Arthur Rhys Davids
| Arthur Percival Foley Rhys-Davids | |
|---|---|
Lieut. A. P. F. Rhys Davids, DSO, MC drawn by William Orpen, October 1917
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| Born |
26 September 1897 Forest Hill, London, England |
| Died | 27 October 1917 (aged 20) Roeselare, West Flanders, Belgium |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | British Army |
| Years of service | 1916–1917 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | No. 56 Squadron RFC |
| Battles/wars | First World War |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Order Military Cross & Bar |
Arthur Percival Foley Rhys-Davids DSO, MC & Bar (26 September 1897 – 27 October 1917) was a British flying ace during the First World War.
Rhys-Davids was born in 1897 to an affluent family. His father was a professional academic and his mother a prolific author, which afforded the young Rhys-Davids thorough schooling. He showed considerable potential in all subjects and was an excellent student. At the age of 14 Rhys-Davids attended Eton College. He gained his School Certificate in July 1913 with higher marks than any other student. In 1914 war had broken out and in mid-1916 Rhys-Davids applied for a commission in the Royal Flying Corps. On 28 August 1916 he reported for training. Rhys-Davids completed his training in the spring of 1917 and was assigned to No. 56 Squadron RFC on 7 March 1917.
Rhys-Davids gained his first victory on 23 May 1917 and began a steady run of success. Only two days later he gained his fifth air victory and became an ace. It was during the Third Battle of Ypres (July–November 1917) that Rhys-Davids scored the majority of his successes, gaining 22 more victories by the time of his death. On 23 September Rhys-Davids shot down two German aces in the same fight: Carl Menckhoff (39 victories) and Werner Voss (48 victories). Voss was killed in the battle. By 11 October 1917, Rhys-Davids had shot down five more enemy aircraft for an official total of 27 aerial victories – 23 of them individual kills.
Rhys-Davids had earned a reputation as a "fighter", and pursued enemy aircraft wherever and whenever he spotted them. On 27 October 1917 he pursued a group of German aircraft over Roeselare, Belgium. He was never seen or heard from again. Post-war analysis suggests Rhys-Davids may have been shot down by German ace Karl Gallwitz. Despite disappearing less than five miles from the crash site of Werner Voss, shot down by Rhys-Davids one month earlier, his remains have never been found.
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