Reed was born on 22 August 1898 in Pretoria, South Africa, son of Charles James Bowler Reed, and his wife Maria Pauline Voigt. Brother to Charles Bolingbroke Reed, the eldest of five children, and his three sisters Ethel, Edna and Phyllis. Reed attended Pretoria Boys High School, along with his brother Charles, where he matriculated in December 1914. In an extract from a piece titled "1914 - The First World War in Retrospect - Seventy years later in 1984" The P.B.H.S. Magazine, The Pretorian, of 1984 makes the following mention about Arthur Reed and a strafing event he received commendation for:
Military career
He began his service with the army in German East Africa between June 1915 and August 1916. He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in April 1917. He was posted to duty to fly RAF SE.5as with 29 Squadron in March 1918. His first victory came on 28 May 1918, when he drove a Pfalz D.III down out of control. He scored steadily, including a triple win on 18 August, with his last victory coming on 13 September 1918. He tended to shoot down enemy two-seaters, especially trench strafers; his final victory list included 11 two-seaters, including six ground attack aircraft.
Lieutenant Reed joined the 29th Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps in April 1917. He was posted to 29 Squadron in March 1918. Among his compatriots in this squadron were South African Air AcesThomas Sinclair Harrison, Christoffel Venter. Charles G. Ross and Edgar O. Amm. His friends here would call him "Pud". Of his 19 victories, 18 were aircraft and 1 kite balloon, all of which he destroyed between May and September 1918. Eleven aircraft were two-seaters and six of these were trench-staffing Halberstadt CL.II and Hannovers of the Schutzstaffeln. Reed flew the SE 5/5a aircraft manufactured by Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 and claimed at his last seven victories in E4000, which was lost on 20 September 1918, after being passed on to Capt. G. C. Ross when Capt. Reed had been sent back to the U.K. to rest. At least five more victories where with his SE 5a machine C1942. He returned to the squadron in 1919, when the squadron was based in Bickendorf, Germany.
Aerial victories
Between 29 May 1918 and 13 September 1918 Lieutenant Reed had nineteen aerial victories accredited to him. A list of these is detailed on The Aerodrome, a website dedicated to the Aces and Aircraft of World War I
Honors and awards
1 November 1918 – Lieutenant Reed is appointed a Distinguished Flying Cross:
29 November 1918 – Lieutenant Reed is appointed a Bar to his Distinguished Flying Cross:
Death
Reed died young of broncho pneumonia after a seven-day illness, at the Railwaymens' Nursing Home in Entabeni, Durban, South Africa. In some references his birth date is reflected as 1898. His death certificate cites his age as 37 years and 10 months which would suggest his birth year as 1899.
