John Aidan Liddell

John Aidan Liddell, VC, MC (3 August, 1888 – 31 August, 1915) was an English pilot and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Details

Liddell was educated at Stonyhurst College, Lancashire and Balliol College, Oxford, where he took the Honours Course in Zoology.

He was 26 years old, and a captain in the 3rd Battalion, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's), British Army, and Royal Flying Corps during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 31 July, 1915, while flying reconnaissance over Ostend-Bruges-Ghent, Belgium, Liddell was severely wounded in his right thigh. This caused momentary unconsciousness, but by great effort he recovered partial control of his machine when it had dropped nearly 3,000 feet and succeeded, although fired on, in completing the course and brought the plane back into the Allied lines.

The control wheel and throttle control were smashed as was part of the undercarriage and cockpit, but the machine and life of the observer were saved.

Liddell died of his wounds a month later at De Panne, Flanders, Belgium, on 31 August, 1915, aged 27.

Further information

"The information is an extract from the Stonyhurst College Memoirs - Stonyhurst War Record and from the Regimental Museum and Archives of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders."

[John] Aidan Liddell was born on 3 August, 1888. The eldest son of Mr John Liddell. K.C.S.G.. and J.P. for Northumberland, of Sherfield Manor, Basingstoke, and late of Prudhoe Hall, Northumberland, his mother being the daughter of the late Major Henry A. Berry1 of the Cameronians. His two brothers were also serving in the forces, named - Capt. C. Liddell of the 15th Hussars, who was twice mentioned in despatches. and Sub-Lieut. L. Liddell, R.N.

Aidan Liddell entered Stonyhurst on 20 September, 1900. He possessed a charming natural disposition, and was always bright and cheery. As a student he showed abilities out of the ordinary, but was handicapped by delicate health. However, he greatly distinguished himself in the science classes.

He had a natural bent for anything mechanical, and was a keen observer and lover of nature. He also became very early in his school career an expert photographer. The boys called him "Oozy" Liddell, because, as it was explained, he was always "messing about with chemicals and engines".

He was one of the Aviary boys, and possessing a good voice, a member of the choir. As he also played the flute well, he took his place as a flautist in the orchestra. One trait of his character was a remarkable power of concentrating his mind upon any subject or occupation he had immediately in hand. He was, in his love of all things scientific, very interested in astronomy, and frequently assisted Father Cortie in the Observatory, where he learned to manipulate the various instruments and the art of exact observation.

Accordingly, when Father Cortie went to Vinaròs, in Spain, to observe the total solar eclipse of 30 August, 1905, he took Aidan Liddell as his chief assistant, and entrusted to him - though only 17 years old - the manipulation, during the eclipse, of the 20 foot telescopic camera. With this instrument he was entirely successful, and obtained during the three minutes of total eclipse six large-scale photographs of varying exposures of the solar corona.

In Spain, as elsewhere, he captivated everyone by his cheerful and amiable disposition, and was a great favourite among the Jesuit Fathers of the Colleges at Barcelona and Tortosa where he stayed with Father Cortie, and especially at Vinaròs, where the observers lived in the house of Dr. Roca. His health, however, still continued to give anxiety, so in the following year his father and mother took him on a long sea voyage to the Cape of Good Hope. While there he visited the Royal Observatory, which was then under the direction of that eminent astronomer the late Sir David Gill, who wrote the following letter to Father Cortie, dated March 23 1906:

"I had the pleasure of receiving your letter of the 20 January, introducing your pupil. Mr Aidan Liddell. I made an appointment for last Tuesday, and he came to the Observatory accompanied by his father and mother. I found him an exceedingly bright, intelligent young fellow, and quite "ready at the uptake" as the Scotch have it.

In fact, I took quite a fancy to the lad and asked him to come back on the following morning to complete his survey of the Observatory. His mother tells me he has been making numerous notes from which he can report to you of what he has seen. I think the lad might do far worse than take to astronomy as a profession. No one will ever make money at astronomy, but no one will ever do any good at it unless he is born by nature that way. I do think this lad has both the taste and the brains from the little I could see of him."

