Arch Whitehouse

Arthur George Joseph Whitehouse
Born	(1895-12-11)11 December 1895 Northampton, England
Died	15 November 1979(1979-11-15) (aged 83) Montvale, New Jersey, United States
Military career
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army Royal Air Force
Service years	1915–1919
Rank	Second Lieutenant
Nickname	"Arch"
Unit	No. 22 Squadron RAF
Conflicts	First World War
Awards	Military Medal
Other work	Author, writer, historian, novelist

Arthur George Joseph "Arch" Whitehouse, MM (11 December 1895 – 15 November 1979) was a British First World War veteran, a prolific pulp writer of aviation stories, and an author of First World War aviation books.

First World War

Arthur George Joseph Whitehouse was born in England, but lived in Montvale, New Jersey, United States. At the outbreak of the First World War, Whitehouse came to England and enlisted as a private with the Northamptonshire Yeomanry and given the service number 1784. He later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, with the service number 78563.

Whitehouse was an air mechanic 1st class and observer with the No. 22 Squadron RAF. On 13 April 1917 Whitehouse and his pilot Bush were brought down by anti-aircraft fire; Whitehouse believed afterward that the Red Baron mistakenly listed Whitehouse/Bush among the Barons's "credits"-although this was not so. For taking part in shooting down German aircraft and airplane raiding missions, he was awarded the Military Medal in November 1917. Towards the end of the war he was undergoing training in England as a pilot in Sopwith Camels. On 28 September 1919, as a second lieutenant, he was transferred to the Unemployed List. A notation on his Medal card noted he was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Contrary to reports that he brought down 16 enemy aircraft and 6 balloons, Whitehouse was never an ace, although he took part in the shooting down of four enemy aircraft:

• 12 August 1917 – an Albatross DV (burned), with pilot James Bush (RFC officer) M.C. {1/3 credit share in shootdown with two other pilots/observers}
• 12 August 1917 – an Albatross DV (out of control), with pilot James Bush (RFC officer) M.C. {1/2 credit in shootdown with another pilot/observer}
• 2 October 1917 – a "Two seater" (destroyed), with pilot James Bush (RFC officer) M.C.
• 10 October 1917 – a Albatross DV (destroyed over Moorslede, Belgium), with pilot William Meggitt, M.C.

Both Bush and Meggit were aces, with 6 credits.

Author

"Arch" Whitehouse was a writer postwar for magazines such as Flying Aces on First World War aviation, creating characters like The Griffon, Coffin Kirk, and others.

In the 1960s, he wrote a wide range of books, both fiction and non-fiction on aviation and similar military topics.

More recently, some of his pulp fiction have been reprinted by several publishers, including Altus Press.

Books

References