Francis Richard Cubbon

Captain, 72^nd Punjabis Regiment/Royal Flying Corps

Francis Richard Cubbon was born in Poona on November 29^th 1892 and was the only surviving son of Captain R. Cubbon and Mrs. Cubbon, of Quetta. He was a student at Alleyn’s until 1906 and later attended Dulwich College. After completing his studies, he decided to join the Army and spent a year at Sandhurst College before passing into the Indian Army. Francis served in the Indian Army as a Lieutenant with the 72^nd Punjabis Regiment before receiving a promotion to Captain in December 1913. After the outbreak of the First World War, he continued to serve in the Indian Army until he was invalided in November 1915 and sent home to England. Although Francis was no longer fit to serve on the frontline as part of the Army, he was considered as medically capable of volunteering for flight duty if he wished to. In 1917, he decided to join the Royal Flying Corps as an Observer and after being accepted was given orders to serve overseas in France. Francis arrived in France on April 7^th 1917 and after just three days, his determination and boldness in the field earned him the Military Cross. Another three days later, he earned a bar to his MC after displaying tremendous skill and courage on patrol when faced with superior enemy numbers, backing up his pilot with a remarkable display of marksmanship. Despite being at the front for only two months before he was shot down, Francis managed to shoot down more than 23 enemy aircraft. His plane was shot down near Warneton, two days after his final aerial victory. He is commemorated on the Flying Service Memorial in Arras.