This indeed is high praise from such a distinguished expert as the late Astronomer Royal at the Cape of Good Hope. On his return to Stonyhurst, on the nominations of Father Cortie, he was elected a member of the British Astronomical Association on 27 February, 1907.

He was a Philosopher here for two years, when he directed his attention mainly to biology and zoology. He was also a devoted and most successful fisherman; in fact' his main recreation was fishing on the ponds or in the river.

From Philosophy at Stonyhurst he passed to Balliol College, Oxford, where he took the Honours Course in Zoology, being the only man of his year who secured the honours degree in the first class in this subject. He was, as was indeed inevitable, a great favourite with his contemporaries, and was known among them as " Peter". His favourite pastime was motoring, and there was nothing about motor engines with which he was not familiar. His aptitude for anything mechanical was extra-ordinary. After completing his course at Oxford he was offered a travelling scholarship in order to investigate the fauna of the isle of Krakatoa, in the Straits of Sunda, which had been devastated and partly blown to pieces in the great eruption of 1883. This he was unable to accept-. but as he himself expressed it, "not wishing to he a slacker," he joined the special reserve of officers in the 3rd Battalion The Argyll and Suther-land Highlanders in the year 1911 - He also later on took to flying and received his certificate as pilot at Brooklands in June, 1914.

On the outbreak of war he accompanied the 2nd Battalion to the front 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. Of this period of his service we may quote an extract from Private Alexander McCallum of B " Companv, 2nd Battalion The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.

:"We have a splendid officer in charge of the guns, one of those men who would give the faintest-hearted confidence. May he be spared to see us all safely through the lot, for you have no idea what it means to lose confidence in your superior."

The letter appeared in the local paper of Campbelltown, Scotland, of 5 December, 1914. About this time he also helped to save the life of his Company-Sergeant-Major, S. Conroy, who wrote after his death:-

:"On the 21 October, 1914, I was lying seriously wounded at a place called Fremalles, when Captain Liddell, V.C., observed me. He at once helped me to the road, and directed me to crawl back to the nearest field-dressing station. Knowing the serious nature of my wound, I knew I would have died had Captain Liddell, V.C., not given me timely assistance."

For his services as commander of the machine gun section he was mentioned in despatches, and received the award of the Military Cross on 14 January, 1915.

He was himself invalided home, however after his recovery he joined the Royal Flying Corps in May. He returned to the front again on July 23, and in eight days had gained his V.C., and the wound which ultimately brought about his death. The reconnaissance during which he so greatly distinguished himself by his supreme devotion to duty, was his second only over the German lines.

The official grounds for the award were thus set forth in "The Times", 24 August, 1915

CAPT. JOHN AIDAN LIDDELL, 3rd Battalion The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders and Royal Flying Corps For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty on July 31st 1915. "When on a flying reconnaissance over Ostende - Bruges - Ghent, he was severely wounded (his right thigh being broken), which caused momentary unconsciousness, but by a great effort he recovered partial control after his machine had dropped nearly 3,000 feet and notwithstanding his collapsed state. Succeeded although continually fired at in completing his course, and brought the aeroplane into our lines - half an hour after he had been wounded.The difficulties experienced by this officer in saving his machine, and the life of his observer, cannot he readily expressed but as the control wheel and throttle control were smashed, and also one of the under-carriage struts, it would seem incredible that he could have accomplished his task."

His brave deed and his devotion to duty were the theme of everyone's praise in the first days of August, 1915, and were chronicled in every paper throughout the land. We give an extract from the Morning Post for 9 August, 1915, which is a full account of his extraordinary feat:-

:AVIATOR'S MARVELLOUS FEAT
:(From H F B Prevost Battersby, Special Correspondent.)

