Jacques Theodore Saconney

Jacques Theodore SACONNEY (1874 Torino Italy–1935 Dijon, France) was a Senior French Army General, an innovative scientist and a adventurous military balloonist.

He has foreseen the future developments of the French civil and military air forces. His academic works in mathematics, his activities in the development of the modern meteorology, the setting up of the French military and civil aviation, and the developments of military kites and air photography were his main contributions to his time.

Family background

Having its roots in Saconnex, Switzerland (which is located in the suburbs of Geneva), his family escaped the Protestant Revolution by immigrating to France during the XVI century.

His forefathers first settled in Lyon, where a few members of his family left some traces including Henri de SACONAY and Gabriel de SACONAY. [Henri de SACONAY (1396-1445) was sent to the Council of Constance in 1414 and Gabriel de Saconnay denounced the protestant reformation. See the PhD history thesis of Charles-Henri EYRAUD “Horloges astronomiques au tournant du XVIIIe siècle : de l’à-peu-près à la precision” including the biography and the description of the tombs en Henri de SACONAY and Gabriel de SACONAY in the cathedral of Lyon. Available at [http://www.ens-lyon.fr/RELIE/Cadrans/Musee/HorlogesAstro/These_Eyraud.pdf] For Henri de SACONAY, see page 156 and 214; and Gabriel de SACONAY Page 218. Jean CALVIN wrote a response to Gabriel de SACONAY’s attack: “Congratulations to the Venerable Presbyter, Lord Gabriel of SACONAY, Precentor of the Church at Lyon for the Beautiful and Elegant Preface that He Wrote for the Book of the King of England" available at [http://library.calvin.edu/content/resource_abstract/4699] ]

The SACONAY then settled in Burgundy where they cultivated wine in Gevrey (Cote d’Or) [one of his direct ancestors was called Hugues SACONNEY and bore the title of "Gentilhomme poussant charette" but the following generation where not confirmed in their nobility] . The tombs of the family still remain in this village now called Gevrey-chambertin. During the XIXth century, Jacques Theodore’s grandfather became prosperous in the hotel industry. He followed the construction of the train between Dijon and Turin, and he ended up earning many estates in Turin, Italy, in Dijon and Aix-les-Bains, France.

The Coat of Arms of the SACONNEY's: coupé, au 1 d'argent au lion naissant de gueules, trois étoiles d'argent. [http://www.10septembre.ch/images/logoscommunes/grandsac.gif]

A soldier and a scientist

Jacques Theodore SACONNEY was educated at the prestigious High School Henry IV in Paris, France, and was admitted at “l’Ecole Polytechnique”, Paris, in 1895.

in 1897, SACONNEY was appointed Officer in the French army, he was affected in the 4th regiment “du Génie” in Grenoble where he became a military balloonist. At first, one of his main interests lied military observation and in kites. In 1902, captain SACONNEY was successful in creating a kite system which was capable of carrying a camera that allowed the establishment of a precise mapping.

In 1909, Théophile BOIS and Jacques-Théodore SACONNEY published a scientific paper explaining the technical reasons why kits remained stable when flying in the air and providing scientific evidence explaining the equilibrium of such flying instruments.

In 1909, a competition to determine the most suitable man lifting technique existent at that time was launched. The prize was won by Captain MADIOT but he died shortly in a Flying accident. As Captain MADIOT’s system was not fully developed, Captain Saconney’s man lifting system was adopted by the French nascent Army Air force. SACONNEY’s man lifting system contained a motorcar, trailer, and a winch that was driven by the car’s engine. [http://zbmteam.net/cerfvolant/images/histoire02.jpg]

The system was also installed aboard the ship The Edgar QUINET in 1911. In November 1912, SACONNEY became head of the laboratory of meteorology and aerial photography of Chalais-Meudon. [http://zbmteam.net/cerfvolant/images/histoire22.jpg]

During the World War 1, he was in charge of the observation of the enemy. At first, he integrated a Balloonist Company, and in August 1914, Captain SACONNEY took the command of the Automobile section of the balloon and kite military section which was based in Epinal, Vosges. [http://cerfvolantsoissons.free.fr/pages%20suite/exposition/cerf-volant%20militaire/photos%20cv%20militaire/rapport.jpg] a sum up of the daily activity of the Ballonist company during World War 1.

