Flying Fury: Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps

by James McCudden

From September 1916 until his death in July 1918 he shot down fifty-seven German planes.

Flying Fury is his remarkable story, written a few months before his last flight, and records in fascinating detail the life of a World War One fighter pilot ace.

McCudden’s account provides fascinating insight into the development of aerial warfare. He began his life with the Royal Flying Corps in 1913 as a engine-fitter and records the early flights that were made by the British military. At the outbreak of the First World War he left England for France and by 1915 he was in the sky as an observer and gunner. It was only in 1916 that he began to train as a pilot before he took to the skies and became an exceptional fighter pilot; on one occasion shooting down three enemies in as many minutes.

His work records in brilliant detail the confusion of the dogfights, the camaraderie of the men who knew they were putting their lives on the lines, the boredom of being grounded and the thrill taking to the skies.

Tragically McCudden’s life was cut short just four months before the end of the war, not during combat with enemy planes, but instead due to engine failure that caused his plane to plunge into the ground below.

Flying Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps is essential reading for anyone interested in finding out more about the development of aerial combat and how one man rose to become one of the most formidable aces of the First World War.

With his six British medals and one French, McCudden received more awards for gallantry than any other airman of British nationality serving in the First World War. He was also one of the longest serving. By 1918, in part due to a campaign by the Daily Mail newspaper, McCudden became one of the most famous airmen in the British Isles. He died on 9 July 1918 at the age of twenty-three. His work was posthumously published as Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps in 1919.

“His skill and daring speak for themselves. Only the finest courage and an unsurpassed mastery of the art of flying and fighting in the air could account for such a record of unflagging work and incessant victory. His work was as thorough as it was brilliant and his thoroughness was an important cause of his success.” Lord Trenchard, Marshal of the Royal Flying Corps

“I am confident that he would agree with me when I say that the secret of his remarkable success lay in the fact that he fought with his head as well as with his great heart.” Sir John Salmond, Chief Air Marshal

Genres: Aviation, World War I, Biography, History, Military History, Nonfiction

303 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1918

About the author

James Thomas Byford McCudden was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for valour in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

With his six British medals and one French one, McCudden received more medals for gallantry than any other airman of British nationality serving in the First World War. He was also one of the longest serving, having joined the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) in 1913.

McCudden's story is all the more remarkable as he rose through the RFC ranks (from Air Mechanic to Major) during the war to become one of the most decorated and honoured soldiers of the conflict. At his death he had amassed 57 victories, making him the seventh highest scoring ace of World War I.

Tragically, he was killed in a simple accident, of a type more typical of beginner pilots than someone of his experience and proven skill.

Reviews

[Moché · Rating 4 out of 5]

open cockpit warfare

I expect I will never read another account that takes me right into the air into an open cockpit while biplanes and triplanes whirl all around me fighting one another.

Of course that is the tragedy. War claims life even as it attempts to defend life.

McCudden is extremely meticulous in describing all the different aircraft of the British, French and Germans. Eventually you see them almost as clearly as he does. He also describes the various pilots, including making an attempt to understand the personalities of the German fliers. Throughout the journal he pays tribute to their courage and determination.

In 1914, 1915, 1916, McCudden is less hardened to the cult of death he is part of. He mourns a German pilot he shot down whose aircraft bursts into flames. But as we enter 1917 there is much more fighting and a desensitized state of mind sets in. He still pays honor to German flying skills and bravery. But most of the time he has simply shot down another aircraft of the enemy and that is war and that is that.

The first flight, albeit brief, occurred at Kitty Hawk in the US in 1903. This journal begins in 1913 at a time of peace. As always happens, war necessitates the rapid development of technology, in this journal’s case, that of airplanes and their engines and their wings. Few books will get you closer to this raw edge that was aeronautics and aerodynamics during WW1.

[A.L. Sowards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good first-hand account of one man’s WWI experience. McCudden transferred from the Royal Engineers to the Royal Flying Corps in spring 1913. He started the war as a mechanic/spotter/gunner, then became a pilot and ended up downing an impressive 57 German planes, rising to the rank of major, and earning a Victoria Cross (among other awards).

