John Anthony McCudden, MC (14 June 1897 – 18 March 1918) was a British

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...

of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, credited with eight aerial victories. He survived a downing by German ace Ulrich Neckel on 28 February 1918, only to be killed in action, possibly by Hans Wolff. He was the younger brother of British ace

James McCudden James Thomas Byford McCudden, (28 March 1895 – 9 July 1918) was an English flying ace of the First World War and among the most highly decorated airmen in Military history of the United Kingdom, British military history. Born in 1895 to a midd ...

. McCudden's victor cannot be identified for certain since more than one German pilot made a claim in that combat. Wolff died in action only two months later, and his log book disappeared after the end of the war, and with it, details of the battle from his perspective.

Military service

John entered the British Army in 1912 with the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...

. In 1916 he was a dispatch rider when he transferred to the

Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...

. Initially John served at the Engine Repair Shops before beginning his flight training in March 1917. His first posting was to 25 Squadron flying on DH4 bombers before moving to 84 Squadron, operating

S.E.5a The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 is a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. It was developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory by a team consisting of Henry Folland, John Kenworthy and Major Frank Goodden. It was one of the ...

aeroplanes. He achieved two victories with 25 Squadron and a further six with 84 Squadron. Fellow air ace

Hugh Saunders Hugh Saunders may refer to: * Hugh Saunders (RAF officer) (1894–1987), South African aviator and Royal Air Force officer * Hugh Saunders (academic) (died 1537), English clergyman and academic * Hugh Saunders (speedway rider) (born 1944), Engli ...

recalled of McCudden -

Military Cross

The award of the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

to McCudden was reported in

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

of 23 April 1918 - The award was made posthumously to his mother at Kingston Barracks in September 1918.

Burial

McCudden's body was initially recorded by the Graves Registration Unit as unknown. He was exhumed on 25 February 1921 and the Special Exhumation Report notes that he was 5 feet 8 inches and had brown hair. The report also notes that his uniform bore double wing badges with three blue chevrons and he wore a scarf of red, black and white stripes. He is buried at St. Souplet British Cemetery (III. D. 4.) under the care of the

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations mil ...

Brothers

John was the brother of Flight-Sergeant Pilot Instructor William T.J. McCudden who was killed in England at

Gosport Gosport ( ) is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hampshire, England. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 70,131 and the district had a pop ...

, Major

VC who fell in France and Maurice Victor McCudden who also served in the air force. Maurice died in 1934 at Putney Hospital where he had been a patient for over a year with 'internal trouble'.

References

1897 births 1918 deaths Aviators killed by being shot down British military personnel killed in World War I People from Chatham, Kent Recipients of the Military Cross Royal Flying Corps officers Military personnel from Kent Royal Engineers soldiers British Army personnel of World War I {{RAF-bio-stub