Eric Douglas Cummings
Encyclopedia
Captain Eric Douglas Cummings was an Australian World War I flying ace
credited with nine aerial victories while flying for the Australian Flying Corps. Postwar, he was an integral part of fund-raising campaigns to care for his fellow Australian military veterans. He then served in the Royal Air Force reserves until reactivated for service during World War II.
Eric Douglas Cummings (serial number 1026) enlisted in the 2nd Signal Company AIF
on 27 October 1914, giving his profession as cart driver and claiming 15 months prior service in C Company, 93rd Regiment of the militia. He embarked for departure from Australia in December 1914; he was in the 15th Battalion (Australia)
as a bugler. He served in the Gallipoli Campaign before transferring to aviation.
. He completed all phases of his training in three weeks, and was posted to 2 Squadron AFC. Although he had yet to score an aerial victory, his rise through the ranks was rapid, and he was appointed Flight Commander on 17 October 1916. He subsequently liaised with Rene Fonck
in operations against Manfred von Richthofen
's Flying Circus
.
Details of Eric Douglas Cummings' service over the next year and a half are missing. However, by May 1918, he was assigned to 2 Squadron AFC as a Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a pilot. On 3 May 1918, he scored his first aerial victory. His brother Roy mailed home a copy of orders describing the action; this was reprinted in The (Hobart) Mercury in the Cummings' native Tasmania
. The reprint gives a vivid description of early aerial warfare:
"Lieutenant E. D. Cummings...attacked a...triplane, and fired a burst from both guns into it. The enemy aircraft immediately went down in a spin, followed by Lieutenant Cummings, still firing. The enemy aircraft then turned on its back, and finally crashed....At this point Lieutenant Cummings was attacked by four...triplanes, who shot away his elevator controls, instrument board, petrol and oil tanks; his machine went down almost out of control, but he managed to keep it out of a spin until it...crashed. His safety-belt broke, and he was thrown clear of the machine into a shell-hole...."
Nothing daunted, Cummings went on to score eight more confirmed aerial wins and rise to the rank of captain. His bravery would win him a Distinguished Flying Cross, which would be gazetted 8 February 1919:
over downtown Hobart
, including eight loops. The exhibition was a public relations
stunt to draw a crowd to subscribe to a Peace Loan of 750,000 Pounds to care for military veterans. After his departure from Hobart, he barnstormed locally for the Peace Loan, despite engine trouble after departing Launceston
for Longford
and Devonport
on 9 September 1919.
On 11 February 1920, Cummings was invested with the Distinguished Flying Cross by General William Birdwood
in Cummings' home town of Franklin.
On 7 June 1923, Cummings was granted a short service commission in the Royal Air Force as a Flying Officer
.
On 7 June 1928, he was transferred to Class A Reserve of the Royal Air Force; he would remain in the reserves in various capacities until World War II.
While Cummings was a reservist
, he was promoted to Flight Lieutenant
on 4 February 1931.
Also during this time, on 27 April 1932, he was elected to membership in the Royal Aero Club
.
. On 1 March 1942, Cummings was promoted to temporary Wing Commander
. Nothing is known of him past this date.
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
credited with nine aerial victories while flying for the Australian Flying Corps. Postwar, he was an integral part of fund-raising campaigns to care for his fellow Australian military veterans. He then served in the Royal Air Force reserves until reactivated for service during World War II.
Early life
Eric Douglas Cummings was born to Doctor and Mrs. H. L. Cummings in Franklin, Tasmania, Australia on 13 April 1896. He had a brother, Roy, who would serve in the Australian Flying Corps with him.Eric Douglas Cummings (serial number 1026) enlisted in the 2nd Signal Company AIF
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
on 27 October 1914, giving his profession as cart driver and claiming 15 months prior service in C Company, 93rd Regiment of the militia. He embarked for departure from Australia in December 1914; he was in the 15th Battalion (Australia)
15th Battalion (Australia)
The 15th Battalion was raised from volunteers from Queensland and Tasmania in September 1914 during the First World War. It formed part of the 4th Brigade together with the 13th, 14th and 16th Battalions. The battalion served at Gallipoli and on the Western Front.-References:*...
as a bugler. He served in the Gallipoli Campaign before transferring to aviation.