I enjoyed this look at life for a WWI pilot and recommend it for others wanting to get a taste of what it would have been like. Lots of dogfights, interesting little details about the time period, and McCudden’s thoughts on the war, his comrades, and his enemies. He is quick to give praise to the brave men he sees—even his foe. He doesn’t spare himself, pointing out where he made mistakes and then learning from them. It feels very honest—like someone’s diary or a detailed email from a friend.

Like so many, McCudden didn’t live to see the end of the war. He died three days after he finished writing his experiences, brought down not by the enemy, but by a malfunctioning airplane engine.

McCudden was a natural storyteller and I enjoyed his straightforward style. He didn’t live long enough to go through the editing process, but the publisher really should give the book a quick proofread (at least the version I read, a kindle book). I appreciate that they left most things in McCudden’s own words, but they really should fix some of the punctuation.

If you’re curious about WWI aviation and can overlook some typesetting issues, you should check this one out. Rounding up from 4.5 stars.

[KOMET · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Considering his humble origins in a Britain heavily rooted in class, and his rise from a bugler in the Royal Engineers to a mechanic in the Royal Flying Corps to one of the finest fighter pilots of the First World War, James McCudden shows that anyone can aspire for greatness, provided one is willing to work and sacrifice.

For anyone with a curiosity about what air warfare in the First World War was really like, READ THIS BOOK. I highly recommend it.

[Edward Lengel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike many memoirs published during 1914-1918, this one reads authentic, if only because McCudden had no opportunity to revise the then-unpublished manuscript before his death in an accident in mid-1918. Fortunately, the publishers decided to brave criticism of McCudden's oft-stated respect for his German adversaries, and published his manuscript apparently as he wrote it. The technical detail makes this a boon for aviation buffs (which I am not), and the unpolished immediacy of this diary-like account will appeal to all those who study the First World War.

[KOMET · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been my second reading of what is a truly tremendous and compelling World War I combat pilot memoir.

McCudden shares with the reader the full scope of his military experiences, from the time in April 1913, he (just turned 18) was approved for a transfer to the then nascent Royal Flying Corps (RFC) --- from the Royal Engineers, where he had served as a bugler --- to his wartime service in France, which lasted from August 1914 til July 1918.

By the outbreak of the war, McCudden had become a qualified Air Mechanic and spent the first 2 years of the war servicing aircraft at the Front. (Whenever he could, McCudden also flew as an observer/gunner/artillery spotter on several missions above and beyond the front lines.) Then he was given the opportunity to return to England in early 1916 for pilot training. By year's end, he was back in France as a fighter pilot with No. 29 Squadron, flying D.H. 2 pusher-type fighters.

After service with No. 29 Squadron, McCudden was assigned to Home Establishment in England, where he served as a flight instructor and had the opportunity to test fly a variety of aircraft. Months later, he was given the opportunity to return to France to update himself on aerial combat tactics. In this capacity, he was assigned to one of the RFC's top fighter squadrons, No. 56, which flew the redoubtable S.E. 5A fighter.

McCudden would go on to serve as a flight commander in No. 56 Squadron until late March 1918, by which time he had been credited with shooting down 57 German planes. (McCudden proved especially adept at shooting down high flying German reconnaissance aircraft, which was not easy to do, because several of Germany's best reconnaissance aircraft, such as the Rumpler C and LVG C, possessed high-powered engines which allowed them at attitudes above 18,000 ft to perform much more robustly and speedily than most Allied fighters of the time --most First World War aerial combat seldom took place above 16,000 ft.)

"FLYING FURY" was completed just days before McCudden went back to France in July 1918 to assume command of No. 60 Squadron. Unfortunately, it proved to be a very short-lived command, for McCudden was killed in a flying accident.

[Cary Kostka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic look into the life of a British pilot during WWI. That this book encompassed his reflections and thoughts between a period between 1913 and 1918 gives great insights into the development of aviation and aerial combat techniques during the infancy of flying.

