Arthur Rhys - Davids 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 Examination 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 . 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 . Early life . Family and Education . Rhys - Davids was born to Thomas William Rhys - Davids and Caroline Augusta Foley Rhys - Davids in Forest Hill , London . His father was of Welsh descent and his mother was English . Thomas Rhys - Davids was born in 1843 the son of a Congregational Minister . After schooling at Brighton he refused to be trained as a Solicitor and he enrolled at Breslau University to study Sanskrit in which he took a Ph . D . While there , he learned Pali and studied Buddhism . In 1864 he joined Ceylon Civil Service as acting secretary to the Governor . While acting as a Magistrate Rhys - Davids ruled in favour of a native over an Englishmen during a land - ownership dispute leading him to be ostracised by the British community on the island . In 1872 he left for England . In 1877 he passed the Bar examination but practised little law . In 1877 he joined the Middle Temple and four years later founded the Pali Text Society , translating Buddhist literature . In 1882 he was appointed Professor of Pali at University College London . It was there he met Caroline Augusta Foley . Caroline Augusta Foley was born in 1859 one of ten children of Reverend John Foley and Caroline Augusta Windham . Rhys - Davids Great Grand Father was Vice Admiral William Lukin who had assumed the name Windham in 1824 upon inheriting Felbrigg Hall . Caroline joined University College London and gained her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1886 . She was awarded a Master ' s Degree in 1889 and was elected a fellow in 1896 . While reading Economics Caroline was advised by her Professor to further her interests in Indian philosophy by studying Sanskrit and Pali . Upon contacting the language department she was assigned to Professor Rhys - Davids . They began a relationship which was formalised into marriage in 1894 . The couple had three children within the first three years ; Vivien Brynhilda Carloine Foley ( b . July 1895 – 1978 ) , Arthur Percival Foley ( b . 27 September 1897 ) and a second daughter , Nesta Foley ( 1900 – 1973 ) . Unlike most parents of the Victorian era , the parents of Rhys - Davids spent a great deal of their time with their children . The couple still employed a child minder named Minna , a German woman . The first words of Arthur and his sister were German and the children often used German phrases . Nevertheless , Rhys - Davids ' s parents continued to be busy academics . In 1905 his father became a Professor at the University of Manchester while his mother became a prolific author . As an infant Rhys - Davids caught a cold that turned into acute Bronchitus , which caused severe congestion of the lungs . After treatment — which involved a Bronchitis kettle and garngee jacket — he was cleared of danger . At the age of three Rhys - Davids started kindergarten at the " Manor Mount High School For Girls " in Forest Hill . During his early childhood he developed a stammer but by the age of eight it had all but disappeared . In 1905 he left Manor Mount High School sixth in his class before spending the summer in Switzerland by Lake Champex . On 27 September 1905 he joined " The Sale , Brooklands and Ashton - Upon - Mersey High School for Boys " . While there he developed interests in cricket , football , geography , the French language , and Latin . Excelling at school , his parents sent him to Doctor Summerfield ' s Preparatory School near Oxford . Rhys - Davids stayed there until September 1910 , when he completed the Scholarship examinations for Eton College . After two and one - half days of exams , Rhys - Davids was questioned by a formidable array of Eton notables . Rhys - Davids was duly elected as a " Colleger " — a term used for successful candidates which usually numbered 10 . There were two types of students , or Oppidans ( King ' s Scholar ) — fee - paying students numbering 1 , 000 — and " Collegers " . The distinction drawn between the two groups revolved around money and ability ; Oppidans viewed " Collegers " , financially poorer , as " unwashed saps , tugs and swots " , while " Collegers " regarded Oppidans as " Philistines " and " Hearties " . In the 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 , in particular the Greek language 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 ) . Royal Flying Corps . On 28 August 1916 Rhys - Davids reported to No . 