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$fly-boys: James McCudden was born in Kent, on 28th March 1895. He joined the Army as a Bugler at age 15, and transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in 1913, working as an aircraft mechanic. He subsequently trained as a pilot, and flew a wide variety of aircraft.In May 1913, an unfortunate accident occurred, which resulted in McCudden being imprisoned for 7 days. When practicing swinging the propellor on a Caudron, he realised that he had not checked the aircraft’s switches, and the engine started! Unfortunately the unruly Caudron moved, and badly damaged the Maurice Farman standing in front of it!He was so skilled as a pilot, that he was given the job of instructor within days of gaining his licence, and trained many pilots. His speciality was recovering aircraft from an uncontrolled spin, and many pilots, including Edward Corringham ‘Mick’ Mannock, remarked that his techniques had saved their lives.By the beginning of April 1918, 22 year old James McCudden was the most decorated pilot in the Royal Air Force.The background as an aircraft mechanic served him well. He enjoyed going out alone stalking high-flying Rumplers. He tweaked his Se5a in many ways, including fitting high-compression pistons to the engine, effectively supercharging it. He also modified his ailerons and tail to increase lift at high altitude. Thus his personal Se5 could go just as high, and as fast (maybe faster), as the Rumplers.Many pilots of these German aircraft were caught out by McCudden in this way. Perhaps they saw him, and thought “Oh, it’s only an Se5, he’ll never catch me, nothing to worry ab…”, by which time, the only thing going through the unfortunate pilot’s mind would be a hail of hot lead.Many didn’t even see him attack, as in normal circumstances, the Rumpler could fly the highest of all the aircraft in WW1 at that time. So the last thing they expected was a lone Se5a diving down on them from above. However, Jimmy preferred his enemies to see him before he fired at them. He felt that it was ‘unsporting’ to do otherwise.On 9 July 1918 he collected a new Se5a from London, to take to France. At Aix-le-Chateux he realised that he was lost, and landed at an airfield to ask directions. Jimmy took off again, and at a height of about 70 feet his engine cut out - he tried to turn to land again, but sideslipped and crashed heavily into a wooded area at the side of the airfield. He sustained very serious injuries including a fractured skull, and was mmediately taken to a RAMC Field Ambulance, where he died three hours later. He was only 23.$