[Joe Griswold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good over view of air war WW 1

Very well written he put you right in the. Cockpit .




It put you right in the cockpit .it was the best stick with the best aircraft that won the battle.,

[Mr D Ashton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

An excellent read. The author has a remarkably understated manner. Especially considering the time and events happening around him. His sang froid describing the smell(?!!?) of the German incendiary bullets and hairy escapes is astounding. His descriptions of the early bombing equipment used is hilarious if terrifying!

However what really strikes me is his modesty. When it comes to military decorations, the award of the Military Medal and the Military Cross are mentioned in a single like almost as an afterthought. (Those British medals are not given out for fun). He got multiple awards of them too. Then to top it off with the VC, the highest British honour for bravery you can get. Well.

What we're left with is an engaging insight into the life of a unique individual who clearly found his true home and shone!

[Rupert Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book, but terrifying. This is the first hand account of the war in the air during World War I. The author is the great British ace, but he began his career as a mechanic. He went out to France in August 1914 and served in the RFC right through. The book is an absorbing account of the Western Front, and of war flying. He gives a good account of fighting in the air, of life on the ground and of the attitudes of the men who served. Cannot recommend this highly enough.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book came up on my Kobo reader as a recommendation after the Derek Robinson trio and the Donald Jack books on WWI aviation.
Overall it was very interesting reading since it was written from James McCudden's journal pages.

[Paul Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating insight to the beginning of air war

Military aviation is my hobby and was my profession. This is an incredible inside look into five years of the beginning of the RAF and the first war birds. James McCudden is a humble man yet a determined killer. I'll save both me and the reader time, this book is a fascinating personal account of THE leading British ACE of WWI. I would recommend that you get the book "Aircraft of WW I" as a reference when your reading this book. It will help visualise the aircraft as he discusses many types of various WW I planes. The author was killed in an accident shortly after he finished the book. In addition, his two brothers were killed flying in the Royal Flying Corps. What a hero and patriot! "....where do we find such men?"

[Jeff Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love love love World War 1 pilot memoirs and this one is no exception. The last entry is written 3 days before his death due to engine failure but though the reader knows the writers fate, the story is nonetheless riveting. The ending is quite sad given all that he accomplished and survived throughout the war. He writes of sleeping underneath his plane's wings on a tarp in the rain and the horrors of combat he experiences, including shells popping in the sky next to him - truly exhilarating and quite informative of the types of planes that were flown. Absolutely incredible how much planes were changing back then - basically bikes with wings! His description of flying against the Red Baron is absolutely thrilling!

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible and complete account of combat in the skies of World War One. McCudden, despite his lack of a professional education past the age of 14, is an excellent writer. His memoir gives insight into what the air war was like and how it developed, as he was involved since before the war even began. It is a tragedy that he was killed in an accident only a short while before the end of the war.

[MR ANDREW TUCKER · Rating 4 out of 5]

What amazing story

I was impressed with his fighting ability learning as he went to become the pilot he became. To be flying in aircraft made of wood and fabric to learn deflection when firing and no enclosed cockpit must have been difficult at the best of times. What I was impressed with is flying off on his own which must have been very dangerous and did sometimes almost cost him his life but is what they did. Such a pity he died in an accident in the end.

[Don Blower · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glorifying killing or the respectable face of serial killing?

Initially I was enthralled by this autobiography. Then I was seduced into the commonplace of violent death and finally sickened by the ordinariness of the tally of those killed. For whom is the killing for? For king and country?

[Dave Broadbridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

One fearless man

For a man who was one of the first members of the R F C and spent 5years in France fighting the German War Machine in little more than wood and canvas and to be able to fly up to 15000 ft and more took extreme courage.
Well worth reading a small but of history that we as a nation must never ever forget.

[Alan Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boring reading

Technically sound but reads like a flight log rather than a documentary.
Cannot help thinking these flyboys had resort accommodations in comparison
to the poor soldiers in the trenches who continuously suffered poor weather and poison gas.

