World War One in Colour.

I have to say I really enjoyed the program World War One in Colour. I also think that this is a part of pioneering aviation that gets a miss mostly on these forums and on a lot of magazines and programs.

I was just commenting to someone the other day that there were medals at a sale and I asked the price and was told the ww2 medals were from £18 to about £150 and the ww1 medals were from £5 to £20 at the most. I suppose it does depend on what medal it is and who owned it but it seems to me that people glorify ww2 more than the do ww1 but it was no less important. Maybe glorify isnt the right word but you all know what I mean. Is it because ww2 is more recent and a lot of people took pictures etc or is there another reason I am missing.

Anyway back to the program. I noticed that a part of a memoir or story was read that was written by James McCudden, having heard the name before and also read about his exploits I realised I knew little about him or whether he was killed during ww1 or not so being on the CWGC at the time I did a search and here is what came up. Makes interesting reading.

*****
Debt of Honour Register
In Memory of

JAMES THOMAS BYFORD McCUDDEN VC, DSO and Bar, MC and Bar, MM

Major
60th Sqdn., Royal Air Force

who died on
Tuesday 9 July 1918 . Age 23 .

Citation
An extract from “The London Gazette” No. 30604, dated 29th March, 1918, records the following:- “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 the 23rd 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 the 30th January, 1918, he, single-handed, attacked five enemy scouts, as a result of which two were destroyed. On this 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 flights protected the newer members of his flight, thus keeping down their casualties to a minimum. This officer is considered, by the record which he has made, by his fearlessness, and by the great service which he has rendered to his country, deserving of the very highest honour.”

additional info
Croix de Guerre (France). Son of Amelia E. McCudden, of “Pitlochry,” 37, Burton Rd., Kingston-on-Thames, and the late William McCudden.

cemetery
WAVANS BRITISH CEMETERYPas de Calais, France
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Well I just thought I would just post it here for a little historical reference. Didnt realise just how decorated McCudden was.