Need information about Edmond (Morelle)

[Retroplan]

Hello!
I can't find any biography of Edmond Morelle.
This Aviator trained the first Russian military pilots in St. Petersburg in may-June 1910 (after the airmeeting).
I can't find any information about his career before and after SPb airmeeting.
Could you recommend any articles or links on this topic?
There is a certain confusion and some mistakes - who was in St. Petersburg at this time - Edmond [Morrelle] or Edmond [Dufour].
So I would be very grateful for a photo of Edmond Dufour.
Thanks for help.

[Anders]

Hi Alexander,

I haven't been able to find much information about "Edmond" either, but I was the lucky one to find definite proof of his identity. He was an automobile racer before turning to aviation, and seems to have disappeared from the news without a trace after 1910. The last reports mention him as a factory pilot for Bristol and participating in the Lanark meeting in August 1910.

You will find some information in this thread from the forum of Autosport magazine.

It was definitely Morelle who participated in the St Petersburg meeting.

If you know anything more about Morelle I would be pleased to know.

Anders

[Anders]

Was there even an Edmond Dufour?

Jean Dufour was a Voisin pilot, French license No. 96
Édouard Dufour was a Blériot pilot, French license No. 103
Louis Dufour was, I believe, a Farman pilot, French license No. 185

I have seen the name Edmond Dufour in an article in Flight and in a list of French licenses, but I think it's a mixup. Flight certainly mixed up the Edmond with Jean.

Anders

[Retroplan]

Hi Anders!
Thank you very much for posting about Edmond and links.
I think you're absolutely right in your research. Edmond Morelle received his brevet together with the Baroness de La Roche, and soon they went to First international airweek in Russia (St.Petersburg) - together again.

Edmond remained in Russia until the end of June 1910. After airweek he sold his Farman (Renault engine) to the war Ministry of Russian Empire and agreed to train several officers. These officers were Georgy Gorshkov and Ivan Kogutov.
Gorshkov learned to fly on Farman, which was bought from a Christians after airweek.
He became a famous Russian military pilot (commander of the bomber Ilya Murometz).

Kogutov learned to fly on the Edmonds' Farman. He often got into an accident, crashed the plane, and no flies after the autumn of 1910, but was CEO of the training detachment in the Aeronautical school in Gatchina after accident.

The third Russian officer Eugene Rudnev began to train first - with the aviator Nikolai Popov on Wright biplane, until Popov (Popoff) was injured in an accident.
After that Rudnev (Rudneff) continued training with aviator-instructor Vladimir Lebedev on new Farman biplane (delivered from France).
Lebedev (Lebedeff) became a famous Russian Aviator and owner of the aircraft factory in 1-2 years.

Eugene Rudnev is considered the first Russian military pilot who was trained and certified in Russia.
BTW the first Russian officer who became an certified aviator out of Russian Empire was naval officer Stanislav Dorozhinsky which got brevet in France (No. 125 by 21.06.1910 Antoinette).

It is very interesting how Edmond's career developed after his return to France...