Hero of the Month - March 2025
Published in Britain at War - March 2025
Major James Thomas Byford McCudden VC, DSO & Bar, MC & Bar, MM
Major James McCudden was one of the most dedicated and decorated pilots of the Great War and, like so many of our bravest airmen, he combined a ruthlessness in the skies with a modesty once he was back on the ground. He enjoyed an unusual career path because he initially followed his father into the Royal Engineers before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps, the forerunner to the Royal Air Force.
McCudden, the third of six children, was born on March 28 1895 in the Female Hospital, Brompton, Kent. His father was a career soldier, William McCudden, who served with the Royal Engineers, and his mother was Amelia McCudden (née Byford). As a result of his father’s military career, James McCudden, known as “Jimmy” by his family, attended the Royal Engineers Garrison School, Brompton Barracks, Kent.
His elder brother, Bill, joined the Royal Engineers as a bugler in 1905, aged just 14. Five years later, James too enlisted in the Royal Engineers also aged 14, and was given the rank of bugler six months later. His father kept a watchful eye on his young son and, realising he was being bullied by a Non-Commissioned Officer, arranged for James to be transferred to serve on Gibraltar from February 1911 to September 1912. On his return to Britain, James served was stationed at Weymouth, Dorset, with No 6 Company, Royal Engineers.
It is understood that James McCudden interest in flying originated in 1909 when, close to where his lived with his family, John Moore-Brabazon became the first Englishman to fly for a circular mile in a British-built aircraft. This event, resulting in Moore-Brabazon being described as the “first British pilot”, took place less than six years after the Wright brothers recorded the world’s first flight in the US in December 1903.
McCudden’s career switch resulted from him applying to the Royal Flying Corps, which had been created by Royal Warrant in April 1912. He was accepted in April 1913 as “892 Air Mechanic 2nd Class”. Just as his early career in the Royal Engineers had not gone smoothly, nor did it in the Royal Flying Corps.
The young engineer caused a crash between two “stationery” planes when he was instructed to practice propeller starts on a Caudron aircraft having not realised that the ignition was in the “on” position. This meant the Caudron’s momentum forward was only halted when it collided with another aircraft badly damaging both planes. To add insult to injury, the out-of-control aircraft also hit the car of McCudden’s Commanding Officer. Great embarrassment and five days in the guard room followed before he was released under “open arrest”.
It was while McCudden awaited trial for his carelessness that he made his first flight as a passenger in a BE2a aircraft. Shortly afterwards, he received his punishment for his “crime”: seven days detention and 14 days loss of pay. Putting aside the incident, McCudden was soon an established member of No 3 Squadron and by the end of 1913 he had 30 hours flying experience. The following year, he was able to make several more flights, some with his elder brother William. By August 1914, with McCudden by this point in the rank of Air Mechanic First Class, the world was at war and he soon transferred to France with the rest of his squadron. McCudden took part in both the Battle of Mons and the Battle of the Aisne.
The predicted swift victory for Britain and its allies failed to materialise and in his newly promoted role as “Corporal-in-Charge of Engines” he had to start and run the engine of all his squadron’s aircraft before dawn each day. In November 1914, No 3 Squadron moved to Gonnehem, north of Béthune, France, and in April 1915 McCudden was promoted to Sergeant after which he sometimes flew as an observer before being chosen for training as a pilot.
His engineering responsibilities meant, however, that McCudden’s first training flight did not take place until February 1916, by which point his brother, Bill, had been killed in a crash in his Bleriot monoplane after trying to return to land after his engine developed a fault after take-off.
McCudden, who was usually known as “Mac”, was a natural pilot and was awarded his 1st Class Pilot’s certificate at the end of May 1916 before being posted to No 20 Squadron in France. He achieved his first combat “victory” north of Messines, Belgium, on September 6 1916. The following month he was awarded the Military Medal (MM), as his citation stated, “for gallantry, courage and dash”.
On January 1 1917, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and, after some leave, he returned to 29 Squadron. Late in January 1917, he was shot down for the first and only time in his career. An enemy Fokker biplane had blasted off three quarters of his propeller, forcing him to land but in Allied-held territory near Arras.
As his career went from strength to strength, McCudden accepted an invitation to join No 56 Squadron, which was in France flying the new SE5 scouts. He formally took command of “B” Flight on August 14 1917.