:An incident of another kind, which has happened recently, deserves to be added to the long record of fine things which our airmen have done, of which so few have, alas! been told us. The airman was engaged in fighting a German aeroplane a long way within the enemy's line, when a spray of bullets from the machine gun o his foe shattered his right thigh. The shock of the injury, which was very severe, caused him to faint, and the machine gun discs toppled out of the aeroplane and the observer would have followed them had he not clung on to the stays, in that position not being able, of course, to render the slightest assistance to his unfortunate companion or to get control of the machine. It looked as like certain death for both of them as such things can look in the air, when the rapid passage through it revived the pilot. Had he not returned in an instant to the coolest possession of his senses, he would almost certainly have wrecked the machine, for at the fearful pace at which it was falling any but the gentlest pressure on the elevator would have been fatal. So exactly, however, did the pilot realise his perilous position in that instant of returning consciousness, that he succeeded in checking gradually the headlong fall of the machine, till he had regained complete control of it. He was then still in the enemy's country, and suffering agonies from his shattered leg, the bone of which was splintered; and, with the very likely prospect of losing consciousness again, he might have been forgiven had he sought a landing. But such a surrender of the spirit never occurred to him. He shouted an enquiry as to the nearest landing place within our lines, and the observer pointed it out on the map to him. It was thirty-five miles away, more than half an hour's travel in the face of a sou'wester, and he was losing blood fast. Yet never for an instant did his resolution falter. He would take no risks, either, and though, of course, it considerably prolonged the journey, he rose to a safe height to cross the German lines, and made a perfect landing in spite of his damaged chassis, and waited to faint again till they lifted him our of his seat.

In addition to the details of his gallant and memorable action given in the extract just quoted, we may mention that after bringing his machine and his observer safely to land, he himself bandaged up his wounded leg, and made a tourniquet to stop the flow of blood while waiting for the coming of the doctor. He was carried to the hospital at La Panne, and at first endeavours were made to save the leg, out of which a great number of pieces of extraneous matter were extracted, and four inches of bone were cut away. But eventually it was found necessary to amputate the leg, and subsequently septic poisoning set in and pervaded his whole system. The day after he was wounded, Lieut. Chanis, Commandant of the 3rd Escadrille of the Belgian Flying Corps, sent the following report to Major Hoare, commanding the 7th Squadron of the British Flying Corps:-

:"To Major Hoare, LA PANNE, 1 August, 1915."

:"I, the undersigned, Dhanis, of the 1st Regiment of the Guides, Flight Lieut. And Commandant of the 3rd Escadrille of the Belgian Flying Corps, consider it my duty to bring to your notice the magnificent conduct of Capt. Liddell and of Lieut. Peck, both of them aviators under your command.

:These officers, who were flying in a Beardmore aeroplane, Type R>E> 5, 120 h.p., were compelled to land on our aviation ground on July 31st, the pilot having been severely wounded. His right thigh was broken by bullets in an engagement with a German aeroplane. Thanks to his coolness and conspicuous energy he has saved his aeroplane, his companion and himself from the hands of the enemy, having had the incredible strength of will necessary to make a faultless landing on our camp. He has thus given us all a magnificent example of endurance, and one which deserves to be both mentioned and rewarded.
W. Dhanis"

Three days after being in hospital, Capt. Liddell wrote the following characteristic letter to his mother, which contains also an extract from a very kindly letter which he had received on the preceding day from his Flight-Commander, Major Hoare:-

Letter from Capt. Liddell to Mrs Liddell:-

"AMBULANCE DU DR. DEPAGE,
LA PANNE, BELGIQUE
August 3rd, 1915."

Still very flourishing, on full diet, temperature all the time round about normal, smoking like a chimney, and sleeping between whiles. Indifferent night last night, only because the muscles of the small of my back were resenting their enforced inactivity by cramping; however, I did without morphia, and got in quite a long sleep later. My leg doesn't hurt at all, except, of course, the dressings are painful - irrigation with peroxide, washed all round the edges with ether, and the packing. They are getting much less tiresome each time, and they are awfully quick and gentle with it.

