RFC WWI. British flying ace Arthur Rhys-Davids.

Arthur Percival Foley Rhys-Davids DSO, MC & Bar (26 September 1897 – 27 October 1917)

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, 1917 and was assigned to No. 56 Squadron RFC on 7 March 1917.

Lieut. A. P. F. Rhys Davids, DSO, MC drawn by William Orpen, October 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 where ever 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.

In spring 1911 he was enrolled at Eton College as a King's Scholar. Despite poor health—he was asthmatic and had other unspecified maladies—he took part in football, cricket, the Eton Wall Game, and the Eton Field Game. He was also an accomplished rugby player despite bouts of poor health and stammer, which returned and worsened. Rhys-Davids excelled at Classics—Ancient Greek and Latin. In July 1913 Rhys-Davids won his Division or Class, beating his nearest rival by 53 marks. In Eton terms, he was now considered a specialist. On 12 December 1915 he was nominated for the Newcastle (Domus Exhibition) Scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford, and by 1916 was named Captain of the School. He was also inducted into the Eton Debating Society. As a person of consequence he was mentioned in The Eton Chronicle—the school's newspaper. On 7 April 1916 it was announced that Rhys-Davids had won the Newcastle scholarship. At this point, Rhys-Davids gave the first indication he was interested in becoming a pilot and joining the Royal Flying Corps (RFC).