Frank Ormond Soden
Encyclopedia
Frank Ormond "Mongoose" Soden DFC
& Bar
(3 November 1895 – 12 February 1961) was a First World War flying ace
, officially credited with 27 victories. Though born in Canada, Soden moved to the United Kingdom as a child.
He served initially in the British Army
as an infantry officer, before joining the Royal Flying Corps
and transferring to the Royal Air Force
on its creation. He remained in the RAF following the war, and went on to serve in Iraq and also as an RAF Station
commander during the Second World War.
, Canada, but emigrated to England as a child in 1904. He was educated at Woodbridge School
.
His career in the armed forces began with the Inns of Court Regiment
Officer Training Corps, from which he was commissioned into the South Staffordshire Regiment
as second lieutenant
in 1914. He first entered a theatre of war on 14 July 1915. He was first attached to the Royal Flying Corps
in 1916, and officially transferred on 27 April 1917.
His career as a fighter ace began in No. 60 Squadron RFC, when flying a Nieuport 17
to claim an Albatros D.III
down 'out of control' on 25 June 1917. Beginning with his third victory on 17 September 1917, he was flying the new Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a. He was not credited with the destruction of an enemy aircraft until his fourth claim, on 20 September. He became an ace with the first of two victories the morning of 21 September 1917, sending down an Albatros DV out of control. In the afternoon, he was credited with the destruction of a second enemy craft, shared with two other 60 Squadron pilots. He was given command of a flight
on 5 December 1917, and given temporary promotion to captain
.
He accumulated victories at a steady pace, downing from one to four Germans per month through February 1918.
He achieved his most notable victory on 9 January 1918, over Max, Ritter von Müller
. Muller, whose victory tally was 36, had downed no fewer than five British aces. Accompanied by Captain Robert Chidlaw-Roberts, Soden set Muller's Albatros D.V
on fire in the air near Moorslede
, Belgium. Muller exited the flaming biplane and fell to his death.
On 5 February, Soden scored a double, bringing his total to 16. On 8 August he was a flight commander with No 41 Squadron, still flying the S.E.5a. He sent a Fokker D.VII
down in flames, and scored twice more in August. On 15 September, he singlehandedly shot down an observation balloon for his 20th kill.
In October 1918, he scored his greatest month. On the 8th he destroyed a DFW C. two-seater, and on the 10th he flamed a Fokker D.VII. On the 14th, he destroyed two more D.VIIs. On the 25th, he again shot down a balloon. On the 28th, he was responsible for the capture of a Fokker D.VII near Ooteghem, Belgium. His 27th and final victory came three days later, when he drove down another D.VII out of control.
Soden's final tally included 13 German aircraft put down 'out of control', 11 destroyed, 2 observation balloons destroyed single-handed, and a Fokker D.VII captured. At least 19 of his victories were over German fighters. However, nine of his triumphs were shared with other pilots from his squadron.
He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
on 8 February 1919, the citation read:
The main part of the war over, in 1919 Soden volunteered to join the British expedition to Murmansk
, part of Allied efforts to support White Russian
forces.
after the war (he had been granted a regular commission as a captain on 1 August 1919). His first role was in the Waziristan Campaign
. He then joined RAF Iraq Command
, serving in Kurdistan (northern Iraq). For his services there he was awarded a Bar
to his DFC on 19 December 1922, he now held the rank of flight lieutenant
.
Soden was promoted squadron leader
on 12 December 1928, he then took command of No. 111 (Fighter) Squadron
at RAF Hornchurch
. In 1929 he was sent to the British Mandate of Palestine to command No. 14 (Bomber) Squadron
and subsequently served on the staff at the RAF headquarters in Jerusalem. He returned to the UK in 1934 to take command of No. 65 Squadron
which reformed on 1 August at Hornchurch. He was promoted wing commander
on 1 July 1935, and group captain on 1 April 1939. During this period he had also commanded No. 7 (Bomber) Squadron
and No. 3 Armament Training Camp at RAF Sutton Bridge
.
During the Second World War, he was initially station commander at RAF Upper Heyford
before taking command of one of RAF Fighter Command
's most important airfields, RAF Biggin Hill. He served in this command from December 1940 to June 1941. He later served in the Middle East
, as airfield commander at RAF Castel Benito
, and commanding Operational Training Units.
Soden retired from the RAF on 21 May 1945, and emigrated to Kenya. There, in 1953, during the Mau Mau Uprising
he saw off an attempt by 20 armed Mau Mau to raid his house near Timau. He was later involved in trying to evacuate refugees from Congo
in light aircraft, and was held by Congolese forces for a while.
He died in hospital in London, on 12 February 1961. A memorial service was held at St Clement Danes
, the RAF church, on 15 March 1961.
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
& Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
(3 November 1895 – 12 February 1961) was a First World War flying ace
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...
