Basil Deacon Hobbs
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Basil Deacon Hobbs | |
|---|---|
 Photographed in 1920. | |
| Born | 20 December 1894 Arlington, Berkshire, England |
| Died | 28 November 1965 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Occupation | Aviator |
Basil Deacon Hobbs, DSO, OBE, DSC (20 December 1894 – 28 November 1965) was a British and Canadian aviator. He is the second most highly decorated pilot in Canada.[1]
Early years[edit]
Hobbs moved to Canada with his family at age in 1900 at age 15.[2] In 1915, he went to take flight training at the Wright Flying School in Dayton, Ohio.
First World War service[edit]
In 1915, Hobbs Joined the Royal Naval Air Service as a flight lieutenant. During the war he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (1917), the Distinguished Service Order, and a Bar to the Distinguished Service Cross that same year.[1] While flying a Curtiss H-12 Large America flying boat, he was one of the few Canadian pilots to score a victory over a German Zeppelin L.43.[3]
Interwar flying[edit]
In 1919, Hobbs was among six pilots hired by Hubert Scott-Paine to fly commercial flights for his company Supermarine.[4] In 1920, Hobbs joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. He resigned his commission in 1927 holding the rank of major. During this time, he was employed by the Canadian Air Board as a "certificate examiner".
Second World War service[edit]
At Canada's entry into the Second World War, Hobbs was recommissioned as a group captain in the RCAF. Stationed in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, he was employed in anti-submarine operations and training.[1]
Death[edit]
Hobbs died on 28 November 1965 in Montreal.[5]
Awards and honours[edit]
- Distinguished Service Cross 1917[6]
- Distinguished Service Order 1917[7]
- Bar to Distinguished Service Cross 1917[8]
- Mentioned in Despatches 1917[9]
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire[10]
- Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame 1987
- Yukon Territory Order of Polaris
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon, reference family records.
- ^ 1901 Census of Canada https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1901&op=&img&id=z000120344
- ^ Naval Staff Monographs (Historical), Volume XIX: Home Waters - Part IX, covering the period 1 May to 31 July 1917 (Directorate of History and Heritage, Canada, Reference D.581 G72); Public Record Office Air 1/637/17/122/156, copy in National Library and Archive MG 30 D ADM, Box 12 (Reference 1000303852)
- ^ Pegram, Ralph (2016). Beyond the Spitfire: The Unseen Designs of R.J. Mitchell. Brimscombe: The History Press. p. 21.
- ^ Lethbridge Herald, 30 November 1965, Page 2; Winnipeg Free Press, 30 November 1965, Page 9
- ^ London Gazette 22 June 1917
- ^ London Gazette 20 July 1917
- ^ London Gazette 30 November 1917
- ^ London Gazette 19 December 1917
- ^ London Gazette 14 June 1945
External links[edit]
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- 1894 births
- Aviation history of Canada
- Canadian World War I pilots
- Canadian World War II pilots
- Royal Canadian Air Force officers
- Bush pilots
- 1965 deaths
- Wright Flying School alumni
- Canadian Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
- Canadian Officers of the Order of the British Empire
- Canadian recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
- Canadian military personnel stubs
- Aviation biography stubs