McCudden has great respect for the talents of German pilots that he flew against and sometimes killed. None more so than Werner Voss, whom he and his pilots from No 56 Squadron met in combat on September 23 1917. Their fight began at 8,000 feet but soon dropped to 2,000 feet with the German pilot managing to hit most of his attackers before being outnumbered, shot down and killed. McFadden shared the belief of a comrade that Voss was “the bravest and most skilful Hun I have ever seen”, vowing to visit the parents of German pilots he (McCudden) had killed after the war to congratulate them on rearing such fine sons.
On January 3 1918, the Daily Mail ran a major story under the headline “Our Unknown Air Heroes”, which focused primarily on McCudden. However, he disliked his new-found fame preferring to concentrate quietly on the job in hand.
By this time too, McCudden has also been awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and Military Cross (MC) for separate acts of gallantry. Then on April 2 1918 it was announced in The London Gazette that he has been awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) for his relentless bravery in the skies. His lengthy citation stated he had “accounted” for 54 enemy aircraft of which 42 had been “definitely destroyed”.
The citation stated: “On two occasions he has totally destroyed four two-seater enemy aeroplanes on the same day, and on the last occasion all four machines were destroyed in the space of 1 hour and 30 minutes.”
“While in his present squadron he has participated in 78 offensive patrols, and in nearly every case has been the leader. On at least 30 occasions, whilst with the same squadron, he has crossed the lines [frontline] alone, either in pursuit or in quest of enemy aeroplanes.”
His citation ended: “As a patrol leader he has at all times shown the utmost gallantry and skill, not only in the manner in which he has attacked and destroyed the enemy, but in the way he has during several aerial fights protected the newer members of the flight, thus keeping down their casualties to a minimum.
“This officer is considered, by the record he has made, by his fearlessness, and by the very great service he has rendered to his country, deserving of the very highest honour.”
Bars to his DSO and his MM had earlier followed for further bravery, meaning he was awarded an incredible six gallantry awards in well under two years. His VC along with four other decorations were presented to him by George V at an investiture in Buckingham Palace on April 6 1918, just four days after his VC was announced.
McCudden, who was a single man, had a pet English Bulldog called Bruiser and when the pilot was told had to fly from London to France he elected to take his pet with him in the rear seat. That plan had to be abandoned when he was given a single-seater aircraft.
Flying from Hounslow airport, west London, in daylight but a heavy mist, he arrived at what he thought was his intended destination at, only to discover on landing that it was Auxi-le- Château airfield, the home of No 8 Squadron. After realising his error and getting directions to a nearby airfield, McCudden took off again shortly after 6pm and in daylight on July 9 1918.
Within a short time, and with his SE5a C1126 aircraft at no more than 70 feet, the engine appeared to stall, according to eyewitnesses. Realising something serious was amiss, McCudden turned around the aircraft in order to land again but he could not get the plane down and instead crashed into a wood.
McCudden was found alive in the wreckage but with a fractured skull. He was taken to No 21 Casualty Clearing Station where he died about three hours later. He was aged 23 and in the rank of Major. He was buried in the Waverns Military Cemetery, France, the next day.
McCudden has not lived long enough to receive the Freedom of Gillingham which he had been offered and accepted. He had, however, on the morning of July 9, shortly before his death, given his medal collection to one of his sisters. “I’m going off to France again. I’ve come to hand over my medals,” he told her.
His mother later received his posthumous Freedom of Gillingham on behalf of her son. It had been place in a silver casket and she also received war bonds and cash.
There were many tributes to McCudden immediately after his death and in the following years. Major Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt (later Air Chief Marshal Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt), who had once been his Commanding Officer, described him as quiet and unassuming, adding: “He was a gentleman in the true and real meaning of the word. High principled, tolerant and very generous in his judgement of others he had a natural modesty which I am sure remained untouched by his subsequent fame and success.”
At the time of his death, he had achieved 57 aerial victories, making him the seventh most successful fighter ace of the Great War. No British airman received more decorations than McCudden – quite an achievement for a young man who had started the war as an air mechanic.
His edited memoirs, called Five Years in the Flying Corps, were published in 1919. They were then republished in 1930 under the name Flying Fury.
McCudden’s medal group is located at the Royal Engineers Museum in Gillingham, Kent. His name is on a family memorial in Chatham, Kent, and on RAF memorial at St Clement Danes, London. He is the subject of a portrait by Sir William Orpen which is located at the Imperial War Museum, London. There is a plaque in his honour at Sheerness Parish Church and at the War Memorial, Gillingham.