World War I aviation service
Cummings was assigned to train at the flying school at RAF ShawburyRAF Shawbury
RAF Shawbury is a Royal Air Force station by the village of Shawbury near Shrewsbury, Shropshire.The station at Shawbury was first used for military flying training in 1917 by the Royal Flying Corps, but it was returned to agricultural use in 1920. In 1938 it was reactivated as a training...
. He completed all phases of his training in three weeks, and was posted to 2 Squadron AFC. Although he had yet to score an aerial victory, his rise through the ranks was rapid, and he was appointed Flight Commander on 17 October 1916. He subsequently liaised with Rene Fonck
René Fonck
René Paul Fonck was a French aviator who ended the First World War as the top Allied fighter ace, and when all succeeding aerial conflicts of the 20th and 21st centuries are also considered, Fonck still holds the title of "all-time Allied Ace of Aces". He received confirmation for 75 victories ...
in operations against Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen , also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I...
's Flying Circus
Flying Circus
Flying Circus may mean:In aviation:*Jagdgeschwader 1 , a German World War I fighter wing commanded by Manfred von Richthofen at one point*The American World War II air corps led by Joe Foss...
.
Details of Eric Douglas Cummings' service over the next year and a half are missing. However, by May 1918, he was assigned to 2 Squadron AFC as a Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a pilot. On 3 May 1918, he scored his first aerial victory. His brother Roy mailed home a copy of orders describing the action; this was reprinted in The (Hobart) Mercury in the Cummings' native Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. The reprint gives a vivid description of early aerial warfare:
"Lieutenant E. D. Cummings...attacked a...triplane, and fired a burst from both guns into it. The enemy aircraft immediately went down in a spin, followed by Lieutenant Cummings, still firing. The enemy aircraft then turned on its back, and finally crashed....At this point Lieutenant Cummings was attacked by four...triplanes, who shot away his elevator controls, instrument board, petrol and oil tanks; his machine went down almost out of control, but he managed to keep it out of a spin until it...crashed. His safety-belt broke, and he was thrown clear of the machine into a shell-hole...."
Nothing daunted, Cummings went on to score eight more confirmed aerial wins and rise to the rank of captain. His bravery would win him a Distinguished Flying Cross, which would be gazetted 8 February 1919:
List of aerial victories
| No. | Date/time | Aircraft | Foe | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 May 1918 @ 1130 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a serial number B168 | Fokker Triplane Fokker Dr.I The Fokker Dr.I Dreidecker was a World War I fighter aircraft built by Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. The Dr.I saw widespread service in the spring of 1918... |
Destroyed | Meteren | |
| 2 | 1 June 1918 @ 0900 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n B195 | Pfalz D.III Pfalz D.III |-See also:-Bibliography:* Gray, Peter and Owen Thetford. German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam, 1962. ISBN 0-93385-271-1.* Grosz, Peter M. Pfalz D.IIIa . Berkhamsted, Herts, UK: Albatros Publications, 1995. ISBN 0-94841-425-1.* Guttman, Jon. Balloon-Busting Aces of World War 1 ... |
Destroyed | East of Pozières | |
| 3 | 31 July 1918 @ 1115 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n C6473 | LVG LVG Luftverkehrsgesellschaft m.b.H. was a German aircraft manufacturer based in Berlin-Johannisthal, which began constructing aircraft in 1912, building Farman-type aircraft. The company constructed many reconnaissance and light bomber biplanes during World War I.The raid on London in 1916 was... reconnaissance plane |
Set afire; destroyed | East of Laventie Laventie Laventie is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A small farming and light industrial town, situated some northeast of Béthune and west of Lille, at the junction of the D166, D173 and D174 roads. Famous for its... |
|
| 4 | 31 July 1918 @ 1115 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n C6473 | LVG reconnaissance plane | Driven down out of control | Merville Merville Merville is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Merville, in the Haute-Garonne département* Merville, in the Nord département* Merville-Franceville-Plage, in the Calvados département... |
|