2 School of Aeronautics at Oxford and billeted in Exeter College , Oxford . Rhys - Davids began flight training but did not enjoy life in the British Army and complained about the " coarse and uneducated company " . Rhys - Davids ' s time did not last long at Exeter , for he was transferred to the Central Flying School at Upavon Aerodrome for further training . One of his instructors there was Keith Muspratt . Muspratt was the same age as Rhys - Davids and had been educated at Selborne College in East London , South Africa . He had taken his Royal Aero Club certificate in his last year of school . A talented pilot the RFC recognised his ability and commissioned him as an instructor . Rhys - Davids became firm friends with Muspratt . Rhys - Davids completed basic training and had flown three hours solo at Netheravon . He graduated to operational types . He hoped to gain his flight certificates by Christmas 1916 , but that involved 25 hours solo flying , night landings , cross country , artillery observations , bomb dropping and aerial photography . At Upavon he flew Royal Aircraft Factory B . E . 2 s and Avro 504 s . By December 1916 he had completed his training and was flying without an instructor regularly . By late January 1917 Rhys - Davids was flying Sopwith Pup s almost exclusively . On 28 January he " looped " one for the first time . At the end of the month he was sent to Turnberry Airbase and Ayrshire for gunnery training . The course finished on 1 March 1917 and he was given leave . By 6 March he was back at Upavon awaiting a posting . On 7 March he received news he was to be posted to No . 56 Squadron RFC . The Squadron boasted the most famous ace in the RFC — Captain Albert Ball , a fighter pilot with 30 air victories . The Squadron had also re - equipped with the S . E . 5 , considered one of the most successful designs of the First World War . On 7 April 1917 , Rhys - Davids left for France . War Service . From beginner to Ace . Rhys - Davids ' beginning as a fighter pilot was inauspicious . He misjudged a landing and totally wrecked his SE5 " A4847 " when it overturned on landing and broke its fuselage in two . Rhys - Davids sprained his back . Lacking an aircraft he was effectively grounded for a month . After a brief test on the 2 May 1917 in " A4868 " Rhys - Davids flew his first combat mission the following morning escorting Martinsyde G . 100 bombers from 27 Squadron . On 7 May Rhys - Davids took part in a disastrous sortie . The day was cloudy with thick layers of cumulus between 2 , 000 and 10 , 000 feet . Rhys - Davids ' s flight kept just below the cloud to avoid attack and headed towards Cambrai . Eleven Royal Aircraft Factory SE5s of 56 Squadron ran into the experienced German airmen of Jasta 11 of the Flying Circus . One of the Squadron 56 flight commanders , famous ace Albert Ball ( 44 victories ) , was killed when he likely flew into the ground after becoming disorientated in low - lying cloud . Three other British pilots were shot down — including Rhys - Davids . Rhys - Davids came under attack from an Albatros D . V which was painted red , with a green band behind the cockpit . The pilot was Kurt Wolff , a very experienced pilot and ace with 20 victories . Rhys - Davids was unaware he was under attack until he saw Wolff ' s tracers pass his aircraft . He evaded Wolff ' s initial attack and a duel for position followed . Rhys - Davids ' s guns jammed but he managed to get up to Wolff ' s height and took evasive action . But he had taken hits to the wing , undercarriage and engine . He kept cool and continued turning denying the German an easy shot . As Rhys - Davids was deciding just how best to escape his hazardous position , Wolff abandoned the fight and headed for Douai . Rhys - Davids headed for British lines his engine streaming water . West of Arras his engine finally seized up . He attempted to glide to Belle Vue but had insufficient height and force landed near La Herliere . The reason for Wolff ' s decision to break off combat is unknown . He may have run out of ammunition or perhaps was low on fuel . More bad luck followed as " A4868 " seemed plagued with engine trouble and he was forced to crash - land again on 18 May . On 20 May he flew a bomber escort mission and fought off an interception by German fighters when they saw the presence of the British fighters . On 23 May , Rhys - Davids gained his first victory , shooting down an Albatros D . III fighter down out of control . On 24 May he scored three victories in an hour . One day later , he shot down another for his fifth victory and became a flying ace . The second to fifth victories were against enemy observer aircraft ; Rhys - Davids repeated the tactics of diving and eliminating the gunner before bringing down the aircraft . In late May No . 