Operation: Patrol
Date: 21st December 1942 (Monday)
Unit No: 152 (Hyderabad) Squadron - Motto: 'Faithful Ally'
Type: Spitfire Vb
Serial: ER721 (1)
Code: UM-?
Base: Souk-el-Arba, Tunisia
Location: Mateur area, Tunisia
Pilot: W/O.II 'Wally' Walter Arthur Dobson R/90254 RCAF Age 20. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
At the end of September 1942 the squadron was ordered to prepare to move overseas to take part in Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa. The aircraft moved to Gibraltar, while the ground crew joined the invasion fleet, setting sail in November. From 14th November the squadron helped provide cover for the Allied landings in Algeria, before moving to newly occupied bases in North Africa. It then followed the First Army as it moved east towards Tunisia, providing fighter defence and escorts for fighter-bombers.
The squadron was operating from Souk-el-Arba. The airfield, located immediately south-east of the town, pre-dated Operation Torch. It was captured by the British 1st Parachute Brigade on 16th November 1942 and was later used by RAF squadrons and reconnaissance units.
It is thought that Spitfire Vb ER721 was hit by heavy flak, as it failed to return to base.
Right: newspaper clipping from The Toronto Star.
"London, Ont., Feb. 6 - Flight-Sergt. Wally Dobson has been officially reported missing after air operations in North Africa.
His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Dobson, are mystified by the fact that after receipt of the official casualty telegram from Ottawa, they received a cable, without date or place of origin, indicating that he was then well. Ottawa is inquiring for further particulars.
He left England in November after close to a year's service overseas in which he had made many sweeps with Spitfire squadrons over enemy territory. His letters from North Africa declared that Canadians in the R.C.A.F. there are better fed than they are in Britain. In French North Africa, he said, they were issued with pistols as a safeguard against some Arab nomads 'who would slit your throat for a plugged nickle.'
Flight-Sergt. Dobson received his wings at Aylmer in 1941. His brother, Petty Officer William E. Dobson, is on service with the R.C.N. at Ottawa."
(Webmaster note: No telegram was found within his service file. His parents probably told the newspaper that he had initially been reported missing, that this did not mean he had been killed or wounded, and that he could be a prisoner of war - see the Air Ministry letter below.)
Burial details:
W/O.II Walter Arthur Dobson. Beja War Cemetery. Grave 2. C. 12. Born on 8th February 1922 in London, Ontario, Canada. Son of Walter (died 1963, age 64) and Doris Eva Dobson (died 1987, age 87), of London, Ontario, Canada. Epitaph: 'When The Day Of Toil Is Done Rest For Evermore'.
Beja War Cemetery
A Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in northern Tunisia. Beja is a market town about 100 kilometres west of Tunis, and the cemetery sits roughly 100 metres north-west of the railway station, beside a derelict Christian civil cemetery.
Why it is there: After Commonwealth and American troops landed in Algeria and Morocco on 8th November 1942, the Germans rushed a force from Sicily into northern Tunisia, which halted the Allied push east in early December. Beja lay just behind the furthest point of that advance through the winter. The North African campaign finally ended in Tunisia in May 1943 with the Axis defeat. Wally died at exactly the point where the front had stalled.
Size: It holds 396 Commonwealth burials from the Second World War, 87 of them unidentified. It is a small cemetery compared with others nearby, such as Medjez-el-Bab War Cemetery.
(1) Spitfire Vb ER721 - Constructed in the autumn of 1942, it was sent to No. 38 Maintenance Unit (MU) on 19th October 1942. Shortly after, it moved to No. 82 MU on 25th October 1942, before being loaded onto the transit ship 'R.634' on 4th November 1942, bound for the Mediterranean theatre. The aircraft arrived in Gibraltar on 23rd November 1942 and was quickly deployed to North-West Africa to support the Allied campaigns in the region. It was assigned to No. 152 Squadron RAF.
