Regiment: Royal Engineers and Sq Cmdr RFC.
Died: 02 August 1917 aged 36 in United Kingdom. Accidentally killed flying.
Cemetery: Brompton Cemetery W I 174351
Son of G. E. A. Ross, 101 Warwick Road, Earl's Court, S.W. b. 1881.
Army II—-I. Heywood Prize. School Prefect. House XI Cricket and Football.
R.M.A. Woolwich; R.E. 1900; Major 1915; employed with Egyptian Army since 1911. Great War, R.F.C. Squadron Commander (overseas).
D.S.O. with Bar, Order of the Nile and Bar, Despatches (2).
'To the number of distinguished Malvernians, serving in the old Army, who have fallen, must be added the name of Arthur Ross, who was accidentally killed while flying, in an Eastern County, on August 2nd. He entered the School with a House Scholarship in Classics, in which his aptitudes were such that a Classical Scholarship at the University could have been safely predicted for him. However, he decided to make the Army his profession, and obtained second place in the examination for Woolwich with unusually high marks in mathematics. His quickness of apprehension, intense keenness, and power of work rendered him one of the most distinguished—as his strong and independent character, his sympathy and gift of humour made him one of the most influential and popular boys of his time.
The following account of his military career is taken from The Times: "He obtained a commission in the R.E. in May, 1900, and went to India the next year, but owing to a severe illness was invalided home and placed on half-pay for six months, during which time he studied Arabic. Returning to India in 1906, he did good service, mainly on military works in the Punjab. In 1910 he became Captain, and in January, 1911, he was seconded for service in the Egyptian Army. On the outbreak of the war he reverted to the British Army and served in the Sinai desert. In 1915 he served with the Flying Corps as an observer in the campaign against the Senussi Arabs. In that year he was given his brevet majority and the Order of the Nile (4th Class), and in the following year the D. S.O. Having qualified as a pilot at home, he returned to Egypt as flight commander, and served there up to the Spring of this year. On promotion to squadron commander he came to England, and after some work in France and elsewhere he was sent towards the end of last month to one of the eastern counties. His services were further recognised by the award, just announced, of a bar to the D.S.O. Major Ross excelled as a linguist in Eastern languages, and as a mathematician."' (Malvernian, Nov 1917).