Arthur Harris was born on April 13, 1892 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. He moved to Rhodesia and became a farmer, something he planned on doing for the rest of his life. However, when World War I began he signed up for the Rhodesian Air Force. During World War I, he served in the Royal Flying Corps, in defense of London.
After the war, with the establishment of the Royal Air Force, Harris became a squadron leader. He moved up the RAF ladder, and in 1942 was named head of the RAF bomber command. In that role, he was responsible for the saturation bombing of Germany.