Aidan Liddell obtained his Royal Aero CLub Ticket (No. 781) in the spring of 1914 flying the Boxkite with the Vickers School at Brooklands, Surry.
On 30th August 1914, on the outbreak of war, he accompanied the 2nd Bn, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, to the front in France with the rank of Captain and was placed in command of the machine gun section of the Battalion.
For his service as commander of the Battalion machine gun section he was mentioned in despatches, and received the award of the Military Cross on 14th January 1915. He was himself wounded and invalided home. Once he recovered he was deemed unfit to go back to the trenches but as a qualified pilot, cleared to join the RFC.
His diary of his 43 consecutive days in the trenches makes compelling reading and demonstrates the war of manoeuvre that defined the first six months of the conflict. Those 43 days ended on 11th December 1914, when the Battalion was relieved by the Cameronians. It also records the famous truce on Christmas Day, which fell a fortnight later, during a fresh tour in the line. Read the complete surviving diary — every entry the Trust holds, in the order he wrote them.
Victoria Cross — Third Supplement to The London Gazette of 20 August 1915, published 23 August 1915, issue 29272, pages 8373-8374
Captain John Aidan Liddell, 3rd Battalion, Princess Louise’s (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders), and Royal Flying Corps.
For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty on 31st July, 1915.
When on a flying reconnaissance over Ostend-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 be readily expressed, but as the control wheel and throttle control were smashed, and also one of the undercarriage struts, it would seem incredible that he could have accomplished his task.
WAHT would like to contact any surviving members of the Liddell family. A fuller record of Liddell’s papers – a 98-page transcription of his diary and letters, together with the letters of condolence sent after his death – is held by the Imperial War Museum as Documents.11126. The Trust holds a partial copy.
