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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. ==Early life and World War I service== Soden was born in Petitcodiac, New Brunswick, Canada, but emigrated to England as a child in 1904.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Frank Soden )〕 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. Müller, whose victory tally was 36, had downed no fewer than five British aces. Accompanied by Captain Robert Chidlaw-Roberts, Soden set Müller's Albatros D.V on fire in the air near Moorslede, Belgium. Müller 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.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Frank Ormond Soden」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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