, officially credited with 27 victories. Though born in Canada, Soden moved to the United Kingdom as a child.
He served initially in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
as an infantry officer, before joining 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...
and transferring to the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
on its creation. He remained in the RAF following the war, and went on to serve in Iraq and also as an RAF Station
RAF station
A Royal Air Force station is a permanent Royal Air Force operations location. Many RAF stations are aerodromes, or airbases, being the home to one or more flying squadrons. Other RAF stations are training units, administrative units, headquarters , or carry out ground-based operational tasks...
commander during the Second World War.
Early life and World War I service
Soden was born in Petitcodiac, New BrunswickPetitcodiac, New Brunswick
Petitcodiac is a Canadian village in Westmorland County, New Brunswick.It is named after the Petitcodiac River, which begins in the village at the junction of the North and Anagance rivers...
, Canada, but emigrated to England as a child in 1904. He was educated at Woodbridge School
Woodbridge School
Woodbridge School is an independent school in Woodbridge, Suffolk, England, founded in 1577, for the poor of Woodbridge. It was later supported by the Seckford Scheme.Woodbridge School has been co-educational since 1975.-History:...
.
His career in the armed forces began with the Inns of Court Regiment
Inns of Court Regiment
The Inns of Court Regiment was a British Army regiment which existed under that name between May 1932 and May 1961. However, the unit traces its lineage back much further, to at least 1584, and its name lives on within The Inns of Court & City and Essex Yeomanry .-History:The first organised...
Officer Training Corps, from which he was commissioned into the South Staffordshire Regiment
South Staffordshire Regiment
The South Staffordshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 38th Regiment of Foot and the 80th Regiment of Foot. In 1959 the regiment was amlagamated with the North Staffordshire Regiment to form the Staffordshire Regiment...
as 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...
in 1914. He first entered a theatre of war on 14 July 1915. He was first attached 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...
in 1916, and officially transferred on 27 April 1917.
His career as a fighter ace began in No. 60 Squadron RFC, when flying a Nieuport 17
Nieuport 17
|-Specifications :-See also:-Bibliography:* Bruce, Jack. "Those Classic Nieuports". Air Enthusiast Quarterly. Number Two, 1976. Bromley, UK:Pilot Press. pp. 137–153....
to claim an 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...
down 'out of control' on 25 June 1917. Beginning with his third victory on 17 September 1917, he was flying the new Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a. He was not credited with the destruction of an enemy aircraft until his fourth claim, on 20 September. He became an ace with the first of two victories the morning of 21 September 1917, sending down an Albatros DV out of control. In the afternoon, he was credited with the destruction of a second enemy craft, shared with two other 60 Squadron pilots. He was given command of a flight
Flight (military unit)
A flight is a military unit in an air force, naval air service, or army air corps. It usually comprises three to six aircraft, with their aircrews and ground staff; or, in the case of a non-flying ground flight, no aircraft and a roughly equivalent number of support personnel. In most usages,...
on 5 December 1917, and given temporary promotion to captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
.
He accumulated victories at a steady pace, downing from one to four Germans per month through February 1918.
He achieved his most notable victory on 9 January 1918, over Max, Ritter von Müller
Max Müller (pilot)
Max Ritter von Müller Orden Pour le Mérite, Iron Cross, Military Order of Max Joseph was a German World War I fighter ace credited with 36 victories...
. Muller, whose victory tally was 36, had downed no fewer than five British aces. Accompanied by Captain Robert Chidlaw-Roberts, Soden set Muller's 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....
on fire in the air near Moorslede
Moorslede
Moorslede is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Dadizele and Moorslede proper. On 1 January 2006, Moorslede had a total population of 10,618...
, Belgium. Muller exited the flaming biplane and fell to his death.
On 5 February, Soden scored a double, bringing his total to 16. On 8 August he was a flight commander with No 41 Squadron, still flying the S.E.5a. He sent a Fokker D.VII
Fokker D.VII
The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft...
down in flames, and scored twice more in August. On 15 September, he singlehandedly shot down an observation balloon for his 20th kill.
In October 1918, he scored his greatest month. On the 8th he destroyed a DFW C. two-seater, and on the 10th he flamed a Fokker D.VII. On the 14th, he destroyed two more D.VIIs. On the 25th, he again shot down a balloon. On the 28th, he was responsible for the capture of a Fokker D.VII near Ooteghem, Belgium. His 27th and final victory came three days later, when he drove down another D.VII out of control.
Soden's final tally included 13 German aircraft put down 'out of control', 11 destroyed, 2 observation balloons destroyed single-handed, and a Fokker D.VII captured. At least 19 of his victories were over German fighters. However, nine of his triumphs were shared with other pilots from his squadron.
