Francis Cubbon - Revision history

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← Older revision		Revision as of 22:30, 16 December 2022
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	{{Short description\|British World War I flying ace (1892–1917)}}		{{Short description\|British World War I flying ace (1892–1917)}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=August 2021}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=August 2021}}
	<!-- This article is a part of [[~~Bharatpedia~~:WikiProject Aircraft]] and [[~~Bharatpedia~~:WikiProject Biography/Military]]. -->		<!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]] and [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Biography/Military]]. -->
	{{Infobox military person		{{Infobox military person
	\| name = Francis Richard Cubbon		\| name = Francis Richard Cubbon
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	==Early life and service==		==Early life and service==
	Francis Richard Cubbon was the only surviving son of his parents' marriage. His father was Captain Richard Cubbon, a supply and transport officer of the Indian Army.<ref>{{cite journal \|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1918/1918%20-%200351.html \|title=Casualties \|issue=483 \|volume=X \|page=347 \|journal=[[Flight International\|Flight]] \|date=28 March 1918 \|accessdate=7 November ~~2022~~}}</ref>		Francis Richard Cubbon was the only surviving son of his parents' marriage. His father was Captain Richard Cubbon, a supply and transport officer of the Indian Army.<ref>{{cite journal \|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1918/1918%20-%200351.html \|title=Casualties \|issue=483 \|volume=X \|page=347 \|journal=[[Flight International\|Flight]] \|date=28 March 1918 \|accessdate=7 November 2014}}</ref>

	Cubbon was born in London,<ref name="AWF12">Franks ''et.al.'' (1997), p. 12.</ref> but spent most of his youth in [[Poona]], India.<ref name="Guttman78">Guttman & Dempsey (2009), p. 78.</ref> The young Cubbon was educated at [[Alleyn's School]] and [[Dulwich College]] before attending and graduating from the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]].<ref name="Aeronautics">Aeronautics (1918), p. 288.</ref> He was posted to the Indian Army as a second lieutenant on 6 September 1911.<ref>{{London Gazette \|issue=28528 \|page=6553 \|date=5 September 1911 \|nolink=yes}}</ref> His first assignment was to the [[York and Lancaster Regiment]] in [[Karachi]]. He subsequently was appointed to the [[72nd Punjabis]] on the [[North-West Frontier Province (1901–1955)\|North-western Frontier]] of India,<ref name="Aeronautics"/> on 1 December 1912.<ref>{{London Gazette \|issue=28708 \|page=2536 \|date=8 April 1913 \|nolink=yes}}</ref> He was promoted to lieutenant on 6 December 1913,<ref>{{London Gazette \|issue=28792 \|page=341 \|date=13 January 1914 \|nolink=yes}}</ref> and to captain on 6 September 1915.<ref>{{London Gazette \|issue=30084 \|page=4945 \|date=22 May 1917 \|nolink=yes}}</ref> In November 1915, he was invalided home.<ref name="Aeronautics"/>		Cubbon was born in London,<ref name="AWF12">Franks ''et.al.'' (1997), p. 12.</ref> but spent most of his youth in [[Poona]], India.<ref name="Guttman78">Guttman & Dempsey (2009), p. 78.</ref> The young Cubbon was educated at [[Alleyn's School]] and [[Dulwich College]] before attending and graduating from the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]].<ref name="Aeronautics">Aeronautics (1918), p. 288.</ref> He was posted to the Indian Army as a second lieutenant on 6 September 1911.<ref>{{London Gazette \|issue=28528 \|page=6553 \|date=5 September 1911 \|nolink=yes}}</ref> His first assignment was to the [[York and Lancaster Regiment]] in [[Karachi]]. He subsequently was appointed to the [[72nd Punjabis]] on the [[North-West Frontier Province (1901–1955)\|North-western Frontier]] of India,<ref name="Aeronautics"/> on 1 December 1912.<ref>{{London Gazette \|issue=28708 \|page=2536 \|date=8 April 1913 \|nolink=yes}}</ref> He was promoted to lieutenant on 6 December 1913,<ref>{{London Gazette \|issue=28792 \|page=341 \|date=13 January 1914 \|nolink=yes}}</ref> and to captain on 6 September 1915.<ref>{{London Gazette \|issue=30084 \|page=4945 \|date=22 May 1917 \|nolink=yes}}</ref> In November 1915, he was invalided home.<ref name="Aeronautics"/>
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	[[File:Royal Aircraft Factory FE2d.jpg\|thumb\|right\|[[Rolls-Royce Eagle]] powered F.E.2d with nose-wheel.]]		[[File:Royal Aircraft Factory FE2d.jpg\|thumb\|right\|[[Rolls-Royce Eagle]] powered F.E.2d with nose-wheel.]]
	[[File:Royal Aircraft Factory FE2d gunner.jpg\|thumb\|right\|An F.E.2d observer demonstrating the use of the rear-firing [[Lewis gun]], which required him to stand on his seat.]]		[[File:Royal Aircraft Factory FE2d gunner.jpg\|thumb\|right\|An F.E.2d observer demonstrating the use of the rear-firing [[Lewis gun]], which required him to stand on his seat.]]
	Like so many invalided and convalescent land soldiers of the First World War, Cubbon volunteered for flight duty and was accepted as an observer on 25 March 1917.<ref name="Guttman78"/><ref>{{London Gazette \|issue=30127 \|date=12 June 1917 \|page=5817 \|supp=y \|nolink=yes }}</ref> By [[Bloody April]], 1917, he was assigned to 20 Squadron as an observer in [[Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2]]s.<ref name="AWF12"/> [[Frederick Libby]], the [[United States of America]]'s first ace, gave a vivid description of an observer's duties aboard the aircraft that was an incremental development of the pre-1914 Farman Experimental:<ref name="theaerodrome.com">{{cite web \|url= http://www.theaerodrome.com/aircraft/gbritain/raf_fe2.php \|title=Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 \|work=The Aerodrome \|year=2014 \|accessdate=7 November ~~2022~~}}</ref>		Like so many invalided and convalescent land soldiers of the First World War, Cubbon volunteered for flight duty and was accepted as an observer on 25 March 1917.<ref name="Guttman78"/><ref>{{London Gazette \|issue=30127 \|date=12 June 1917 \|page=5817 \|supp=y \|nolink=yes }}</ref> By [[Bloody April]], 1917, he was assigned to 20 Squadron as an observer in [[Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2]]s.<ref name="AWF12"/> [[Frederick Libby]], the [[United States of America]]'s first ace, gave a vivid description of an observer's duties aboard the aircraft that was an incremental development of the pre-1914 Farman Experimental:<ref name="theaerodrome.com">{{cite web \|url= http://www.theaerodrome.com/aircraft/gbritain/raf_fe2.php \|title=Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 \|work=The Aerodrome \|year=2014 \|accessdate=7 November 2014}}</ref>

