John Todd (RAF officer)

John Todd
Born	(1899-01-12)12 January 1899 Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland
Died	1980 (aged 80–81) St Cyrus, Kincardineshire, Scotland
Buried	St Cyrus, Scotland
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army Royal Air Force
Years of service	1917–1919
Rank	Captain
Unit	No. 70 Squadron RFC/RAF
Battles / wars	World War I  • Western Front
Awards	Order of the British Empire Military Cross Distinguished Flying Cross
Other work	Missionary doctor

Captain John Todd, MBE, MC, DFC (1899–1980) was a Scottish First World War flying ace credited with eighteen aerial victories.

Military service

Todd was a medical student at Edinburgh University before he joined the Royal Flying Corps as a cadet. He was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant (on probation) on the General List on 2 August 1917, and was confirmed in his rank on 3 November.

He was posted to No. 70 Squadron RFC to fly the Sopwith Camel single-seat fighter, and scored his first victory on 22 January 1918. Further victories followed, and Todd had brought his score up to five by the end of March, to make him an ace. On 1 April 1918, the Royal Flying Corps was merged with the Royal Naval Air Service to form the Royal Air Force, and his unit became No. 70 Squadron RAF. He gained three more victories by the end of the month, and on 7 May he was appointed a flight commander with the acting rank of captain. As such he gained six more victories in May, three in June, and his eighteenth and last on 1 July 1918. His final total was ten enemy aircraft destroyed (two shared), seven driven down out of control (one shared), and one captured. Fourteen of them were fighters and four were reconnaissance aircraft.

Todd was posted back to the Home Establishment in Britain to serve as an instructor in July 1918. On 3 August his award of the Distinguished Flying Cross was gazetted, followed by his Military Cross on 16 September. On 5 January 1919 he was transferred to the RAF's unemployed list.

List of aerial victories

Combat record

No.	Date/Time	Aircraft/ Serial No.	Opponent	Result	Location	Notes
1	22 January 1918 @ 1430	Sopwith Camel (B3890)	Albatros D.V	Destroyed	North-East of Houthoulst Forest	Shared with Captain Frank Quigley.
2	28 January 1918 @ 1550	Sopwith Camel (B3890)	Fokker Dr.I	Out of control	North-West of Menen
3	18 February 1918 @ 1215	Sopwith Camel (B7320)	Albatros D.V	Out of control	Staden
4	12 March 1918 @ 1245	Sopwith Camel (C8213)	Albatros D.V	Out of control	North of Menen
5	22 March 1918 @ 1550	Sopwith Camel (C8213)	Fokker Dr.I	Out of control	South-West of Cambrai
6	22 April 1918 @ 1630	Sopwith Camel (C1670)	Type C	Destroyed	South-East of Wancourt
7	23 April 1918	Sopwith Camel (C1670)	Two-seater	Destroyed
8	29 April 1918 @ 1910	Sopwith Camel (C1670)	Type C	Captured	North-East of Querrieu
9	27 May 1918 @ 1000	Sopwith Camel (C1670)	Albatros D.V	Out of control	Ribemont	Shared with Lieutenants Carl Falkenberg, Hugh Saunders, & V. C. Chapman.
10	27 May 1918 @ 1155	Sopwith Camel (C1670)	LVG C	Destroyed in flames	Ribemont
11	30 May 1918 @ 1110	Sopwith Camel (C1670)	Albatros D.V	Destroyed in flames	Albert—Bruay	Shared with Lieutenant Sydney Liversedge.
12			Albatros D.V	Destroyed
13	31 May 1918 @ 1000	Sopwith Camel (C1670)	Albatros D.V	Destroyed	South-East of Albert
14	31 May 1918 @ 1800	Sopwith Camel (C1670)	Albatros D.V	Destroyed in flames	South-East of Albert
15	27 June 1918 @ 2045	Sopwith Camel (C1670)	Albatros D.V	Destroyed	½ mi East of Lakes at Albert
16	30 June 1918 @ 1835–1840	Sopwith Camel (C1670)	Albatros D.V	Out of control	Bray
17			Fokker Dr.I	Destroyed	South of Bray
18	1 July 1918 @ 0920	Sopwith Camel (C1670)	Albatros D.V	Out of control	Bray

Post-war career

After the war Todd returned to his medical studies. After graduating in 1922, he went to Livingstonia, Nyasaland, as a medical missionary. His efforts were rewarded by being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1955 Birthday Honours "for medical and missionary services in Northern Rhodesia."

Awards and citations

Distinguished Flying Cross

Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) John Todd, MC. (formerly No. 70 Squadron).

"With four other officers he engaged ten enemy scouts, shooting down one; later, on the same day, he shot down another in flames. In addition to these, during the last two months he has shot down seven enemy machines. His gallantry in leading his flight into action against enemy patrols of superior numbers has been an inspiring example.

Military Cross

Second Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) John Todd, R.A.F.

"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. During recent operations he destroyed three enemy aircraft, forced one to land in our lines, and drove four down out of control. He did very fine work."

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Franks, Norman (2003). Sopwith Camel Aces of World War I. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-534-1. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)