COPPENS WILLY: (1892-1986) Belgian fighter ace of World War I, officially credited with 37 victories, thus making him Belgium's most successful ace and the champion 'balloon buster' of the war. An unusual signed 8 x 11 photograph, the somewhat grainy reproduction image depicting King Albert I of the Belgians in a head and shoulders pose wearing his uniform, overcoat and Adrian helmet, signed (´Willy Coppens de Houthulst´) by Coppens in black ink to the lower white border and with a lengthy statement in his hand to the lower part of the image, in French, ´Le 7 Avril 1917, le Roi Albert eut le bapteme de l´air, pilote par le commandant Jacquet, qui lui fit survoler le front de l´Yser. Ce fut le premier des vols tres nombreux qu´Albert 1er fit ensuite - l´un deux. en Novembre 1917 le conduisant en plein ciel ennemi, au-dessus d´Ostende a bord d´un Bristol "Fighter" britannique de la 48e escadrille du R.F.C.´ (Translation: ´On 7th April 1917, King Albert was baptised in the air by Commander Jacquet, who flew him over the Yser front. This was the first of many flights Albert I made - one of them in November 1917 taking him into enemy airspace over Ostend aboard a British Bristol “Fighter” of the R.F.C.'s 48th squadron´). Together with a signed 9.5 x 7.5 photograph of Coppens in a head and shoulders pose outdoors, in later years. Signed (´Willy Coppens de Houthulst´) by the aviator in blue ink to the base of the image and dated 1970 in his hand. G to VG, 2