Personal details (from his RCAF service file)
|
Detail |
Record |
|
Service number |
R90254 (shown as CAN/R.90254 on RAF papers) |
|
Born |
8 February 1922, London, Ontario |
|
Home address |
276 Smith Street, London, Ont. (telephone F.3463-M) |
|
Citizenship / religion |
Canadian; Presbyterian |
|
Marital status |
Single |
|
Father |
Walter Dobson, born Nottingham, England; stationary fireman, C.N.R. |
|
Mother |
Doris Eva Dobson (née Goodwin), born Nottingham, England |
|
Parents' marriage |
London, Ontario, 29 November 1919 |
|
Brothers |
William E. Dobson, 23 (R.C.N., HMCS Chaleur II, Quebec, P.Q.); Ross V. G. Dobson, 9 (ages as of August 1943) |
|
Education |
Trafalgar Public School 1927-1934 (Entrance); Sir Adam Beck Collegiate 1934-1939 (Junior Matriculation) |
|
Civil occupation |
Apprentice carman, Canadian National Railways, London, 1939-1941 |
|
Sports and hobbies |
Swimming, diving, football, basketball; City diving and swimming champion 1935-1939 (7 City of London trophies); woodwork and photography |
|
Description (Feb 1941) |
5 ft 11 in, 141 lb, fair complexion, brown eyes, medium brown hair; twin moles on lower right abdomen |
|
Medical history |
Scarlet fever 1925; left Pott's fracture 1935 (in cast 6 weeks), no disability |
|
Character references |
Mr R. Crowley, 130 Delaware St (Foreman, CNR); Mr Morris Nelson, Dundas St (Merchant); Mr Wm Farquharson, 132 Elmwood St (Playgrounds Supervisor); Mr R. Darragh [?], 214 Dundas St (Photographer) |
|
Final rank |
Warrant Officer Class II (retroactive from 21 November 1942) |
|
Final unit |
No. 152 Squadron (overseas) |
Service timeline
He applied in October 1940, attested in February 1941, trained as a pilot in Canada and England, and flew Spitfires operationally from May 1942 until his loss in December 1942.
|
Date |
Event |
|
14 Aug 1940 |
Letter of recommendation from Lt.-Col. L.C. Macdonald, O.C. The Middlesex & Huron Regiment |
|
20-22 Oct 1940 |
Applied for aircrew (pilot); interviewed by F/O H.G. Raney; medical board, London, Ont.; placed on Special Reserve |
|
18 Feb 1941 |
Enlisted and attested at No. 1 Recruiting Centre, London, Ont., as AC2 for the duration; leave without pay to 13 Mar 1941 |
|
15 Mar 1941 |
Will signed; posted to No. 1 Manning Depot, Toronto |
|
22 Apr 1941 |
No. 4 Bombing & Gunnery School, Fingal, Ont. |
|
29 May 1941 |
No. 1 Initial Training School, Toronto (Course 27) |
|
3 Jul 1941 |
Promoted LAC; No. 10 Elementary Flying Training School, Mount Hope, Ont. (Course 32, Finch II) |
|
1 Sep 1941 |
No. 14 Service Flying Training School, Aylmer, Ont. (Course 37, Harvard) |
|
18 Oct & 2 Nov 1941 |
Two minor conduct offences at Aylmer (see Training assessments) |
|
21 Nov 1941 |
Awarded pilot's flying badge; promoted Sergeant |
|
22 Nov 1941 |
No. 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax |
|
13 Dec 1941 |
Struck off strength for embarkation to the UK |
|
26 Dec 1941 |
No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre (UK) |
|
2 Feb 1942 |
No. 17 (P) Advanced Flying Unit, Watton (Miles Master II) |
|
17 Mar 1942 |
No. 56 Operational Training Unit (Course 43) |
|
19 May 1942 |
No. 421 Squadron RCAF, Fairwood Common |
|
21 May 1942 |
Promoted Flight Sergeant |
|
28 Oct 1942 |
No. 401 Squadron RCAF, Kenley |
|
25 Nov - 5 Dec 1942 |
RAF Kenley; then overseas via Gibraltar (record reads "Gibraltar 5.12.42") |
|
21 Dec 1942 |
Reported missing: his Spitfire, of which he was pilot and sole occupant, failed to return from an operational flight. Unit on casualty notice: No. 152 Squadron (overseas) |
|
26-30 Jul 1943 |
Presumed dead for official purposes as of 21 Dec 1942 |
|
24 Nov 1944 |
Promoted Warrant Officer Class II, retroactive to 21 Nov 1942 |
Training assessments and instructors' remarks
Instructors consistently rated him an average pilot with good formation flying and aerobatics, but flagged discipline and carefulness in Canada; by OTU he was judged keen and sensible in the air.
