James McCudden
James Thomas Byford McCudden VC , DSO & Bar , MC & Bar , MM (* 28. March 1895 in Gillingham in the county of Kent , † 9 July 1918 in Auxi-le-Château , France ) was a British fighter pilot of World War I and carriers of the Victoria Cross . He ranks seventh on the list of the most successful fighter pilots of all nations in the First World War.
Life
McCudden was born the son of a retired British officer. He had two brothers who both died as pilots in the service of the British Royal Flying Corps (RFC) in World War I. In 1910 he first joined the pioneer group. Following the example of one of his brothers, he successfully asked to be transferred to the air force in 1913. In August 1914 he was first assigned to France as an aircraft mechanic. Soon after, he was also used as an observer on reconnaissance flights.
In January 1916 McCudden was transferred back to England and trained there as a pilot. He received his military pilot's license in April 1916, and from June 1916 he served as a pilot in France. On September 6, 1916, he successfully shot down an enemy fighter aircraft with an Airco DH2 . After shooting down five enemy machines, he was awarded the Military Cross in February 1917 .
McCudden prepared his missions very carefully and paid great attention to his aircraft and its armament. Here he benefited from his training as a mechanic. From around mid-1917 McCudden flew an SE5 . On March 29, 1918, he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his successes in aerial combat. A total of 57 enemy aircraft were shot down today.
The McCudden Aircraft Factory SE5 windshield. is on display at the Imperial War Museum in London.
death
McCudden died on July 9, 1918 from injuries sustained in a plane crash caused by a technical defect near Auxi-le-Château in France.
See also
literature
- Arch Whitehouse: Aviator Aces 1914-1918 . Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1970.
- Ralph Barker: The Royal Flying Corps in World War I. Robinson, 2002, ISBN 1-84119-470-0 .
- Christopher Cole: McCudden, VC. William Kimber, London 1967.
- Peter G. Cooksley: VCs of the First World War - The Air VCs. Sutton, Stroud 1999.
- Jon Guttman, Harry Dempsey: Pusher Aces of World War 1. Osprey, Oxford 2009, ISBN 978-1-84603-417-6 .
- David Harvey: Monuments to Courage. Victoria Cross Headstones and Memorials. Kevin and Kay Patience, 1999.
- Nora Buzzell (Ed.): The Register of the Victoria Cross. This England, 1997.
- Major James TB McCudden: Flying Fury: Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps. (Orig .: Airplane, London 1919) Greenhill, Elstree 1987, ISBN 0-947898-60-3 .
- Gerald Napier: The Sapper VCs: The Story of Valor in the Royal Engineers and its Associated Corps. Stationery Office, 1998.
- Mike O'Connor, Norman Franks: In the Footsteps of the Red Baron. Pen & Sword Military, Barnsley 2004.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | McCudden, James |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | McCudden, James Thomas Byford |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British fighter pilot of the First World War |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 28, 1895 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Gillingham , England |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 9, 1918 |
| Place of death | at Auxi-le-Château , France |