. During the search for his wrecked expedition in 1928, Roald Amundsen disappeared.
Joined the Maud expedition after visiting the ship in Khabarovsk. Also participated in the Norge expedition, but was left out from the actual voyage across the Arctic Ocean.
One of the Netsilik Inuit Amundsen met during the expedition through the Northwest Passage 1903-06. A coloured picture of her hangs in Amundsen’s home.
One of the Netsilik Inuit Amundsen met during the expedition through the Northwest Passage 1903-06. A coloured picture of him decorates a door in Amundsen’s home.