Description

Walter Noble was born on 15 October 1884 and joined the British Army straight from school, serving in
the South African War of 1899-1902, as well as the 1906 Natal Rebellion in that country. He then left the service to become a tea planter in India.

Following the outbreak of the Great War in August 1914, he rejoined the Army and served in the 9th
Battalion, Essex Regiment before requesting a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps in September 1917,
to train as an observer. Transferred in early 1918 to 20 Squadron, a Bristol F.2B two-seater unit in France, he served with this squadron for the next seven months, during which he was personally credited with shooting down 12 enemy aircraft, nine together with Lt David John Weston D.F.C., whilst two were with Lt Paul lacacci and one with 2Lt L.P. Roberts.

Injured and hospitalised at least once during this time, following a crash landing, he published his
wartime memoir, With A Bristol Fighter Squadron, in 1920. Following the Great War, he became an
importer of pedigree stock in Brazil.