Arthur Noss
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.
Early life
Arthur Rex Hurden Noss was the only child of Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Noss of Crouch End. He was educated at Herne Bay, winning eight athletic prizes in his final year.World War I
Noss began his military service as a gunner in the Honourable Artillery Company.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 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 No. 48 Squadron as an observer/gunner in Bristol F.2 two-seater 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 a magneto failure and a crash-landing 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.IIIs. 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; the award was announced on 26 September 1917.
Second Lieutenant Arthur Rex Noss was injured in a crash on 15 September 1917, died as a result of his injuries that evening or the following day. He is buried in plot I. E. 1, Zuydcoote Military Cemetery, Nord, France.
Noss's Military Cross was gazetted posthumously on 9 January 1918. His citation read:
List of aerial victories
| No. | Date/time | Aircraft | Foe | Result | Location | Notes |
| 1 | 26 May 1917 @ 1945 hours | Bristol F.2 Fighter serial number A7117 | Albatros D.III | Driven down out of control | Southeast of Douai | Pilot: H. M. Frazer |
| 2 | 11 June 1917 @ 1100 hours | Bristol F.2 Fighter s/n A7137 | German two-seater airplane | Destroyed | Vitry | Pilot: 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 | Pilot: Keith Park |
| 4 | 16 August 1917 @ 1130 hours | Bristol F.2 Fighter s/n A7182 | DFW reconnaissance plane | Driven down out of control | Slype | Pilot: Keith Park |
| 5 | 17 August 1917 @ 0655 hours | Bristol F.2 Fighter s/n A7182 | Albatros D.V | Driven down out of control | West of Slype | Pilot: Keith Park |
| 6 | 17 August 1917 @ 0655 hours | Bristol F.2 Fighter s/n A7182 | Albatros D.V | Destroyed | West of Slype | Pilot: 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 | Pilot: Keith Park |
| 8 | 17 August 1917 @ 0725 hours | Bristol F.2 Fighter s/n A7182 | Albatros D.V | Driven down out of control | Slype | Pilot: Keith Park |
| 9 | 25 August 1917 @ 2000 hours | Bristol F.2 Fighter s/n A7213 | Albatros D.V | Set afire; destroyed | South of Slype | Pilot: Keith Park |