Guy Reid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Guy Patrick Spence Reid
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|---|---|
| Born | 18 May 1897 Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain |
| Died | 16 October 1917 (aged 20) Lincolnshire, England |
| Buried |
Newport Cemetery, Lincoln
(53°14′27″N 0°32′03″W / 53.24083°N 0.53417°W) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
British Army |
| Years of service | 1915–1917 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Seaforth Highlanders No. 20 Squadron RFC |
| Battles/wars | World War I • Western Front |
| Awards | Military Cross |
Captain Guy Patrick Spence Reid was a brave British pilot during World War I. He was born on May 18, 1897, and sadly passed away on October 16, 1917. He was known as a "flying ace" because he shot down five enemy aircraft in air battles.
Contents
Guy Reid's Early Life and Military Start
Guy Reid was born in Puerto de la Cruz, a town on the island of Tenerife in Spain. His father, Thomas Miller Reid, was a British Vice-Consul there. This meant his father helped British citizens in that area.
Becoming a Pilot
After finishing his training at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Guy Reid joined the Seaforth Highlanders regiment as a second lieutenant in August 1915. Soon after, he learned to fly. He got his pilot's license in September, flying a type of plane called a Maurice Farman biplane. By October, he was officially a flying officer, joining the Royal Flying Corps, which was the air force at that time.
Fighting in World War I
In January 1916, Guy Reid was sent to France to join No. 20 Squadron RFC. This was where many important battles of World War I happened.
First Air Victories
He achieved his first aerial victory on February 7, 1916. He was flying an FE.2b plane and faced a German Fokker Eindekker. Guy Reid managed to damage the German plane, making its engine smoke, and forced it to retreat. By September 6, he had shot down five enemy planes. This made him one of the 44 "aces" in his squadron during the war. A "flying ace" is a pilot who has shot down five or more enemy aircraft.
Awards and Promotions
For his bravery and skill, Guy Reid received the Military Cross on September 26, 1916. A month later, he was promoted to captain and became a flight commander, leading a group of planes. In December, he returned to England to teach other pilots how to fly. He was promoted to lieutenant on January 1, 1917.
A Tragic End
On October 16, 1917, while teaching another pilot, their aircraft crashed from about 900 feet (274 meters) high. Both Guy Reid and the student pilot were killed. At the time, he was engaged to be married to Miss Margaret Sheldon. Guy Reid is buried in Newport Cemetery in Lincoln, England.
Honours and Awards
The Military Cross
Guy Patrick Spence Reid was awarded the Military Cross for his amazing skill and bravery in many air battles.
The award recognized his actions, such as:
- Attacking and chasing away enemy planes with his pilot, Captain Dixon-Spain.
- Facing four enemy planes and driving three of them away.
- Attacking two enemy planes, shooting one down, and forcing the other to retreat.
- Attacking two more enemy planes on another day, possibly destroying one and chasing the other back to its airfield.
