flying ace
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...
during World War I. He was credited with 12 official aerial victories won while serving in the
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles (; tr, Çanakkale Boğazı, lit=Strait of Çanakkale, el, Δαρδανέλλια, translit=Dardanéllia), also known as the Strait of Gallipoli from the Gallipoli peninsula or from Classical Antiquity as the Hellespont (; ...
and along the
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" ( Cotentinais) or (Jèrriais), ( Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kan ...
.
World War I
Soar joined the
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps t ...
in August 1915. He began his naval air service with No. 3 Wing RNAS in the
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles (; tr, Çanakkale Boğazı, lit=Strait of Çanakkale, el, Δαρδανέλλια, translit=Dardanéllia), also known as the Strait of Gallipoli from the Gallipoli peninsula or from Classical Antiquity as the Hellespont (; ...
. He then transferred to 5 Naval Wing at
Dunkirk
Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label= French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.
Soar scored his first aerial victories on 20 December 1916, when he used
Sopwith Pup
The Sopwith Pup is a British single-seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characterist ...
serial number N5181 to drive two German
Halberstadt
Halberstadt ( Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the capital of Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town center that was greatly destroyed by Allied bom ...
fighter planes down out of control. He would not score again until after being re-equipped with a
Sopwith Triplane
The Sopwith Triplane was a British single seat fighter aircraft designed and manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War. It has the distinction of being the first military triplane to see operational service.
T ...
.
On 23 May 1917, he drove a German reconnaissance plane down out of control to begin a string of ten victories. In his logbook, Soar noted that when the German plane landed at
Sainte-Catherine-lès-Arras
Sainte-Catherine (; also unofficially: ''Sainte-Catherine-lès-Arras'', , literally ''Sainte-Catherine near Arras''; pcd, Sainte-Cat'leine-lès-Aro) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.
Geograp ...
, the pilot had suffered a head wound while the observer was shot through the abdomen. Soar also noted technical details of this DFW in the back of his log.
Soar seems to have been a favored wingman to the leading Australian ace
Robert A. Little
Robert Alexander Little, (19 July 1895 – 27 May 1918), a World War I fighter pilot, is generally regarded as the most successful Australian flying ace, with an official tally of forty-seven victories. Born in Victoria (Aus ...
, as they each often mention one another in their logbooks.
By 22 July, Soar had raised his score to an even dozen, sharing some of his wins with
Charles Dawson Booker
Major Charles Dawson Booker (sometimes hyphenated into Dawson-Booker) (21 April 1897 – 13 August 1918) was an English World War I fighter ace credited with 29 victories. He was promoted to high rank while relatively young as a result of his ...
, Robert A. Little, and a couple of other squadronmates. Soar's final tally was two captured enemy reconnaissance planes shared with other pilots, a share in destroying a recon machine, and nine enemy planes driven down out of control. In official recognition of his exploits, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, gazetted 11 August 1917.
Following the formation of the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
(RAF) on 1 April 1918, Soar was appointed Officer Commanding 'A' and 'B' Flights, No.255 Squadron, RAF – in effect becoming Squadron Leader although his official rank was Honorary Captain. No.255 Squadron was based at RAF Pembroke (X0PK, formerly Royal Naval Air Station Pembroke, later
RAF Carew Cheriton
Royal Air Force Carew Cheriton or more simply RAF Carew Cheriton is a former Royal Air Force station of Coastal and Training Command near Carew, Pembrokeshire. It was sited north west of Tenby. It was built on the site of RNAS Pembroke (aka ...
).
Post World War I
Flight Lieutenant Soar was appointed to a short service commission as a flying officer in the Royal Air Force on 7 April 1921.
Reginald Rhys Soar died in Martletwy, Wales in 1971.