Pioneer of French civil aviation

After the Great War, Commandant SACONNEY became President of the Commission for the Application of Meteorology to Aerial Navigation, which later became the International Commission for Aeronautical Meteorology. This Commission provided guidance and coordination to international aeronautical meteorology. This Commission was part of the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), the predecessor of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which was established in 1919. At that time, he was reckoned to be the authority in his field.

Then he was in charge of organising French civil aviation. Between 1919 and 1922, Colonel SACONNEY was the director of the civil aviation. In a report from the National Advisory Committee for aeronautics, entitled “commercial aviation in France” (1922), it was said that the first step of the creation of the commercial aviation in France was realised by Colonel SACONNEY. The report states that between 1919 to 1922, the French commercial aviation acquired its first experience and its supremacy by setting permanent air routes between Paris-London, Paris-Brussels, Paris-Strasbourg-Prague-Warsaw, Paris-Geneva, Bordeaux-Toulouse-Montpellier, Nimes-Marseilles, Toulouse-Casablanca, Bayonne-Bilbao.

In 1922, he rejoined the army. Became member of the Council of the French Air Force and went up in the military hierarchy.

His wife, Madame la Generale SACONNEY flying in a ballon [http://cerfvolantancien.free.fr/saconney/madame-saconney.jpg]

Saconney died in Dijon the 14 July 1935 leaving behind him two sons and a daughter.

The last exhibition of Saconney’s kite was held recently in Soissons (France). The Grandson of General SACONNEY attended the event. See the photograph with the president of the Association Sportive du Cerf-volant Soisonnais (on the right)and Jean-Lech SACONNEY (on the left). [http://cerfvolantsoissons.free.fr/pages%20suite/exposition/cerf-volant%20militaire/photos%20cv%20militaire/photo%20soissons/m%20saconney.jpg]

Military distinctions

Grand Officier de l'Ordre de la Légion d'Honneur, French Army General (4 stars) (général de corps d'armée), British, Russian and many foreign decorations.

Bibliography

Collectif: L’aventure des premiers avions de combat. Ouvrage collectif. Hachette Collections. En collaboration avec le Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace. 2006

ROBINEAU, Lucien. Les Français du Ciel. Dictionnaire historique. edit. Le cherche midi

SACONNEY, J.T. Metrophotographie. Octave Doin et Fils, 1913Cerfs-Volants Militaires: Théorie pratique de cerf-volant cellulaire et des trains de cerfs-volants. Berger-Levault : 1909

SACONNEY, J.T. Le Phare Du Mont Afrique.

« L'utilisation du cerf-volant de type Saconney, durant la 1ére guerre mondiale » (20 pages) and « L'histoire du cerf-volant dans son contexte militaire, depuis sa création jusqu'a 1915 » ( 41 pages). Published by « l’Association Sportive du Cerf-volant Soisonnais ». 2005

Other sources

a web site on his activity, his scientific experiences and a biography. [http://cerfvolantancien.free.fr/saconney/saconney-enfance.htm]

See the website devoted to the Aerial Military Photography by Kites and Balloons between 1902 – 1915 [http://www.carnetdevol.org/aerophoto/militaire-va.htm]

photographs and biography [http://www.carnetdevol.org/biograhie/pionniers.htm#saconney] [http://www.carnetdevol.org/aerophoto/militaire-va.htm]

more photographs [http://robroy.dyndns.info/KAP-history/french_soldiers.html]

A report on his activity in the civil aviation [http://www.icao.int/icao/en/anb/met/divmtg/wp/wp069_en.pdf]

[http://www.axilia.com/gsi/index/2003/010203/memoire.htm]

documents from the NASA [http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19930083162_1993083162.pdf]

Notes et références