George McCubbin
South African cricketer and WWI pilot / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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George Reynolds McCubbin DSO (18 January 1898 – 9 May 1944) was a South African Royal Flying Corps (RFC) pilot who shot down the German ace Max Immelmann.
George McCubbin | |
---|---|
Born | 18 January 1898 Cape Town, Cape Colony |
Died | 9 May 1944 (aged 46) Johannesburg, Transvaal, Union of South Africa |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | Royal Flying Corps |
Years of service | 1916–1919 |
Rank | Captain |
Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
Awards | Distinguished Service Order |
Born in South Africa, McCubbin joined the British Empire forces in the East African campaign after the outbreak of the First World War. He later joined the RFC as a mechanic, before being selected for pilot training. He received his aviator's certificate in March 1916 and shot down Immelmann in a dogfight on 18 June. For this, and an earlier occasion when his aircraft shot down a German plane, McCubbin was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. He later served as a staff officer, reaching the rank of captain. After the war McCubbin returned to South Africa where he played two games of first-class cricket for Transvaal against Rhodesia in 1923. McCubbin set a national record for a ninth-wicket stand that stood until at least 1999. McCubbin served in the South African Air Force during the Second World War before ill health forced his retirement.