Captain Harry Gosford Reeves (30 September 1896 – 24 January 1918) was a British World War I flying ace credited with 13 aerial victories while flying various models of Nieuport aircraft. He was killed in a crash while flight testing a Nieuport 27.
Biography Reeves was born in Staines, Middlesex, and educated at St. John's College, Hurstpierpoint, Sussex.
He joined the Royal Flying Corps in early 1917 as a temporary second lieutenant (on probation), and was appointed a flying officer on 19 May. Reeves was then posted to No. 1 Squadron, flying a Nieuport 23, where he quickly began to gain success in the air, accounting for two enemy aircraft in June, one in July and three in August. Another three victories come in September, and he celebrated being appointed a flight commander with the temporary rank of captain on 9 October 1917, by accounting for another enemy aircraft, bringing his total to eight. He then flew a Nieuport 27, gaining five more victories, the last being on 18 November 1917.
On 24 January 1918 Reeves was flight testing a new aircraft behind the British lines in France, when it crashed and he was killed. He is buried in the Communal Cemetery Extension, Bailleul, Nord, France.
List of aerial victories +Combat recordNo.Date/TimeAircraft/Serial No.OpponentResultLocationNotes1 18 June 1917@ 1145 Nieuport 23(B1650) Albatros D.III Destroyed Oosttaverne Shared with LieutenantsLouis Jenkin & Charles Lavers.2 26 June 1917@ 2100 Nieuport 23(B1630) Albatros D.III Driven down out of control Becelaere 3 31 July 1917@ 1425 Nieuport 23(B1672) Albatros D.V Destroyed South of Terhand 4 13 August 1917@ 0920 Nieuport 23(B1672) Albatros C Driven down out of control Houthem Shared with Captain Thomas Hazell.5 14 August 1917@ 1910 Nieuport 23(B3558) Albatros D.V Destroyed South of Moorslede 6 21 August 1917@ 1910 Nieuport 23(B1672) Albatros D.V Driven down out of control Houthoulst 7 4 September 1917@ 1115 Nieuport 23(B1672) DFW C Driven down out of control South of Polygon Wood 8 9 September 1917@ 1035 Nieuport 23(B1672) Rumpler C Driven down out of control East of Polygon Wood 9 11 September 1917@ 1815 Nieuport 27(B3630) Albatros D.V Driven down out of control Houthoulst Forest 10 9 October 1917@ 1515 Nieuport 27(B6774) Albatros D.V Destroyed in flames South of Polygon Wood 11 15 October 1917@ 1200 Nieuport 27(B6774) DFW C Destroyed Comines 12 17 October 1917@ 1430 Nieuport 27(B6774) Albatros D.V Driven down out of control Geluwe 13 18 November 1917@ 0815 Nieuport 27(B6774) DFW C Driven down out of control Becelaere
See also Aerial victory standards of World War I List of World War I aces credited with 11–14 victories
References