Anthony Arnold

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Anthony Rex Arnold
Born(1896-08-26)26 August 1896
Fareham, Hampshire, England
Died25 May 1954(1954-05-25) (aged 57)
Mozambique
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Flying Corps
Royal Air Force
Years of service1914 – after 1936
RankGroup Captain
UnitNo. 8 Squadron RNAS
Commands heldNo. 79 Squadron RAF
AwardsDistinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross
Belgian Croix de Guerre[1]
Other workServed as Group Captain in 1936

Group Captain Anthony Rex Arnold DSC DFC (26 August 1896 – 25 May 1954) was a British World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.[2][3]

Early life[edit]

Arnold was born to Mary Delamere Tylor and Charles Lowther Arnold on 26 August 1896,[4] in Fareham, Hampshire, England, a great-great-grandson of Gen. Benedict Arnold.[2]

Early service[edit]

Arnold was confirmed in the rank of Flight Sub-Lieutenant, effective from 1 August 1914, when he was assigned to HMS Pembroke on 5 October 1914.[5] He was granted aviators certificate No. 876 on 28 August 1914.[6] He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 31 December 1914.[7][8] Arnold was elected to membership of the Royal Aero Club on 5 October 1915.[9]

Aerial victories[edit]

Assigned to No. 8 Naval Squadron RNAS, he began his victory string on 8 April 1917 and finished with his fifth win on 13 June 1917. He flew a Sopwith Triplane for all five wins. He then was posted to instructor duty and promoted Major in the newly formed RAF. His majority brought him command of No. 79 Squadron.[2][10]

On 26 April 1918 Arnold was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross,[11] and received the Distinguished Flying Cross on 1 January 1919.[12]

Post World War I[edit]

He remained in the postwar RAF. On 1 January 1930, he was promoted from Squadron Leader to Wing Commander,[13] and was promoted to Group Captain on 1 January 1936.[14][15]

By the 1950s, he was working for a bank. He died in Mozambique in 1954.[3]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "World War I Military Medals and Decorations - Belgium - Croix de Guerre (War Cross)". theaerodrome.com. 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  2. ^ a b c "Anthony Rex Arnold". theaerodrome.com. 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Anthony Rex Arnold". Ancestry.co.uk. 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  4. ^ "Genealogy File: Anthony Rex Arnold, 26 Aug 1896 - ?". royalblood.co.uk. 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  5. ^ "Royal Naval Air Service: Announcements". Flight. VI (304): 1058. 23 October 1914. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  6. ^ "Aviator's Certificates". Flight. VI (296): 900. 28 August 1914. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  7. ^ "The Royal Naval Air Service: Promotions". Flight. VII (315): 20. 8 January 1915. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  8. ^ "No. 29024". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1914. p. 6.
  9. ^ "Election of Members". Flight. VII (352): 760. 8 October 1915. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  10. ^ Shores et.al. (1990), p. 53.
  11. ^ "No. 30654". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 April 1918. p. 5059.
  12. ^ "No. 31098". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1918. p. 96.
  13. ^ "New Year Promotions". Flight. XXII (1097): 92. 3 January 1930. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  14. ^ "No. 34237". The London Gazette. 31 December 1935. p. 8407.
  15. ^ "Half Yearly Promotions". Flight. XXIX (1141): 50. 9 January 1936. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  • Shores, Christopher F.; Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell (1990). Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920. London, UK: Grub Street. ISBN 0-948817-19-4.
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