4. James McCudden
Longest serving and one of the highest scoring fighter pilots of the British Empire during the First World War, James McCudden is a recipient of the honorary Victoria Cross for his remarkable 57 aerial winning streaks. McCudden enlisted himself in the RFC in 1913 as a mechanic and was made an observer pilot in 1914 and promoted to Sergeant. Then in 1916 he trained as a fighter pilot and claimed his first victory in September of that year.
When McCudden joined the aviation wing, he found out that he had a talent for aerial warfare which brought him impeccable success in the air. Before receiving the Victoria Cross in 1918, McCudden was awarded the Military Medal and Military Cross in 1916 and 1917 respectively. McCudden was given the control of his own squadron in 1918 which he led efficiently. He is unique among flying aces because most of his claims occurred over Allied territory which means that two-thirds of his claims can be identified by name.
He achieved more award for gallantry than any other British airman and he became one of the most famous airman in all of the British Isles. After the war he published a memoir of his days of aerial war titled “Five Years in the RFC.” Sadly later that year he would lose his life on July 9th, 1918 when his engine failed causing his plane to crash. By the time of his death he had earned the rank of Major, which was a significant accomplishment for someone who had joined the RFC as a mechanic.