Arthur Noss
Encyclopedia
Second lieutenant Arthur Rex Hurden Noss was a British World War I flying ace
credited with nine aerial victories. He won a Military Cross as Keith Park
's gunner, and was killed in a flying accident shortly thereafter.
. His birth was registered in the first quarter of 1897 in Edmonton
, Essex, indicating he was born in late 1896 or early 1897. He was educated at Herne Bay
, winning eight athletic prizes in his final year.
(regimental number 625052) in the Honourable Artillery Company
. He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps
.
On 4 April 1917, Noss was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant
on probation. Noss was on the General List of the Royal Flying Corps
when he was appointed as a Flying Officer (Observer)
on 20 June 1917. His seniority date of appointment was set at 16 May 1917, indicating he began actual duties as an observer/gunner then.
Noss was assigned to 48 Squadron as an observer/gunner in two-seated fighters in March 1917. He scored his first aerial victory on 27 May 1917, and would score one more before pairing up with Keith Park
. On 19 July, this aircrew suffered through a magneto failure and a crashlanding that injured Noss. On 2 August 1917, Flight magazine reported Noss had been wounded.
Noss and Park would go on to score seven victories in August 1917, with an outstanding performance on the 17th. That was the day that Park went to the rescue of a Sopwith Camel
being attacked by three German Albatros D.III
s. In the process of driving the three Germans away, Noss and Park were assailed by two more of the enemy. Noss fired at the attacking pair; when they overran his fighter, Park took his turn and shot them both down. At that point, another trio of Germans attacked; Noss spun one of them out with machine gun fire. Park chased after the falling German; still another three Germans attacked, but they also overran the British crew. Park then saw a second Sopwith Camel under attack from a German, and pumped 100 rounds of machine gun ammunition into the German from 50 yards range. The German spun out, for the British crew's fourth win of the day. They would win the Military Cross for this action; its award was announced 4 October 1917.
Second Lieutenant Arthur Rex Noss was injured in a crash on 15 September 1917, died that evening or the following day, and is buried in plot I. E. 1, Zuydcoote Military Cemetery, Nord, France.
On 4 October 1917, Flight reported that Noss had won the Military Cross and died of wounds.
Noss's Military Cross would not be gazetted until 9 January 1918:
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. He won a Military Cross as Keith Park
Keith Park
Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park GCB, KBE, MC & Bar, DFC, RAF was a New Zealand soldier, First World War flying ace and Second World War Royal Air Force commander...
's gunner, and was killed in a flying accident shortly thereafter.
Early life
Arthur Rex Hurden Noss was the sole child of Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Noss of Crouch EndCrouch End
Crouch End is an area of north London, in the London Borough of Haringey.- Location :Crouch End is in a valley between Harringay to the east, Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green to the north, Finsbury Park and Archway to the south and Highgate to the west...
. His birth was registered in the first quarter of 1897 in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Essex, indicating he was born in late 1896 or early 1897. He was educated at Herne Bay
Herne Bay
Herne Bay may refer to one of several places:*Herne Bay, Kent, England*Herne Bay, New Zealand*Riverwood, New South Wales, Australia...
, winning eight athletic prizes in his final year.
World War I
Noss began his military service as a gunnerGunner (rank)
Gunner is a rank equivalent to Private in the British Army Royal Artillery and the artillery corps of other Commonwealth armies. The next highest rank is usually Lance-Bombardier, although in the Royal Canadian Artillery it is Bombardier....
(regimental number 625052) in the Honourable Artillery Company
Honourable Artillery Company
The Honourable Artillery Company was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII. Today it is a Registered Charity whose purpose is to attend to the “better defence of the realm"...
. He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
.
On 4 April 1917, Noss was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
on probation. Noss was on the General List of the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
when he was appointed as a Flying Officer (Observer)
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 20 June 1917. His seniority date of appointment was set at 16 May 1917, indicating he began actual duties as an observer/gunner then.
Noss was assigned to 48 Squadron as an observer/gunner in two-seated fighters in March 1917. He scored his first aerial victory on 27 May 1917, and would score one more before pairing up with Keith Park
Keith Park
Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park GCB, KBE, MC & Bar, DFC, RAF was a New Zealand soldier, First World War flying ace and Second World War Royal Air Force commander...
. On 19 July, this aircrew suffered through a magneto failure and a crashlanding that injured Noss. On 2 August 1917, Flight magazine reported Noss had been wounded.
