Death
Accepted for command of No. 60 Squadron RAF, he collected his new Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a outside London and flew to Kent to spend the night with his family. Having had breakfast with his sister, on 9 July 1918 he flew over the English Channel towards Boffles, France. He landed at Auxi-le-Château, France, to get directions from the RAF personnel stationed there. Shortly after takeoff from Auxi-le-Château, the SE5a's engine failed, possibly due to a wrongly installed carburettor. McCudden committed the basic error of trying to turn back to land rather than proceeding straight on, and the aircraft stalled on the turn, and spun into the ground. The accident happened within sight of RAF personnel, who quickly drove over to render assistance. McCudden was found at the crash site with severe multiple injuries. He was taken to hospital where he died two hours later, without regaining consciousness.
McCudden's remains were subsequently buried at the nearby Wavans war cemetery in the Pas de Calais. McCudden's death occurred only two months after the death of German ace Manfred von Richthofen, whom some commented had been honoured with a longer and more elaborate funeral by the British.
McCudden's wartime score was 57 victories (third highest among RFC/RAF pilots) included 19 captured, 27 and 1 shared destroyed, 8 and 2 shared 'down out of control'. Unlike many of his fellow aces, the majority of his claims can be verified from Allied and German sources, suggesting McCudden may in actuality have been the top scoring RFC/RNAS/RAF pilot of the conflict, and the top British flying ace of all time.
Read more about this topic: James McCudden
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