	{{Quote\|When you stood up to shoot, all of you from the knees up was exposed to the elements. There was no belt to hold you. Only your grip on the gun and the sides of the nacelle stood between you and eternity. Toward the front of the nacelle was a hollow steel rod with a swivel mount to which the gun was anchored. This gun covered a huge field of fire forward. Between the observer and the pilot a second gun was mounted, for firing over the F.E.2d's upper wing to protect the aircraft from rear attack ... Adjusting and shooting this gun required that you stand right up out of the nacelle with your feet on the nacelle coaming. You had nothing to worry about except being blown out of the aircraft by the blast of air or tossed out bodily if the pilot made a wrong move. There were no parachutes and no belts. No wonder they needed observers.<ref name="theaerodrome.com"/>}}		{{Quote\|When you stood up to shoot, all of you from the knees up was exposed to the elements. There was no belt to hold you. Only your grip on the gun and the sides of the nacelle stood between you and eternity. Toward the front of the nacelle was a hollow steel rod with a swivel mount to which the gun was anchored. This gun covered a huge field of fire forward. Between the observer and the pilot a second gun was mounted, for firing over the F.E.2d's upper wing to protect the aircraft from rear attack ... Adjusting and shooting this gun required that you stand right up out of the nacelle with your feet on the nacelle coaming. You had nothing to worry about except being blown out of the aircraft by the blast of air or tossed out bodily if the pilot made a wrong move. There were no parachutes and no belts. No wonder they needed observers.<ref name="theaerodrome.com"/>}}

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{{Short description|British World War I flying ace (1892–1917)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}

{{Infobox military person
| name = Francis Richard Cubbon
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1892|11|26}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1917|06|09|1892|11|26}}
| birth_place = [[London]], [[England]]
| death_place =near [[Warneton]], [[France]]
| placeofburial_label = Commemorated at
| placeofburial = Arras Flying Services Memorial, [[Pas de Calais]], [[France]]
| placeofburial_coordinates = 
| nickname = Puddles
| allegiance = United Kingdom
| branch = British Army
| serviceyears = 1911–1917
| rank = Captain
| unit = [[York and Lancaster Regiment]]<br/>[[72nd Punjabis]]<br/>[[No. 20 Squadron RAF]]
| commands =
| battles =
| awards = [[Military Cross]] [[Medal bar|& Bar]]
| relations =
| laterwork =
}}
[[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|Captain]] '''Francis Richard Cubbon''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MC*}} (26 November 1892{{spaced ndash}}9 June 1917) was an [[Air observer|aerial observer]] and [[flying ace]] in the [[World War I|First World War]]. In conjunction with his pilots, he was credited with 21 aerial victories.

