James Bush

Lieutenant James Cromwell Bush (1 March 1891 – 7 October 1917) was a British World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.

Biography Bush was born in Salisbury, the eldest son of the Reverend Herbert Cromwell Bush, vicar of Seend, Wiltshire, and a grandson of General Reynell Taylor. He was a descendant of the regicide Oliver Cromwell. After attending Fritham and St. Edward's Schools, he spent some time in Ceylon and India. Sent to Gallipoli in 1915, Bush was of the few survivors of his battalion from Suvla Bay, and also the award of the Military Cross.

Bush was invalided home in late 1915. and sent to Egypt. and 18 December 1916 was commissioned into the Dorset Regiment with the rank of lieutenant. On 24 April 1917 Bush was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps.

He was posted to 22 Squadron as a pilot of a two-seater Bristol F.2 Fighter. For his first two victories on 12 August 1917, he teamed with Carleton Clement to set one Albatros D.V aflame and send another down out of control. He went to score four more triumphs, the final one coming on 2 October 1917 (For three-but not his final flight-his observer was Arch Whitehouse). Five days later, he and his observer fell under the guns of German ace Hans von Häbler. Initially reported missing, he was confirmed as dead by a message dropped from a German aircraft.