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Page revised: 1 October, 2006

Captain James Thomas Byford McCUDDEN VC

Born:	28 March 1895
Died:	Auxi-le-Château, France - 9 July 1918
Burial details:	Wavans British Cemetery, France
Corps service:	He was the son of Sergeant Major WH McCudden, Royal Engineers. He began his army career as a Royal Engineers Bugler (1910-13) but enlisted into the Royal Flying Corps in April 1913 as an air mechanic. In April 1915 while serving in France he was prompted to Sergeant. He returned to England for pilot training in January 1916 returning to France in July.
	He was commissioned on 1 January 1917. When he was killed in July 1918 he had credited to him 57 victories. He was Major JTB McCudden VC, DSO, MC, MM.
VC awarded:	Won VC in northern France on 2 April 1918. (First World War 1914-18).
VC unit:	56 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps.
VC presented:	VC presented by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 6 April 1918
VC citation:	For most conspicuous bravery, exceptional perseverance, keenness, and very high devotion to duty. Captain McCudden has at the present time accounted for 54 enemy aeroplanes. Of these 42 have been definitely destroyed, 19 of them on our side of the lines. Only 12 out of the 54 have been driven out of control. 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 other occasions, whilst with the same squadron, he has crossed the lines alone, either in pursuit or in quest of enemy aeroplanes. The following incidents are examples of the work he has done recently: On 23 December 1917, when leading his patrol, eight enemy aeroplanes were attacked between 2.30 p.m. and 3.50 p.m. Of these two were shot down by Captain McCudden in our lines. On the morning of the same day he left the ground at 10.50 and encountered four enemy aeroplanes; of these he shot two down. On 30 January 1918, he singlehanded attacked. five enemy scouts, as a result of which two were destroyed. On this last occasion he only returned home when the enemy scouts had been driven far east; his Lewis gun ammunition was all finished and the belt of his Vickers gun had broken. 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 his 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 his country, deserving of the very highest honour. (London Gazette: 2 April 1918)
VC location:	Royal Engineers Museum

Source:

The Sapper VCs. Napier G (The Stationery Office, London, 1998)

Additional material: SC Fenwick, FoREM

Links to further reading:

Corps History Part 14 - The Corps and the First World War

Royal Engineers Museum main site

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