McCudden - Aloof?

[Pips]

Having just read "Flying Fury" (again) I was struck by the lack of personal contact and friendships McCudden doesn't talk about in his book. There seems to be a great distance between himself and those around him.

Now that could in part be a result of the times, after all McCudden started life as a lowly NCO in a very rigid class caste environment and, although through skill and ability he rose to high officer rank, the 'class' thing was (perhaps) a barrier he himself could not cross.

Interestingly whenever anyone wrote of McCudden they stress his professionalism, skill and leadership qualities. I've yet to come across anyone of the time talking about McCudden as a friend, or behaving outrageously in the Mess, wooping it up or playing practical jokes, as most young men of that period did to release pressure.

Was he a man apart? Did he deliberately maintain distance from others?

[Romani]

Interesting, I thought that in the first half of the book McCudden recalls fondly many of the people he knew as an enlisted man.

I didn't notice dettachment, but personality aside what you perceive might have been the combination of these reasons, briefly:

1) "Stiff upper lip" British mentality. Not proper to show yourself as too emotional, specially when "Flying Fury" was meant for propaganda purposes and must have been heavily edited.

2) The loneliness of command.

3) The survivor mentality. After months and years of warfare, and seeing friends die, many soldiers withdraw into themselves and try to keep a dettachment from their comrades, to shield themselves from pain when a friend dies.

4) Others, (fill in the blanks)

I do agree that due to the "class" thing, McCudden might have felt self-conscious about it and to compensate he asserted his authority in the face of his men by "acting the rank"

Just my thoughts. An admirable character, I have a great respect for him, I cannot say the same for Bishop or Mannock.

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Pips:
I find that a very interesting observation. I have read the book several times and I have come away with the impression that he was a loner. As you observed. I found that he was concerned with his appearance and his aircraft. He seem to me to be more comfortable with his Fitter and Ak Emma and work work with him to improve his plane. I can't recall where he expressed concern for his Flight as a Flight Commander.
If you don't involved with you men, you can't get hurt when they "buy the farm". You can be detached, but you won't be popular.
Merry Christmas,
Dan-San

[Darryl]

I think the class problem was a major factor. You must remember that dislike of other classes was not just the province of the upper class. Perhaps Mac found the social elite as distasteful as some of them apparently found him?

It has been suggested (perhaps by Alex, my memory is not what it should be) that Mac's burial is yet another manifestation of the "powers that be" not really regarding Mac as "one of the chaps".

I seem to remember Rhys Davids and others being quoted as admiring Mac's abilities but can't recall them admiring "HIM".

It's been a while and I could be dreaming?

regards

Darryl,


Dan-San, all the best to you and yours for Christmas.

[alex_revell]

It wasn't so much that McCudden was aloof, and only indirectly a result of the class system. He was a pro soldier, who had left school at 14 or 15 (can't remember which) and by his own admission he felt a bit out of his depth in conversation with the others in the mess, due to their superior education. This was true when he first joined 56, but eased quite a bit when more 'temporary gentlemen' came along towards the end of 1917 and early '18. Being a consummate pro, he was dedicated and singleminded about the job in hand while in France, and didn't like people going off in the evening and having a boozy time when they were on patrol with him the next morning. They used to wait until he was safely in bed! Back home on leave he was a fun loving and completely different character - loved going to the latest shows, enjoyed the music especially, and liked the ladies. He certainly looked after and worried about the safety of his Flight. Gerald Maxwell once saw him looking very down at the mouth in the Mess and asked him what was the matter. It seems that one of his Flight had got some bullet holes through his aeroplane. When Maxwell pointed out to him that he could hardly be blamed, McCudden replied that it was his fault entirely. In his view he should have led the Flight in such a way that nobody was in a postion to be shot at. Mary, his sister, told me many times that he was more proud of the fact that his Flight had only - by memory - two casualties, than he was of his victories.
Rhys Davids, in his letters home, makes hardly any mention of other people in the squadron, even his own Flight Commander and he certainly wasn't shy or aloof, and certainly not backward in giving his opinion of people, even unfavourably.
McCudden may or may not have had close friends in 56 Sqdn, but he was admired by all for his professionalism, dedication to the job in hand and his great skills.
Yes, he had a poor funeral, which made many pilots' 'blood boil'. Paul Winslow even remarked that von R had a far more impressive funeral. 'Richthofen - an ememy - had a far better funeral and if anyone deserved a real memorial, it was McCudden.' Still, it was always thus - and still is.

[Pips]

The 'poor funeral' is news to me. What occurred there Alex?

[Darryl]

Thanks for the clarification Alex,

The best to you and yours for christmas

Darryl

[alex_revell]

Pips,
No problem. To quote from High In The Empty Blue.
During the afternoon, all the pilots, with the exception of Molyneux, who was orderly officer, went to Wavans cemetery, near Auxi-le-Chateau, to attend McCudden's funeral. The ceremony angered many of those attending. Burden commented: 'It was poorly arranged and rushed through', while Paul Winslow's diary entry reads: 'In the afternoon the whole squadron went to McCudden's funeral in Auxi-le-Chateau. All of 60 were there, together with General Salmond, and some members of other squadrons. The ceremony made my blood boil - all in Latin, mumbled, so that even if one knew the language, he couldn't have heard it. Nothing human in it at all, and far from impressive. Richthofen - an enemy- had a far better funeral, and if anyone deserved a real memorial it was McCudden.'

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Alex Revell:
Was there ever an explanation give for McCudden's poor Funeral? From what you posted, I would say , it was very well attended. Its odd, My wife and I knew Paul and Ruth Winslow very well and saw them both very offend. I can't recall Paul ever speaking of McCudden's Funeral. On several occasions he spoke of McCudden, and his admiration of him, but never the funeral. Paul's hobbiss was growing orchids and working with wood. He had a work shop in his basement.
Merry Christmas Alex,
Dan-San

[JohnFitz]

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas to you gentlemen and show my humble tribute to McCudden. Hope you don't mind the picture. Should be done in 2008. Cheers!