|
Stage |
Results |
Remarks (transcribed) |
|
Recruiting interview, 22 Oct 1940 (F/O H.G. Raney) |
Suitable for RCAF; recommended Pilot or Observer |
"Good appearing youth, well mannered, healthy, well built, good swimmer, athletic, clean, well dressed, alert, keen on flying, confident, pleasant personality. Feel sure capable of keeping up with course. Well recommended, trustworthy, reliable." |
|
Medical board, 6 Jun 1941 (S/L J.C. Whyte) |
Category A1B, A3B |
"Wants pilot. Motives satisfactory. Average intelligence - rather immature - average satisfactory pilot material." Consultant: "Would prefer fighter pilot." |
|
No. 1 ITS, Toronto, 28 May - 3 Jul 1941 |
378/500 (76%); 112th of 113 |
"Slow thinking, steady type, cheerful." ("and should make good pilot material" struck through.) Second aircrew recommendation: Air Observer |
|
No. 10 EFTS, Mount Hope, 3 Jul - 20 Aug 1941 |
60:15 hrs on Finch II; average; ground 789/1200 (65.8%), 27th of 31 |
Flying: "Progress has been average. Aerobatics good, instruments above average. Smooth on controls. Very punctual. Will do well with more time." Ground: "Slightly below average student in flying. Discipline only fair and will need watching." |
|
No. 14 SFTS, Aylmer, 1 Sep - 12 Nov 1941 |
Harvard; flying 508/750; ground 538/750; final 1452/2250; 48th of 51; recommended for fighter (single-engine) |
"Airmanship and air sense weak. Instrument flying below average. Prone to be careless about cockpit check. Not too dependable." "Punctuality and discipline below average. Needs constant supervision. Not dependable and is lacking in enthusiasm." Ground instructor: "Rather too haphazard to have gotten a good standing, but he is not without the capabilities." |
|
No. 17 (P) AFU, Watton, Feb - Mar 1942 |
Master II; 79:00 hrs total day solo to date |
Not recommended for commission at present (signed 18/3/42) |
|
No. 56 OTU, 17 Mar - 19 May 1942 |
Average on all qualities; air firing low average; 4,800 rounds air-to-air, 1,600 air-to-ground |
"Average. Flies quite well and his formation is good. He is keen and has a good deal of common sense in the air. Inclined to be truculent when he first came here but has 'toed the line' since and although he is inclined to be slovenly his discipline is quite good." |
Air Ministry letter: reported missing - 29th December 1942
Ref. C7/CAN/R.90254
Sir,
I am commanded by the Air Council to express to you their grave concern on learning from the Casualties Officer of the Royal Canadian Air Force that your son CAN/R.90254 Sergeant Walter Arthur DOBSON has been reported missing as the result of air operations.
The Spitfire aircraft of which he was the pilot and sole occupant failed to return to its base on the 21st December 1942 from an operational flight.
This does not necessarily mean that he is killed or wounded, and if he is a prisoner of war, he should be able to communicate with you in due course. Meanwhile enquiries will be made through the International Red Cross Society and, as soon as any definite news is received, you will be at once informed.
If any information regarding your son is received by you from any source you are requested to be kind enough to communicate it immediately to the Secretary, Department of National Defence for Air, Ottawa, who will forward it to the Air Ministry.
The Air Council desire me to express their deep sympathy with you in your great anxiety, and earnestly hope that favourable news of your son may be forthcoming.
I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant, Air Commodore, Air Officer in Charge, Air Ministry Records.
To: W. Dobson Esq., 76 Smith Street, London, Ontario, Canada.
SUPPLEMENT - Additional Information
Spitfire Vb ER721
Built at the Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory (CBAF) and fitted with a Merlin 46 engine. The production record lists the loss on 21st December 1942 as 'missing from a patrol in the Mateur area', with the pilot shown as Sgt W.A. Dobson (killed). Note that the record describes the sortie as a patrol rather than an armed reconnaissance.
Souk-el-Arba
There were two airfields at Souk-el-Arba. Souk-el-Arba I, the original pre-war airfield immediately south-east of the town, is the one captured by the 1st Parachute Brigade on 16th November 1942. Souk-el-Arba II, about 4 kilometres south-west of the town, was used by USAAF units from spring 1943.
Rank at time of loss
At the time of his loss he was a Flight Sergeant (promoted 21st May 1942), as shown in the Toronto Star report; the Air Ministry letter refers to him simply as 'Sergeant'. His promotion to Warrant Officer Class II was not made until 24th November 1944, backdated to 21st November 1942, which is why the CWGC and the Canadian Virtual War Memorial record him as a Warrant Officer Class II.
Commemoration
Walter Arthur Dobson is commemorated on page 69 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance, held in the Peace Tower, Parliament Buildings, Ottawa. The CWGC records his unit as 152 (R.A.F.) Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, age 20.
CASPIR (Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum)
The CASPIR entry agrees that the loss is suspected to have been caused by heavy flak in the area. It gives his base as RAF Gibraltar, which appears to reflect his route out to North Africa rather than his operational base on 21st December 1942.
Sources and Acknowledgements
- Paradie-Duttil Archives
- RCAF Personal Service Record
- National Archives, Kew
- Aircrew Remembered Archives
- Aviation Safety Network
- Find A Grave
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)
- Military History Encyclopedia (historyofwar.org)
- Canadian Virtual War Memorial - Veterans Affairs Canada
- CASPIR - Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
- All Spitfire Pilots (allspitfirepilots.org) - ER721 record
- Wikipedia - Souk-el-Arba Airfield
- WW2 Cemeteries (ww2cemeteries.com) - Beja War Cemetery
