page_title: Joseph Vuillemin
section_title: Inter-war years
hierarchical_section_title: Joseph Vuillemin / Inter-war years
caption_attribution_description: For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Note: This description has been identified as biased or incorrect: The first name of General Vuillemin had been forgotten and the rank of Erhard Milch was "General der Flieger" on that day. Zentralbild / 17.8.1938 Der französische General Vuillemin besucht im August 1938 die deutsche Luftwaffe. UBz: vlnr: Generalleutnant Hans-Jürgen Stumpff, Staatssekretär im Reichsluftfahrtministerium General Erhard Milch und General Vuillemin schreiten die Front des Jagdgeschwaders "Richthofen" ab. 10817-38 Information added by Wikimedia users. English: 17 August 1938, General Joseph Vuillemin, from the French Air Force, reviews squadron "Richthofen" of the Luftwaffe, hosted by General der Flieger Erhard Milch and Generalleutnant Hans-Jürgen Stumpff. Français&#160;: Le 17 août 1938, le général Joseph Vuillemin, de l'Armée de l'air française, passe en revue l'escadrille «&#160;Richthofen&#160;» de chasse de la Luftwaffe, alors qu'il est reçu par le General der Flieger Erhard Milch et le Generalleutnant (équivalent de général de division en français) Hans-Jürgen Stumpff.
context_page_description: General Joseph Vuillemin was a French military aviator who took part in both world wars. He was Chief of Staff of the French Air Force during the first year of World War II.
context_section_description: After the war he took part in a number of pioneering flights in Africa. On 18 February 1920 Vuillemin and his observer, Lieutenant Chalus, complete the first flight across the Sahara Desert from Ramanrasset to Ménaka.  He was later given command of the ‘11e régiment d’aviation de bombardement en pays rhénan’ (11th Bomber Wing of the Rhine), and then put in charge of air operations in Algeria in 1925.  He became a colonel in 1928 and assumed command of air operations in Morocco in 1932.
  In February 1933, he was promoted to brigadier general (the equivalent of air commodore in the RAF).  Between November 1933 and January 1934, he led the so-called ‘La Croisière noire aérienne’ – an ambitious training and trailblazing mission from France via Morocco and the Sahara to French West Africa and French Equatorial Africa using French Potez 25 biplanes.
  Between 1935 and 1936, he commanded the ‘1er corps aérien’ (1st Air Corps) and, in July 1937, became a member of the ‘Conseil supérieur de l’air’ (Supreme Air Council) before being promoted to ‘général de division aérienne’ (equivalent of air vice-marshal in the RAF) in October of the same year.
  At the same time as his appointment to Chief of Staff of the French air force on 18 February 1938, General Vuillemin became ‘vice-président du Conseil supérieur de l’air’ (Vice Chairman of the Supreme Air Council) and Inspector General of Home Air Defence.  He was further promoted to the rank of ‘general d’armée aérienne’ (equivalent of air chief marshal in the RAF).
caption: General Vuillemin official visit to Germany before the 2nd World War reviews of Me 109.
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