Arthur John Novis – Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Warrant Officer Arthur John Novis – Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Arthur John Novis was born in 1922 in Swansea, the son of Arthur Novis and Margaret Summerfield, who had married in Swansea in 1891. His early life was rooted in a long‑established local family whose working background reflected the civic and industrial character of the town.

Family Life in 1921 – Edgeware Row, Swansea

Although Arthur himself had not yet been born, the 1921 Census records the Novis family living at 37 Edgeware Row, Swansea. His father, Arthur, aged 60 and born in Lancashire, was employed as a Painter by the Corporation of Swansea, while his wife Margaret, aged 54, undertook household duties. Their son Trevor, aged 13, was still in school. This modest, working household formed the foundation into which Arthur John would arrive the following year.

Service with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Arthur John Novis went on to serve as a Warrant Officer with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, based at RAF Shawbury, Shropshire. He belonged to the generation of highly trained wartime aircrew whose technical skill and discipline were essential to RAF operations. Before entering service, he had been educated at Brynmill School and later worked at Cwmfelin Works, building the beginnings of a promising civilian career. His family also had strong maritime ties, with a brother serving in the Merchant Service, further connecting the Novis name to the nation’s wartime effort.

Wellington XIII

Fatal Flying Accident – Night Navigation Exercise

Arthur lost his life while flying a Wellington XIII, which crashed between Keldy and Elleron Lodge, south of Stape, Yorkshire, possibly after control was lost in cloud due to icing during a night navigation exercise. The accident occurred during training rather than combat, a stark reminder of the constant dangers faced by aircrew even before reaching operational theatres.

Arthur John Novis
Oystermouth Cemetery, Mumbles
credit - findagrave

Community Mourning

His death was reported in the Herald of Wales, which described him as a young Swansea airman whose life and service were cut tragically short. The paper noted his education at Brynmill School, his work at Cwmfelin Works, and his quiet determination—qualities shared by many Swansea men who stepped forward during the war. At just 22 years of age, his loss brought deep sorrow to both his family and the wider community, marking him as one of the many airmen whose lives ended in the hazardous preparation for wartime operations.

Burial

Arthur John Novis was laid to rest at Oystermouth Cemetery, where his name stands among Swansea’s wartime dead—young men whose service and sacrifice remain part of the city’s enduring memory.