Everybody seems very pleased with my progress. Major Hoare, commanding No 7 Squadron, told me he had written you all about the effort, and Pack very kindly said he'd call and tell you, so you probably know more about it than I do myself. It was a weird sensation falling like that. I thought at first a shell had hit us and knocked the tail off, a piece getting me in the process. I was waiting for the bump, when suddenly I thought it might be a good thing to straighten her out and try to recover flying position. Just as well I had that brain wave, what?

Poor old Peck must have had a terrible shock, not knowing whether I was dead or not, or whether he was going to hit the ground with the machine, or going to fall out, as he had undone his strap so that he could use his machine gun; glad I wasn't him really.

I had an awfully nice letter from Major Hoare this morning. Following are extracts:- I'm afraid you will have a bad time, but you will have this much to buck you up, that you have done one of the finest feats that has been done in the Corps since the beginning of the war. How you managed it God only knows; but it was a magnificent effort, and the General is giving a detailed report on it to-day to French. I cannot express to you the admiration we all have for what you did. You have set a standard of pluck and determination which may be equalled, but certainly will not be surpassed, during this war."

Don't going showing this all round the country, because it is a private letter of Hoare's, and only his own opinion.

I must say I was only too glad when I found I could fly the machine, and would have willingly gone on for another two hours rather than land in the German lines, or even Holland, which was much closer. Nothing except the instinct of self-preservation and the desire to get near a decent hospital urged me on.

I'm pampered here, but what being in a German hospital would be like I shudder to think.

However, the result of the whole thing is that I met with an accident which has caused me just a little inconvenience, and apparently gained me quite a reputation. Generals, English and Belgian, keep on coming to see me - Poincare yesterday ! Altogether, considering it will also mean several months' holiday when finished. I think it rather a blessing in disguise. Reconnaissance over the German lines for three hours at a time, and at least once every two days, sometimes every day, promised to be a little too exciting for my nerves.

P.S. - Don't go advertising me to all the old dowagers of your acquaintance for the Lord's sake."

As, however, he did not improve, his mother obtained permission from the military authorities to be with him at the hospital. The end came almost suddenly on 31 August, 1915, the feast day of his patron, St Aidan. He had been to Confession and received Holy Communion a few days previously. Seeing that he was sinking, his mother summoned the Belgian chaplain, who again heard his Confession, and administered Extreme Unction. He was perfectly conscious, and with great fervour and devotion repeatedly kissed the crucifix, and repeated over and over again the holy names of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and other ejaculatory prayers and the act of contrition, reciting them after his mother. He said it was getting dark, and then, "Mummy, I want to go home". "You are going home, sonny", she replied. A pressure of her hand showed that he understood. And he died.

The body was conveyed to England, and on 4 September, after a Solemn Requiem Mass at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street, at which Father W. Bodkin, the Rector of Stonyhurst, was the celebrant, he was laid to rest at Basingstoke, in the cemetery which adjoins the Catholic Church.

The last prayers were recited by his parish priest, the Rev. Canon Scoles, Father Bodkin and Father Gruggen assisting, as representing his old College, at the funeral. Besides the Bishop of the Diocese, the Master of Balliol, officers representing his battalion, many offers from the camp at Winchester, and his observer, Lieut. Peck, were among the mourners.

About a thousand letters of sympathy and admiration were received by his parents. His Majesty the King, besides the telegram which, in his kindliness of heart, he sent to all the bereaved parents of fallen officers, sent a special telegram of condolence. Letters of sympathy were also sent by Queen Elizabeth of the Belgians, by Princess Louise, who is Colonel in Chief of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, expressing her priced that an officer of her own regiment had so distinguished himself, and by Prince Alexander of Teck, more than once, in his capacity of Colonel of the British Mission with the Belgian Army. We may select two letters, one from his Colonel and one from Major Maxwell Rouse, to show in what esteem Capt. Liddell was held in many circles.