He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
on 8 February 1919, the citation read:
The main part of the war over, in 1919 Soden volunteered to join the British expedition to Murmansk
Allied Intervention in the Russian Civil War
The Allied intervention was a multi-national military expedition launched in 1918 during World War I which continued into the Russian Civil War. Its operations included forces from 14 nations and were conducted over a vast territory...
, part of Allied efforts to support White Russian
White movement
The White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...
forces.
Post World War I life
Soden remained in the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
after the war (he had been granted a regular commission as a captain on 1 August 1919). His first role was in the Waziristan Campaign
Waziristan campaign 1919–1920
The Waziristan campaign 1919–1920 was a military campaign conducted in Waziristan by British and Indian forces against the fiercely independent tribesmen that inhabited this region...
. He then joined RAF Iraq Command
RAF Iraq Command
Iraq Command was the RAF commanded inter-service command in charge of British forces in Iraq in the 1920s and early 1930s, during the period of the British Mandate of Mesopotamia. It continued as British Forces in Iraq until 1941 when it was replaced by AHQ Iraq...
, serving in Kurdistan (northern Iraq). For his services there he was awarded a Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
to his DFC on 19 December 1922, he now held the rank of flight lieutenant
Flight 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"...
.
Soden was promoted 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...
on 12 December 1928, he then took command of No. 111 (Fighter) Squadron
No. 111 Squadron RAF
No. 111 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operated the Panavia Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland until March 2011, when the squadron was disbanded, ending the Tornado F3's RAF service.-In World War I:...
at RAF Hornchurch
RAF Hornchurch
RAF Hornchurch was an airfield in the south of Hornchurch in what is now the London Borough of Havering. Known as Sutton's Farm during the First World War, it occupied of the farm of the same name and was situated east north-east of Charing Cross...
. In 1929 he was sent to the British Mandate of Palestine to command No. 14 (Bomber) Squadron
No. 14 Squadron RAF
No. 14 Squadron of the Royal Air Force currently operates the Beechcraft Shadow R1 in the ISTAR role from RAF Waddington.-World War I:...
and subsequently served on the staff at the RAF headquarters in Jerusalem. He returned to the UK in 1934 to take command of No. 65 Squadron
No. 65 Squadron RAF
No. 65 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force.-World War I:The squadron was first formed at Wyton on 1 August 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps with a core provided from the training ground at Norwich. By the end of World War I, it had claimed over 200 victories...
which reformed on 1 August at Hornchurch. He was promoted wing commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
on 1 July 1935, and group captain on 1 April 1939. During this period he had also commanded No. 7 (Bomber) Squadron
No. 7 Squadron RAF
No. 7 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Boeing Chinook HC.2 from RAF Odiham, Hampshire.-Formation and early years:No. 7 Squadron was formed at Farnborough Airfield on 1 May 1914 as the last squadron of the RFC to be formed before the First World War, but has been disbanded and reformed...
and No. 3 Armament Training Camp at RAF Sutton Bridge
RAF Sutton Bridge
RAF Sutton Bridge is a former RAF airfield found next to the village of Sutton Bridge in the south-east of Lincolnshire. The airfield was to the south of the current A17, and east of the River Nene, next to Walpole in Norfolk.-History:...
.
During the Second World War, he was initially station commander at RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. The base was brought into use for flying in July 1918 by the Royal Flying Corps. During World War II it was used by many units of the RAF, mainly as a training...
before taking command of one of RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
's most important airfields, RAF Biggin Hill. He served in this command from December 1940 to June 1941. He later served in the Middle East
Middle East Theatre of World War II
The Middle East Theatre of World War II is defined largely by reference to the British Middle East Command, which controlled Allied forces in both Southwest Asia and eastern North Africa...
, as airfield commander at RAF Castel Benito
RAF Castel Benito
RAF Castel Benito was a Royal Air Force station near Tripoli in Libya between 1943 and 1966.-History:Originally a Regia Aeronautica airfield where later the first units of Italian parachutists were trained and formed shortly before the Second World War. The first Italian Military Parachute...
, and commanding Operational Training Units.
Soden retired from the RAF on 21 May 1945, and emigrated to Kenya. There, in 1953, during the Mau Mau Uprising
Mau Mau Uprising
The Mau Mau Uprising was a military conflict that took place in Kenya between 1952 and 1960...
he saw off an attempt by 20 armed Mau Mau to raid his house near Timau. He was later involved in trying to evacuate refugees from Congo
Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville)
The Republic of the Congo was an independent republic established following the independence granted to the former colony of the Belgian Congo in 1960...
in light aircraft, and was held by Congolese forces for a while.
He died in hospital in London, on 12 February 1961. A memorial service was held at St Clement Danes
St Clement Danes
St Clement Danes is a church in the City of Westminster, London. It is situated outside the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand. The current building was completed in 1682 by Sir Christopher Wren and it now functions as the central church of the Royal Air Force.The church is sometimes claimed to...
, the RAF church, on 15 March 1961.