Noss and Park would go on to score seven victories in August 1917, with an outstanding performance on the 17th. That was the day that Park went to the rescue of a Sopwith Camel
Sopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult...
being attacked by three German Albatros D.III
Albatros D.III
The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service and the Austro-Hungarian Air Service during World War I. The D.III was flown by many top German aces, including Manfred von Richthofen, Ernst Udet, Erich Löwenhardt, Kurt Wolff, and Karl Emil Schäfer...
s. In the process of driving the three Germans away, Noss and Park were assailed by two more of the enemy. Noss fired at the attacking pair; when they overran his fighter, Park took his turn and shot them both down. At that point, another trio of Germans attacked; Noss spun one of them out with machine gun fire. Park chased after the falling German; still another three Germans attacked, but they also overran the British crew. Park then saw a second Sopwith Camel under attack from a German, and pumped 100 rounds of machine gun ammunition into the German from 50 yards range. The German spun out, for the British crew's fourth win of the day. They would win the Military Cross for this action; its award was announced 4 October 1917.
Second Lieutenant Arthur Rex Noss was injured in a crash on 15 September 1917, died that evening or the following day, and is buried in plot I. E. 1, Zuydcoote Military Cemetery, Nord, France.
On 4 October 1917, Flight reported that Noss had won the Military Cross and died of wounds.
Noss's Military Cross would not be gazetted until 9 January 1918:
List of aerial victories
See also Aerial victory standards of World War IAerial victory standards of World War I
During World War I, the national air services involved developed their own methods of assessing and assigning credit for aerial victories.The victory scores of the pilots represented at List of World War I flying aces often cannot be definitive, but are based on itemized lists that are the best...
| No. | Date/time | Aircraft | Foe | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 May 1917 @ 1945 hours | Bristol F.2 Fighter Bristol F.2 Fighter The Bristol F.2 Fighter was a British two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War flown by the Royal Flying Corps. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter or popularly the "Brisfit" or "Biff". Despite being a two-seater, the F.2B proved to be an agile aircraft... serial number A7117 |
Albatros D.III Albatros D.III The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service and the Austro-Hungarian Air Service during World War I. The D.III was flown by many top German aces, including Manfred von Richthofen, Ernst Udet, Erich Löwenhardt, Kurt Wolff, and Karl Emil Schäfer... |
Driven down out of control | Southeast of Douai Douai -Main sights:Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry was begun in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 m high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, some dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying... |
Noss's pilot was H. M. Frazer |
| 2 | 11 June 1917 @ 1100 hours | Bristol F.2 Fighter s/n A7137 | German two-seater airplane | Destroyed | Vitry Vitry Vitry is part of the name of several communes in France:* Vitry-aux-Loges, in the Loiret département* Vitry-en-Artois, in the Pas-de-Calais département* Vitry-en-Charollais, in the Saône-et-Loire département... |
Noss's pilot was H. Smithers |
| 3 | 12 August 1917 @ 1045 hours | Bristol F.2 Fighter s/n A7176 | Albatros D.III | Driven down out of control | South of Slype Slype The term slype is a variant of slip in the sense of a narrow passage; in architecture, the name for the covered passage usually found in monasteries or cathedrals between the transept and the chapter house, as at St Andrews, Winchester, Gloucester, Exeter and St. Albans.... |
Noss's pilot was Keith Park Keith Park Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park GCB, KBE, MC & Bar, DFC, RAF was a New Zealand soldier, First World War flying ace and Second World War Royal Air Force commander... |
| 4 | 16 August 1917 @ 1130 hours | Bristol F.2 Fighter s/n A7182 | DFW DFW DFW may refer to:*Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport*Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, a metropolitan area in north Texas*Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources*Division of Fisheries and Wildlife... reconnaissance plane |
Driven down out of control | Slype | Noss's pilot was Keith Park |
| 5 | 17 August 1917 @ 0655 hours | Bristol F.2 Fighter s/n A7182 | Albatros D.V Albatros D.V |-See also:-Bibliography:*Bennett, Leon. Gunning for the Red Baron. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 2006. ISBN 1-58544-507-X.... |
Driven down out of control | West of Slype | Noss's pilot was Keith Park |
| 6 | 17 August 1917 @ 0655 hours | Bristol F.2 Fighter s/n A7182 | Albatros D.V | Destroyed | West of Slype | Noss's pilot was Keith Park |
| 7 | 17 August 1917 @ 0715 hours | Bristol F.2 Fighter s/n A7182 | Albatros D.V | Driven down out of control | Off Slype | Noss's pilot was Keith Park |
| 8 | 17 August 1917 @ 0725 hours | Bristol F.2 Fighter s/n A7182 | Albatros D.V | Driven down out of control | Slype | Noss's pilot was Keith Park |
| 9 | 25 August 1917 @ 2000 hours | Bristol F.2 Fighter s/n A7213 | Albatros D.V | Set afire; destroyed | South of Slype | Noss's pilot was Keith Park |