The Colonel of the 3rd ("!R") Battalion The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders wrote:-

"Our representatives at your son's funeral most truly represented all ranks of this battalion, in which we have felt his loss most keenly. We should all have wished to be present if it had been possible, feeling that we could not honour his memory too highly. We were very proud of our V.C., and he will always be affectionately remembered, not only for the honour he has gained for us, but also for his great abilities and delightful disposition."

There has certainly been no more splendid instance of "Devotion to Duty" throughout this war, and no brighter example of all a soldier could wish to be or to do.

Extract from a letter from Major Maxwell Rouse to Mrs Liddell:-

"3rd (R) Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highrs."

"Looking back it will be such a happiness to you to know how devoted he, too, was to you all at home. Among his interests I always noticed that. Some are different in that way. He loved home, and his ideals were all wrapped up there. Somehow I think that being so, his splendid sacrifice, for that it was, was finer than the world will ever guess. I can't write much, for we all feel as if the light had gone out - the light of our battalion. You see he was always bright. In snow, in muddy trench, or ante-room, he kept us laughing, and his influence will last. Soldiering had little to teach or give to him. His, by instinct, was the greatest gift a soldier can possess. And he gave it, freely, together with his life..............to soldiering. "Ours is not vengeance to inflict" but from the smallest drummer boy to the Colonel, this battalion asks only to be given the chance to avenge Aidan's death. We realised that his nature would triumph over the loss of his leg. We prayed only, here, and as a battalion in Church, that he might be spared to us a cripple for life - but spared. God has taken him. But Mrs Liddell, there is no death; the leaves may fall' and flowers may fade and pass away. They only wait..... through wintry hours...the coming of the May. Someone wrote those lines. They comfort one. Goodbye."

On October 1, a Solemn Requiem for the repose of the soul of Capt. Liddell was sung at his old School, at which his parents, his brother, Capt. C. Liddell, and his two elder sisters were present. Father Rector was the celebrant, and the O.T.C. assisted in uniform. Nearly all the boys received Holy Communion for the same intention. After the absolutions had been given at the catafalque, which was draped with the Union Jack, and on which was laid his busby and claymore, the O.T.C. was drawn up in front of the church, with the bugles and drums in the centre. Most impressive was the scene in the beautiful, bright sunlight of the early morning, as the drums rolled and the bugles rang out the "Last Post", the farewell of the Stonyhurst boys to their departed schoolfellow, who had laid down his life in his "devotion to duty". Per ardua ad astra. May his soul rest in Peace.

In a letter to Mrs Liddell, dated January 29 1925, Major Maxwell Rouse informs her that a brass In Memoriam tablet has been erected to Aidan Liddell in the Scottish Naval and Military Residence, Edinburgh. He adds:-

I like to think that the old fighters who sleep in these cots will look up sometimes at one who, far from home, gave his all for his country and his King and now sleeps with God.

We who knew him and loved him want no brass, large or small, to recall him to us. For he will always be there - an inspiration.

That as a Regiment we have been able to do this tiny thing is a Happiness. You will know, though, both of you, how we who still serve on in the old Corps are just proud that at any time and in any place we were with him as friends.

The inscription on the brass tablet runs as follows:-

IN MEMORY OF
CAPTAIN J. AIDAN LIDDELL, V.C., M.C.
3rd (RESERVE) BATTALION
ARGYLL AND SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS
MORTALLY WOUNDED WHEN SERVING WITH
THE ROYAL FLYING CORPS
NEAR OSTEND, BELGIUM
AUGUST 1915

PRESENTED BY HIS BROTHER OFFICERS OF THE
3rd (RESERVE) BATTALION.

References

*Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
*The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
*VCs of the First World War - Air VCs (P G Cooksley, 1999)

External links

* [http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/hampshir.htm Location of grave and VC medal] "(Hampshire)"
* [http://www.hwy56.com/warlinks/memories/barker/ash.htm History of Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders]