Basil Deacon Hobbs, DSO, OBE,

DSC DSC may refer to: Academia * Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) * District Selection Committee, an entrance exam in India * Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Educational institutions * Dalton State Col ...

(20 December 1894 - 28 November 1965) was a British and Canadian

aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...

. He is the second most highly decorated pilot in Canada.Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon, reference family records.

Early years

Hobbs moved to Canada with his family at age in 1900 at age 15. In 1915, he went to take flight training at the Wright Flying School in Dayton, Ohio.

First World War Service

In 1915, Hobbs Joined the Royal Naval Air Service as a flight lieutenant. During the war he was awarded the

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...

(1917), the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...

, and Bar to the Distinguished Service Cross that same year. While flying a

Curtiss H-12 The Curtiss Model H was a family of classes of early long-range flying boats, the first two of which were developed directly on commission in the United States in response to the £10,000 prize challenge issued in 1913 by the London newspaper, t ...

Large America flying boat, he was one of the few Canadian pilots to score a victory over a German

Zeppelin A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp ...

L.43.

Interwar flying

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

At Canada's entry into the Second World War, Basil was recommissioned as a group captain in the RCAF. Stationed in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, he was employed in anti-submarine operations and training.

Death

Hobbs died on 28 November 1965 in Montreal and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Sault St Marie, Ontario.

Awards and honours

1917 *

1917 * Bar to

1917 *

Mentioned in Despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

1917 * Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

London Gazette 14 June 1945 *

Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame, based in The Hangar Flight Museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, commemorates and honours those whose accomplishments in aviation contributed so much to Canada's development as a nation. Founded in 1973, the Hall of ...

1987 *

Yukon Territory Order of Polaris The Order of Polaris is awarded by the Government of Yukon's Transportation Hall of Fame for meritorious service in Yukon in the field of aviation. The Order of Polaris was created by the Government of Yukon in 1973, to honour members of the Can ...

References

External links

* http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/eppp-archive/100/200/301/ic/can_digital_collections/aviation/m116.htm 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) {{Aviation-bio-stub