Captain JOHN AIDAN LIDDELL V.C., M.C.

Discussion in 'Military Biographies' started by liverpool annie, May 22, 2009.

  1. liverpool annie

    liverpool annie New Member

    LIDDELL, John Aiden

    Captain. 3rd Battalion. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, also the Royal Flying Corps.
    London Gazetted on 23rd August, 1915.

    Born on 3rd August, 1888 at Benwell Hall, Newcastle on Tyne, Northumberland.
    Died on 31st August 1915 at La Panne, Flanders.
    Memorials at Basingstoke Old Cemetery, Hampshire also the church at Sherfield on Lodden and at St Joseph's Church in Pickering, Yorkshire.

    Citation reads -

    In loving memory of Captain J. AIDAN LIDDELL, V.C., M.C., 3rd Battalion Princess Louise's Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
    Mortally wounded near Ostend, Belgium with the Royal Flying Corps Bringing back his observer to safety behind our lines.

    He died a month after his injury when it was thought that he might recover. His wound turned septic and it was decided to amputate his leg. Unfortunately he was never recover from the operation.

    Captain Liddell, who also held the Military Cross, was the eldest son of John and Emily Catherine (née Berry) Liddell of Sherfield Manor, Basingstoke, Hampshire. His mother Emily, was the second daughter of Major Henry A Berry of the Cameronians Highlanders.
    Education was at Mrs Wares Preparatory School at Frognal Hall, Hampshire. He attended Stonyhurst from 1900-1908 where he was known as 'Oozy' Liddell because of his fondness for messing about with engines and chemicals. He then went on to Balliol College, Oxford where he distinguished himself. "

    Captain JOHN AIDAN LIDDELL, the St. Omer VC

    “With a Smile and a Wave” – The Life of Captain J/ Aidan Liddell VC.

    John Aidan Liddell won his VC in the summer of 1915, while on a long range reconnaissance mission, flying out of St. Omer in Northern France.

    Aidan Liddell was born 3rd August 1888 in Benwell, Northumberland, the son of a wealthy land and colliery owner. The eldest of six children, he was educated at Stonyhurst College, Lancashire and Balliol College, Oxford where he read Zoology.

    In 1912 Aidan joined the 3rd Reserve Battalion of th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Aviation also became an abiding passion and he obtained his Royal Aero Club Ticket (No. 781) in the spring of 1914. flying the Boxkite with he Vickers School at Brooklands, Surrey.

    On 30th August 1914, on the outbreak of war, he accompanied the 2nd Bn. to the front in France with the rank of captain and was placed in command of the machine gun section of the battalion. He was for forty-three consecutive days in the trenches. For his service as commander of the machine gun section he was mentioned in dispatches, and received the award of the Military Cross on 14th January 1915. He was himself wounded and invalided home.

    However, after his recovery, he joined the Royal Flying Corps in May 1915 and returned to the front again on July 23rd. On 31st July, whilst on a flying reconnaissance over the Ostend-Bruges-Ghent area in enemy occupied Belgium, Captain Liddell’s …? (RES/KES?) was raked by enemy machine gun fire and was seriously wounded, including a shattered right thigh. This caused momentary unconsciousness, but by great effort he recovered partial control of his machine when it had dropped nearly 3,000ft. in an inverted dive and succeeded, although fired on?, in re-plotting? The course and, after half an hour, brought the plane back
    …….? and throttle control were smashed, as was part of the ……? and cockpit, but the machine and life of the observer were saved. For (t)his action, Captain Liddell was awarded a Victoria Cross. The ….. ? which he so greatly distinguished himself by his supreme ………? To receive Britain’s highest gallantry award as, after having his leg amputated and septic poisoning setting in, he died of his wounds a month later at De Panne, Flanders, Belgium, on 31st August 1915, aged 27.

    Capt John Aidan Liddell

    http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=19795883
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Adrian Roberts

    Adrian Roberts Active Member

    Looks like your reproduction of this has mangled some of it!

    Liddell was flying an RE5 aeroplane, which accounts for the RES/KES. The ? before "throttle control" probably reads "control wheel" (or control column; "wheel" would make sense if the RE5 had a wheel for aileron control)
     

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