User:S.mustafaamir/sandbox

All material pertaining to current/future projects that I will be working on.

Virgilio Leret Ruiz
A modern portrait of Leret by Eulogia Merleat at MUNCYT, A Coruña.
Nickname(s)	The Knight of the Blue
Born	(1902-08-23)August 23, 1902 Pamplona, Spain
Died	July 18, 1936(1936-07-18) (aged 33) Melilla, Spain
Allegiance	Kingdom of Spain Spanish Republic
Service	Spanish Air Force
Service years	1917–1936
Rank	Commander (posthomously)
Unit	69th Serrallo Regiment 2nd Western Zone Squadron 5th Expeditionary Group Breguet-Rolls Squadron Dornier Squadron
Battles/wars	Rif War Spanish Civil War
Awards	Cross of Military Merit
Spouse(s)	Carlota O'Neill
Children	María Gabriela Carlota ‘Lotti’

Virgilio Leret Ruiz was a Spanish military aviator, engineer, and inventor. Ruiz is noted for his contributions towards the invention of the turbojet engine, and being possibly the first military officer to be executed by the Nationalist insurgents in the Spanish Civil War of 1936. Riuz participated in the Rif War, where he began his career as an aviator for the Spanish Air Force. Whilst stationed in Morocco, he became familiar the the Arabic and French languages. During the Republican uprising, Ruiz, along with a few other officers was arrested on the grounds of disobeying a direct order to open fire on fellow servicemen that had revolted to the Republican regime. However, he was soon pardoned after the Republic government was fomrally proclaimed. Ruiz would be arrested for the second time in October of 1934 for apparently disobeying a general order that command all personnel of the Spanish Armed Forces to remain apolitical throughout the duration of their service. It was during this arrest that Ruiz designed a jet engine which he dubbed the Mototurbocompresor de Reacción Continua (continous reaction turbo-compressor motor). He even got the design patented in the Madrid Industrial Property Resgitry. However, Ruiz would never see his design outside of paper as he would arrested for the third time by the Spanish Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War, and be executed at the Fort of Rostro Gordo on 18 July 1936. His intellectual contributions, and martydom during the war would earn him a posthomous rank of a commander. Ruiz would leave behind his wife, Carlota O'Neill, and two daughters. His wife Carlota would become essential in carrying on his legacy by sharing his efforts on his design with the British embassy in Madrid somewhere in 1940, to help aide the Allied war effort.

Early life and background

Ruiz was born on 23 August 1902, in Pamplona, under the Bourbon restoration of Spain. Ruiz was born as the third of eight kids to lieutenant colonel Carlos Manuel Leret y Úbeda and María Luisa Ruiz y Ramírez. Coming from a family of servicemen, Ruiz naturally took that path as well. He joined the Infantry Academy at Toledo in 1917 at the age of 15, and showed great interest towards the more technical aspects of military life. In 1920, he graduated as a second lieutenant, and was short assigned thereafter to the 69th Seraglio Regiment based in Ceuta.

Military career

Rif War

Ruiz flew the Bréguet 19 (a light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft) during missions over Morocco.

The Rif War, also known as the War of Melilla was an armed conflict fought between Spanish colonial forces and the Rif people of Morocco. Ruiz participated in Spain's campaign, fighting rebels led by Mulai Ahmed er Raisuni and Abd el-Krim, in the years between 1920 to 1927. Amongst other activities, Ruiz was prominent in the Occupation of Chefchaouen and the Alhucemas landing.

During the Occupation of Chefchaouen, Ruiz fought with commendable bravery along with 20 other soldiers, defending their blockhouse against a Rif siege for 21 days. His career as an aviator began in Morroco, staying active between the years of 1925 and 1927. He was assigned to the 2nd Western Zone Squadron, the 5th Expeditionary Group, and the Breguet-Rolls Squadron. Ruiz again showed commendable bravery when his plane was shot down during the Alhucemas landing, and he had to traverse through enemy territory on foot, to eventually seek refuge at the French Protectorate in Morocco.

Due to his significant contributions to the Spanish campaign in Morocco, Ruiz was awarded the Cross of Military Merit with red distinctions two times, in 1922 and 1927. In 1929, he was awarded Cross of Military Merit for the third time, as a Knight of the First Class by King Alfonso XIII.

Second Spanish Republic

When the Republican uprising of 1930, arranged by Spanish servicemen took place, Ruiz was stationed at Getafe. Some of the servicemen who had revolted were Ruiz's close colleagues, and when ordered to open fire on them, Ruiz disobeyed. This led to Ruiz being tried and then imprisoned by the last leaders of the Spanish Kingdom. However, he would spend only four months in prison, as after the formal proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic (and deposition of the Spanish Kingdom), Ruiz would be pardoned and freed.

After gaining freedom, Ruiz would be posted at various locations across Spain between the years 1931 and 1932.

In 1934, Ruiz would be assigned to the Dornier Squadron. During this time, he would be promoted to a captain. Ruiz was arrested again during this time for allegedly disobeying a government decree that declared all members of the Spanish Armed Forces to remain apolitical in the face of the increasingly socialist protests against the far-right incumbent Republican government. It during this time in prison that Ruiz worked on his infamous designs of what he called the Mototurbocompresor de Reacción Continua (continuous reaction turbo-compressor motor). He even got it patented in the Madrid Industrial Property Registry under the identification number 137,729.

After his release from prison for the second time, Ruiz joined the Unión Militar Republicana Antifascista (Republican Antifascist Military Union), which was a reactionary force that emerged in response to the pro-socialist and pro-fascist Unión Militar Española before the dawn of the Spanish Civil War.