56 Squadron moved to Saint - Omer . On 26 May he destroyed another Albatross followed by another on 4 and 7 June , the former date being the first day of the seven - day battle for Messines . On 5 June 1917 , after his sixth triumph , he received a telegram informing him that along with Captain Cyril M . Crowe and Second Lieutenant Reginald Hoidge he had been awarded the Military Cross ( MC ) . During the last battle Rhys - Davids ' s SE5 , A4563 , had its propeller damaged and its right top wing ' s main spar was shattered by ground fire . In June Rhys - Davids returned to England to take part in Home Defence duties . He returned to France in late June . On 12 July Rhys - Davids bounced and shot down an enemy scout then followed it up with a DFW CV which crash - landed . Its crew — Eugen Mann and Albert Hahnel — were taken prisoner . Hahnel was badly wounded . Rhys - Davids followed this success with victories against Albatros ' on the 13 , 17 and 21 July 1917 . The beginning of the Third Ypres Campaign on 31 July provided Rhys - Davids with the opportunity to increase his successes . On 3 September , he destroyed an Albatros D . V . On the 5th , he shot down two more D . Vs and drove another one out of the battle claiming it out of control , all within 45 minutes . On 9 September he scored again , downing two more Albatross ' whilst dispatching another on 14 September . A famous dogfight . On 23 September , Rhys - Davids was the victor in one of the most famous dogfights of the war . McCudden led the Squadron on a trip over the front lines at 9 , 000 feet . There were large numbers of aircraft , both British and German , in the air . McCudden dived on a German reconnaissance machine and shot it down . Re - grouping at 6 , 000 feet another German formation was spotted . McCudden was about to attack , but noticed ahead , an SE5 spinning down with a German fighter on its tail . The SE5 , from No . 609 Squadron RFC , was piloted by a Lieutenant Harold A . Hamersley . His aircraft mortally wounded , he spun downwards hoping to throw the German off and get closer to the ground . The German stayed behind , firing all the way . A fellow member of 609 , Chidlaw - Roberts , attempted to assist , but was shot up by the German Fokker F . I pilot and retired from the fray . Squadron leader Caldwell , 609 , saw the approaching SE5s of 56 Squadron . Believing odds of seven - to - one to be good odds , he " left them ( the SE5 ' s ) to it " . McCudden and Rhys - Davids attacked from the left and right and soon the German was in the midst of six British machines . McCudden explained ; . . . the German triplane was in the middle of our formation , and its handling was wonderful to be hold . The pilot seemed to be firing at us all simultaneously , and although I got behind him a second time , I could hardly stay there for a second . His movements were so quick and uncertain . . . Rhys - Davids , James McCudden , Geoffrey Hilton Bowman , Richard Maybery , Keith Muspratt , and Verschoyle Cronyn were all now engaged in battle with the tenacious German , who made no attempt to escape . He fired on and hit McCudden in the wing , and forced Muspratt and Cronyn out of the battle with hits to their engines . C Flight arrived led by Reginald Hoidge as another German fighter , a red - nosed Albatross , arrived to assist the besieged Triplane . Hoidge and Maybery attempted to attack the Triplane but were unsuccessful , as was a counter - move by the Germans which was broken up by McCudden and Rhys - Davids . As Rhys - Davids attacked the Fokker the Albatros engaged him from astern . Maybery forced it to disengage . The Triplane was now alone in the fight . The German repeatedly evaded the British fighters ' attacks . Eventually he made a flat turn enabling Rhys - Davids to get onto his tail . Bowman believed the German was