February sapper covers3:Layout 1 22/1/09 11:52 Page 5
From the Archive
T
he Royal Engineers Museum, David Rowland, who is an eminent
Library and Archive (MLA) McCudden historian, and the BBC team were
is getting its “15 minutes of fame” when spellbound when they had the opportunity to
it features in one of the BBC Timewatch view the actual Victoria Cross (as a matter of
documentaries, ‘Aces Falling’ due to be policy the VC’s are in a secure location with
aired in the first half of this year. It cov- replicas’ in display for security reasons).
ers the life and career of two of the Our luck with matters McCudden continued.
country’s greatest flying aces, James A French farmer digging his field next to
McCudden and Edward Mannock, both the Commonwealth War Grave in Beauvoir-
of whom were killed in July 1918. Wavans found a round brass plate and, once
James McCudden, a local man from he had cleaned it up, discovered it to be
Lauren Soutar. Assistant Curator.
Gillingham and one of a long line of McCudden’s original grave marker. He
Royal Engineers, began his military immediately contacted us and donated it
career as a boy bugler in the Corps, trans- into the Museum collection. As luck would
ferring at the age of eighteen to the Royal have it, BBC Timewatch were filming in the
Flying Corps where he became initially area and collected the plate for us. It is now
an air mechanic and eventually an ace proudly situated next to McCudden’s deco-
pilot. McCudden is reputed to have shot rations in the Victoria Cross gallery.
down, or grounded, the highest number The plate was engraved by a ‘rigger’ who
of enemy planes during his brief, but was somewhat over-enthusiastic and listed a
heroic, spell as a pilot. This resulted in couple of medals McCudden never actually
him being highly decorated, winning the won. The plate was originally mounted on a
French Croix de Guerre with palm leaf, four blade wooden propeller, with three of
the Distinguished Service Order and bar, the blades cut short. This was later replaced
the Military Cross and bar, the Military by one of the unified stone markers we see
Medal and most notably the Victoria today.Both the donation of the grave marker
Cross. His decorations are on display in and the BBC documentary are fitting tributes
the Victoria Cross gallery in the Museum to an incredibly brave and dedicated man,
alongside those of two of his brothers, who remained unassuming and modest until
also killed during the war, and his father. his tragic death in northern France in 1918.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68