Edith Clark

Edith Georgette Clark (also known as Edith Boiteux, 15 June 1904 - 16 March 1937) was a French aviator and parachutist.[1][2][3]

This article is about the French aviator. For the British philanthropist, see Edith Dixon.
Edith Clark (left) and Hélène Boucher at an aviation event in Vincennes in 1934

Clark was born in Cuffy, in the Cher region of France, on 15 June 1904. She worked as a typist and became interested in aviation, however she could not afford the expenses of flying lessons on her salary. Instead, she started parachuting and earned money testing different types of military parachutes.[2] She also aimed to set a record for jumping from the lowest permitted altitude, and performed stunts such as jumping from the top of a 20-metre fire engine ladder in Bucharest, and from the roof of the Cirque d'Hiver in Paris.[4]

In 1926, Clark joined a Freemasons Lodge in Paris, and became the secretary of the lodge.[5]

Clark accompanied Madeleine Charnaux in her attempts to break altitude records, and on 29 January 1935 she was a passenger when Charnaux flew to 6,115m, the altitude record for light aircraft.[2]

In 1936, Clark obtained her permit from the Ministry of Air and became a professional paratrooper.[4]

Clark died in a parachuting accident on 16 March 1937 at the Avignon-Pujaut Military Training Center in Avignon.[3] She had carried out two successful test jumps with a new model of Air Force parachute, when she jumped from a height of 500 metres and the parachute did not open. She died on impact. It was her 200th parachute jump.[2]

Clark was initially buried in Meaux, however her remains were later transferred to Nevers.[2] The Ministry of Air gave Clark a posthumous citation recognising her bravery for the Ordre de la nation (Order of the Nation).[1][4]

References
  1. "Edith Clark (1905-1937) - Author - Resources from the BnF". data.bnf.fr. Retrieved 2017-01-22.
  2. "Edith CLARK". www.janinetissot.fdaf.org. Retrieved 2017-01-22.
  3. "Edith Clark". paras-pth.forumactif.com (in French). Retrieved 2017-01-22.
  4. "Les articles". mairiecuffy.free.fr. Retrieved 2017-01-23.
  5. "Les femmes qui ont fait la franc-maçonnerie". brest-loge-pleias.com. Retrieved 2017-01-23.
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