==Early life and service==
Francis Richard Cubbon was the only surviving son of his parents' marriage. His father was Captain Richard Cubbon, a supply and transport officer of the Indian Army.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1918/1918%20-%200351.html |title=Casualties |issue=483 |volume=X |page=347 |journal=[[Flight International|Flight]] |date=28 March 1918 |accessdate=7 November 2022}}</ref>

Cubbon was born in London,<ref name="AWF12">Franks ''et.al.'' (1997), p. 12.</ref> but spent most of his youth in [[Poona]], India.<ref name="Guttman78">Guttman & Dempsey (2009), p. 78.</ref> The young Cubbon was educated at [[Alleyn's School]] and [[Dulwich College]] before attending and graduating from the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]].<ref name="Aeronautics">Aeronautics (1918), p. 288.</ref> He was posted to the Indian Army as a second lieutenant on 6 September 1911.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=28528 |page=6553 |date=5 September 1911 |nolink=yes}}</ref> His first assignment was to the [[York and Lancaster Regiment]] in [[Karachi]]. He subsequently was appointed to the [[72nd Punjabis]] on the [[North-West Frontier Province (1901–1955)|North-western Frontier]] of India,<ref name="Aeronautics"/> on 1 December 1912.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=28708 |page=2536 |date=8 April 1913 |nolink=yes}}</ref> He was promoted to lieutenant on 6 December 1913,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=28792 |page=341 |date=13 January 1914 |nolink=yes}}</ref> and to captain on 6 September 1915.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=30084 |page=4945 |date=22 May 1917 |nolink=yes}}</ref> In November 1915, he was invalided home.<ref name="Aeronautics"/>

==Service in Royal Flying Corps==
[[File:Royal Aircraft Factory FE2d.jpg|thumb|right|[[Rolls-Royce Eagle]] powered F.E.2d with nose-wheel.]]
[[File:Royal Aircraft Factory FE2d gunner.jpg|thumb|right|An F.E.2d observer demonstrating the use of the rear-firing [[Lewis gun]], which required him to stand on his seat.]]
Like so many invalided and convalescent land soldiers of the First World War, Cubbon volunteered for flight duty and was accepted as an observer on 25 March 1917.<ref name="Guttman78"/><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=30127 |date=12 June 1917 |page=5817 |supp=y |nolink=yes }}</ref> By [[Bloody April]], 1917, he was assigned to 20 Squadron as an observer in [[Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2]]s.<ref name="AWF12"/> [[Frederick Libby]], the [[United States of America]]'s first ace, gave a vivid description of an observer's duties aboard the aircraft that was an incremental development of the pre-1914 Farman Experimental:<ref name="theaerodrome.com">{{cite web |url= http://www.theaerodrome.com/aircraft/gbritain/raf_fe2.php |title=Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 |work=The Aerodrome |year=2014 |accessdate=7 November 2022}}</ref>

{{Quote|When you stood up to shoot, all of you from the knees up was exposed to the elements. There was no belt to hold you. Only your grip on the gun and the sides of the nacelle stood between you and eternity. Toward the front of the nacelle was a hollow steel rod with a swivel mount to which the gun was anchored. This gun covered a huge field of fire forward. Between the observer and the pilot a second gun was mounted, for firing over the F.E.2d's upper wing to protect the aircraft from rear attack ... Adjusting and shooting this gun required that you stand right up out of the nacelle with your feet on the nacelle coaming. You had nothing to worry about except being blown out of the aircraft by the blast of air or tossed out bodily if the pilot made a wrong move. There were no parachutes and no belts. No wonder they needed observers.<ref name="theaerodrome.com"/>}}

And Libby did not even mention the hazards of spilling overboard with a propeller chopping along behind the crew.<ref name="theaerodrome.com"/>