[john batterbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A damn good read!

Completely unputdownable
If like me you are into all things historically aeronautical,this book delivers. Very well written
I felt as though I was right there with him.

[Tom Simpkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great bio of life in the Royal Flying Corps during WW1

[Von Meow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book.

[Michael P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best autobiographical accounts of the RFC. McCudden was hailed as the British Richtoffen chalking up 59 victories. No egotism here. A humble soldier tells his story.

[Carlos Llanos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravery in the air never again

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not the best. Remarkable young man though.

[Michael Haas · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing memoir.

The realities of flying an open cockpit biplane at 18,000 feet are hard to comprehend!

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating autobiography of this hero of the Kaiser’s War. What different times they were.

[Julian Cribb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely one of the better WW1 RFC autobiographies, McCudden worked his way up from humble aircraft mechanic on the simplest machines at Farnborough before the war, to flying ace the hard way. Unlike other biographers, he was of working class stock, not educated at Eton or Oxford, so his book is less poetic and ornate - it is plain, factual and highly convincing. It also reveals that an ace is made, not born - learning how to shoot and, more importantly, how not to be shot, the hard way. Another interesting dimension is that McCudden flew almost every aircraft type available to the RFC in its formative years,British and French. In all those old ‘stringbags’, flying deathtraps with dreadfully unreliable engines, key to his success and survival were his own superlative mechanical skills, attention to detail and to the airworthiness of his own machine, which he worked on personally. It makes one wonder how many of those other young men were lost simply because they lacked experience in the mechanics of flight. My own father, a Ww2 Bomber pilot who flew over 100 missions, attributed his own survival to a thorough grounding in all aspects of flying by the RAF College before the war, which brought all the pilot’s senses into harmony with his machine. McCudden was not immune, however, dying in an aircraft accident as he flew a new machine from England to France towards the end of the war - a time when aircraft were being built in such numbers that many must have been flawed and poorly tested. A true hero of flesh and blood, his book was prized by fliers of the generation that fought in the Battle of Britain.

[TheHenry Blank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honest, forthright, and endearing for WWI aviation buffs. Not so interesting for the layman. Strange but true - McCudden was slated to replace Bishop as commander of 85 Squadron. (McCudden died in a flying accident while enroute to 85 Squadron.)

[Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The most dull of the WWI pilot memoirs I've read. The book breaks into many, many paragraphs detailing action in the air, but almost nothing about life on the ground, and that would be an interesting portion. There is almost zero introspection. There's also nothing about his promotions, medals, and honours. They are barely mentioned.

It was interesting that McCudden started out as a mechanic and worked on his planes throughout his career, including make his own modifications. There are many combats in which 6 planes go up, but 2 or 3 fall out due to mechanical issues before combat is joined.

Ironically the last memoir I read, I Flew with the Lafayette Escadrille, included the author's mention that the most important lesson he learned in flying school was that if one loses power at take-off, just land. Do not try to turn around to get to the field, no matter what. Failing to obey this lesson is exactly how McCudden perished.

[s.j.hannaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ace of Aces

I found this a really great read & very informative, what struck me the most was I could see the reason why some of these fighter pilots were so good & such high scorers & McCudden was exceptional, they all had a system, researching & studying their enemy, finding the best way to attack them, kept their guns & their planes in tip top condition, McCudden being a mechanic helped this, supercharging his S.E.5a by fitting his engine with high compression pistons so he could get more speed & a greater performance out of his machine enabling higher altitude, which was an essential element in dogfighting, this is a book for all enthusiasts of WW1 aerial combat …

[Chris Ainsworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

McCudden's book is fascinating from a historical and academic perspective, but as a narrative read it is pretty dry. It's a shame he passed away after only submitting what was essentially a first draft – the previously intended editing pass could have really brightened up and expanded the book where necessary.

While I can't recommend this universally as I would Lewis' Sagittarius Rising, for fans of WWI aviation, this is a must read.