Douglas Arthur Davies
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Douglas Arthur Davies was a World War I flying ace
credited with 10 aerial victories.
in the Wiltshire Regiment
. On 20 November 1917, he was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps
as a lieutenant
and a Flying Officer
.
By mid-1918, Davies was posted to 150 Squadron in Salonika as a Sopwith Camel
pilot. He scored his first aerial victories on 12 June 1918, when he set one Albatros D.V
afire and destroyed another. His second successful day saw him become an ace, as he destroyed two more Albatros D.Vs in one dogfight on 17 July, then drove another down out of control an hour and a half later. Six days later, he teamed with John Preston to destroy another. On 8 August, he drove down two enemy fighters out of control. Ten days later, he rounded off his victory string by driving down another pair of Albatros D.Vs out of control.
He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for his prowess. It was announced in The London Gazette on 2 November 1918:
On 30 September 1921, he surrendered his commission in his regiment.
In May 1923, his engagement to Muriel Wilson was posted in Flight magazine.
On 26 January 1937, he was commissioned as a Pilot Officer
(Class BB) in the RAF Reserve.
, dating from 28 September 1940. On 1 January 1944, he was promoted to Squadron Leader
in the Administration & Special Duties Branch of RAF.
. On 1 January 1948, he surrendered his war substantive rank of Squadron Leader in the RAF Volunteer Reserve while retaining the rank of Flight Lieutenant. On 10 February 1954, Flight Lieutenant Davies relinguished his commission in RAF Volunteer Reserve, retaining the rank of Wing Commander.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/video/0qQSjlSdQyc-wwi-battle-in-air-interview.aspx for a video interview with Robert Dodds recounting his aerial combats
----
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 10 aerial victories.
Early life
Douglas Arthur Davies was born on 12 January 1896. He was the first-born son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Davies. His birthplace was Harrow, England.World War I
On 17 October 1915, he was commissioned second lieutenantSecond 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...
in the Wiltshire Regiment
Wiltshire Regiment
The Wiltshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 62nd Regiment of Foot and the 99th Duke of Edinburgh's Regiment of Foot....
. On 20 November 1917, he was seconded 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...
as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
and a Flying Officer
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...
.
By mid-1918, Davies was posted to 150 Squadron in Salonika as 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...
pilot. He scored his first aerial victories on 12 June 1918, when he set one 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....
afire and destroyed another. His second successful day saw him become an ace, as he destroyed two more Albatros D.Vs in one dogfight on 17 July, then drove another down out of control an hour and a half later. Six days later, he teamed with John Preston to destroy another. On 8 August, he drove down two enemy fighters out of control. Ten days later, he rounded off his victory string by driving down another pair of Albatros D.Vs out of control.
He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for his prowess. It was announced in The London Gazette on 2 November 1918:
Between the World Wars
On 10 October 1919, Davies was awarded the French Croix de guerre avec Palme. On 17 December 1919, he transferred to the Royal Air Force's unemployed list.On 30 September 1921, he surrendered his commission in his regiment.
In May 1923, his engagement to Muriel Wilson was posted in Flight magazine.
On 26 January 1937, he was commissioned as a Pilot Officer
Pilot Officer
Pilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
(Class BB) in the RAF Reserve.
World War II
On 12 October 1940, Davies was confirmed in rank as a Pilot Officer. He later was granted the war substantive rank of Flight LieutenantFlight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
, dating from 28 September 1940. On 1 January 1944, he was promoted to Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
in the Administration & Special Duties Branch of RAF.
Post World War II
On 1 November 1947, Davies relinquished his commission as a flight lieutenant in the Royal Air Force Volunteer ReserveRoyal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve consists of a number of groupings of individual military reservists for the management and operation of the Royal Air Force's Air Training Corps and CCF Air Cadet formations, Volunteer Gliding Squadrons , Air Experience Flights, and also to form the...
. On 1 January 1948, he surrendered his war substantive rank of Squadron Leader in the RAF Volunteer Reserve while retaining the rank of Flight Lieutenant. On 10 February 1954, Flight Lieutenant Davies relinguished his commission in RAF Volunteer Reserve, retaining the rank of Wing Commander.
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...
http://www.encyclopedia.com/video/0qQSjlSdQyc-wwi-battle-in-air-interview.aspx for a video interview with Robert Dodds recounting his aerial combats
List of aerial victories
All victories gained while posted to No. 150 Squadron based at Salonika, Greece.----
| No. | Date/time | Aircraft | Foe | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 June 1918 @ 0600 hours | 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... no. C1599 |
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.... |
Destroyed by fire | North of Guevgueli | |
| 2 | 12 June 1918 @ 0800 hours | Sopwith Camel no. C1599 | Albatros D.V | Destroyed | North of Guevgueli | |
| 3 | 17 July 1918 @ 0735 hours | Sopwith Camel no. C1599 | Albatros D.V | Destroyed | Hudova | |
| 4 | 17 July 1918 @ 0735 hours | Sopwith Camel no. C1599 | Albatros D.V | Destroyed | Hudova | |
| 5 | 17 July 1918 @ approx. 0900 hours | Sopwith Camel no. C1599 | Albatros D.V | Driven down out of control | Balinge | |
| 6 | 23 July 1918 @ 0730 hours | Sopwith Camel no. C1599 | Albatros D.V | Destroyed | Northeast of Boluntili | Shared with ace John Carbery Preston |
| 7 | 8 August 1918 @ approx. 0800 hours | Sopwith Camel no. C1599 | Enemy fighter plane | Driven down out of control | Piravo | |
| 8 | 8 August 1918 @ 0810 hours | Sopwith Camel no. C1599 | Enemy fighter | Driven down out of control | Boluntili | |
| 9 | 18 August 1918 @ 0745 hours | Sopwith Camel no. C1599 | Albatros D.V | Driven down out of control | North of Lake Doiran | |
| 10 | 18 August 1918 @ 0745 hours | Sopwith Camel no. C1599 | Albatros D.V | Driven down out of control | North of Lake Doiran | |