Cubbon scored two victories on 24 April 1917 with Lieutenant R. E. Johnson in F.E.2 number A6392. He then flew with Captain [[Frederick Thayre]] for the next six weeks and claimed some nineteen victories.<ref name="AWF12"/>

Seventeen of these were over German [[Albatros D.III]] single-seated fighters.<ref name="theaerodrome.com"/> Upon Captain [[Albert Ball]]'s death on 7 May, Cubbon became the second ranking ace of the Royal Flying Corps.<ref name="Greenhous">Greenhous (2002), pp. 99–100.</ref>

==Killed in action==
On 9 June, two days after scoring their final victory together, Cubbon and Thayre attacked an Albatros two-seater and sent it down in a smoking nose dive. They were then killed in action by a direct hit from anti-aircraft fire from K Flak Battery 60 near [[Warneton]].<ref name="ABT">Shores ''et.al.'' (1997), p. 360.</ref> A German message drop confirmed their deaths to the British authorities, but their graves remain undiscovered.<ref name="Guttman82">Guttman & Dempsey (2009), p. 82.</ref>

The nineteen victories shared included five Albatros D.IIIs shot down in flames and eleven destroyed, an [[Albatros Flugzeugwerke|Albatros]] reconnaissance two-seater in flames and another destroyed. Another D.III was claimed driven down 'out of control'. Cubbon also added his two victories with Johnson—a D.III destroyed and one 'out of control'.<ref name="AWF12"/>

Cubbon received both the [[Military Cross]] on 11 May and a Bar in lieu of a second award on the 16th,<ref name="Guttman82"/> both being gazetted posthumously on 18 July 1918.<ref name=MCandBar>{{London Gazette |date=18 July 1917 |issue=30188 |supp=y |pages=7217–7225 |nolink=yes}}</ref>

==Awards and decorations==
;Military Cross
:Captain Francis Richard Cubbon. Indian Army, attached Royal Flying Corps.
:For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He has shown great pluck and determination when acting as observer, on several occasions displaying fine marksmanship and coolness against superior numbers of the enemy.<ref name=MCandBar />

;Bar to the Military Cross
:Captain Francis Richard Cubbon, MC. Indian Army, attached Royal Flying Corps.
:For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When acting as an observer on an offensive patrol, he displayed great skill and courage against superior numbers of the enemy. Throughout the action he backed up his pilot with a remarkable display of marksmanship.<ref name=MCandBar />

==References==
;Notes
{{Reflist|30em}}
;Bibliography
* {{cite book|title=Aeronautics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O5g8AAAAMAAJ|volume=14|year=1918|publisher=King Sell & Olding, Limited}}
* {{cite book |first1=Norman |last1=Franks |authorlink1=Norman Franks |first2=Russell F. |last2=Guest |first3=Gregory |last3=Alegi |title=Above the War Fronts: The British Two-seater Bomber Pilot and Observer Aces, the British Two-seater Fighter Observer Aces, and the Belgian, Italian, Austro-Hungarian and Russian Fighter Aces, 1914–1918 |location=London, UK |publisher=Grub Street |year=1997 |isbn=978-1-898697-56-5 |page=4 |name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book |first=Brereton |last=Greenhous |title=The Making of Billy Bishop: The First World War Exploits of Billy Bishop, VC |url=https://archive.org/details/makingofbillybis0000gree |url-access=registration |publisher=Dundurn Press Ltd. |year=2002 |isbn=9781550023909}}
* {{cite book |title=Pusher Aces of World War I |first1=Jon |last1=Guttman |first2=Harry |last2=Dempsey |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-84603-417-6 |name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book |first1=Christopher F. |last1=Shores |first2=Norman |last2=Franks |authorlink2=Norman Franks |first3=Russell |last3=Guest |title=Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920 |location=London, UK |publisher=Grub Street |year=1990 |isbn=0-948817-19-4 |name-list-style=amp }}

==External links==
* {{cite web |url=http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/england/cubbon.php |title=Francis Richard Cubbon |work=The Aerodrome |year=2014 }} Contains a detailed list of his victories.

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cubbon, Francis}}
[[Category:1890s births]]
[[Category:1917 deaths]]
[[Category:Military personnel from London]]
[[Category:People educated at Alleyn's School]]
[[Category:People educated at Dulwich College]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst]]
[[Category:British Indian Army officers]]
[[Category:York and Lancaster Regiment officers]]
[[Category:Royal Flying Corps officers]]
[[Category:British World War I flying aces]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel killed in World War I]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Military Cross]]
[[Category:British military personnel killed in World War I]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]