momentarily distracted intent on attacking himself , otherwise doubting Rhys - Davids ' ability to get onto the Fokker ' s tail so easily . With his propeller " boss almost on the rudder " Rhys - Davids fired . The Fokker dived , level and straight for the first time , toward German lines . Rhys - Davids remained behind and then turned away . As Rhys - Davids turned away the German made a fatal error . He turned with the Englishman and brought his machine back into Rhys - Davids ' path . Rhys - Davids fired an entire drum of ammunition at the German and broke off to avoid a collision . Climbing , Rhys - Davids saw the German machine , its engine off heading west . Rhys - Davids made several more attacks with the Fokker going down in a shallow right - hand turn . McCudden saw the machine crash ; he was very low . . . still being engaged by an SE . . . the pilot being Rhys - Davids . I noticed the triplane ' s movements were very erratic . . . I saw him go into a steep dive . . . and then saw the triplane hit the ground and disappear into a thousand fragments . < br > As long as I live I shall never forget my admiration for that German pilot , who single - handed fought seven of us for ten minutes and also put some bullets through all our machines . His flying was wonderful , his courage magnificent , and in my opinion he was the bravest German airman whom it has been my privilege to see fight . While McCudden watched the Triplane crash , Rhys - Davids spotted the Albatross and dispatched it , firing from 100 to 30 yards severely damaging the machine , belonging to Karl Menckhoff , which force - landed . Rhys - Davids then returned to base at 18 : 35 – 18 : 40 . That evening there was much speculation about the identity of the German pilot . The Germans soon announced that an ace pilot named Werner Voss had not returned from a sortie and was posted as missing in action . Rhys - Davids came in for a shower of congratualtions from the Squadron upon learning the identity of his victory . Rhys - Davids was less sanguine . He lamented to McCudden ; " if only I could have brought him down alive " . Final flight . During the next three weeks , Rhys - Davids would gain five more victories , his last on 11 October 1917 . On 1 October 1917 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order . It was announced in the " London Gazette " on the 18 March 1918 ; 2nd Lt . Arthur Percival Foley Rhys Davids , M . C . , R . F . C . , Spec Res . For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in bringing down nine enemy aircraft in nine weeks . He is a magnificent fighter , never failing to locate enemy aircraft and invariably attacking regardless of the numbers against him . The same day Rhys - Davids was selected by Hugh Trenchard and Maurice Baring to have his portrait sketched by artist William Orpen . Orpen remembered " he hated fighting , hated flying , loved books and was terribly anxious for the war to be over , so that he could get to Oxford " . His final tally was 27 enemy aircraft ; one shot down in flames , one ' destroyed in flames ' , one ' driven down ' , two ' forced to land ' , 15 ' out of control ' and seven destroyed . His fighting spirit won admiration from his commanding officer James McCudden ; If one was over the salient in the autumn of 1917 and saw an SE5 fighting like hell amidst a heap of huns , one would find nine times out of ten the SE5 was flown by Rhys - Davids . On 27 October 1917 Rhys - Davids was promoted to lieutenant , backdated to the 1 September 1917 . That same day he took off on a routine patrol and was last seen flying east of Roeselare chasing a group of German Albatros fighters . The " Luftstreitkräfte " ( German Air Service ) credited Karl Gallwitz with shooting him down . It was not until the 29 December 1917 that a report came through that a German aircraft had dropped a note to inform the RFC of Rhys - Davids ' s death . In March 1920 Rhys - Davids ' s mother presented the rudder from the plane of Werner Voss — the ace shot down by Rhys - Davids a month before his own death — to the Imperial War Museum . It had been brought back from France by Gerald Maxwell in July 1918 . In October 1920 the Secretary of the War Office secured the effects of Rhys - Davids from Germany through diplomatic channels . Rhys - Davids has no known grave but his name is engraved on the Air Services Memorial at Arras , France .