| 5 | 15 September 1918 @ 1720 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n C6473 | Albatros reconnaissance plane | Destroyed | West of Macquart | Victory shared with Ernest Davies Ernest Davies (aviator) Captain Ernest Edgar Davies was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories, two of which were shared with Eric Douglas Cummings.-References:... |
| 6 | 14 October 1918 @ 1010 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n C6473 | Fokker D.VII Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft... |
Destroyed | West of Cysoing Cysoing Cysoing is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is southeast of Lille.-Heraldry:-References:*... |
|
| 7 | 14 October 1918 @ 1015 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n C6473 | Fokker D.VII | Driven down out of control | East of Gruson Gruson -References:*... |
|
| 8 | 14 October 1918 @ 1020 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n C6473 | Fokker D.VII | Driven down out of control | Hertain | |
| 9 | 1 November 1918 @ 1415 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n C6473 | LVG LVG Luftverkehrsgesellschaft m.b.H. was a German aircraft manufacturer based in Berlin-Johannisthal, which began constructing aircraft in 1912, building Farman-type aircraft. The company constructed many reconnaissance and light bomber biplanes during World War I.The raid on London in 1916 was... reconnaissance plane |
Driven down out of control | Antoing Antoing Antoing is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Hainaut. It consists of the former municipalities of Antoing, Maubray, Péronnes-lez-Antoing, Bruyelle, Calonne and Fontenoy.-History:... |
Victory shared with Ernest Davies |
Post World War I
Cummings returned to Australia after the war; on 28 August 1919, he flew an aerobatic exhibition in a Sopwith PupSopwith Pup
The Sopwith Pup was a British single seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characteristics and good maneuverability, the aircraft proved very...
over downtown Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, including eight loops. The exhibition was a public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
stunt to draw a crowd to subscribe to a Peace Loan of 750,000 Pounds to care for military veterans. After his departure from Hobart, he barnstormed locally for the Peace Loan, despite engine trouble after departing Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
for Longford
Longford, Tasmania
Longford is a town in the north-east of Tasmania, Australia. It lies 175 m above sea level at the convergence of the Macquarie River and the South Esk River, 21 km south of Launceston. It is just south of the Illawarra Road, a road connecting the Bass and Midland Highways. It has a...
and Devonport
Devonport, Tasmania
-Sport:The Devonport Football Club is an Australian Rules team competing in the Tasmanian Statewide League. The Devonport Rugby Club is a Rugby Union team competing in the Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide League...
on 9 September 1919.
On 11 February 1920, Cummings was invested with the Distinguished Flying Cross by General William Birdwood
William Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood
Field Marshal William Riddell Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood, GCB, GCSI, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, CIE, DSO was a First World War British general who is best known as the commander of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915.- Youth and early career :Birdwood was born...
in Cummings' home town of Franklin.
On 7 June 1923, Cummings was granted a short service commission in the Royal Air Force as a Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
.
On 7 June 1928, he was transferred to Class A Reserve of the Royal Air Force; he would remain in the reserves in various capacities until World War II.
While Cummings was a reservist
Reservist
A reservist is a person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military. Reservists usually go for training on an annual basis to refresh their skills. This person is usually a former active-duty member of the armed...
, he was promoted to Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
on 4 February 1931.
Also during this time, on 27 April 1932, he was elected to membership in the Royal Aero Club
Royal Aero Club
The Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...
.
World War II
Cummings returned to active service for World War II. On 7 June 1940, he was promoted to temporary Squadron LeaderSquadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
. On 1 March 1942, Cummings was promoted to temporary Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
. Nothing is known of him past this date.