Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Battle of Britain and Night Fighter Pilot’s Immediate D.F.C. group of four awarded to Squadron Leader D. O. Hobbis, Nos. 219 and 488 (New Zealand) Squadrons, Royal Air Force, officially credited with the destruction of three enemy aircraft at night, killed on operations whilst piloting a Mosquito in November 1943

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated 1941, in its Royal Mint case of issue; 1939-45 Star, clasp, Battle of Britain; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal, together with named condolence slip (Squadron Leader, D.F.C.) in card box of issue addressed to his mother, and two original photographs, extremely fine (4) £2000-2500

D.F.C. London Gazette 8 July 1941: ‘This officer has shown the utmost keeness for night flying operations and has destroyed three enemy aircraft. His devotion to duty has been an example to his fellow pilots’

Squadron Leader Dudley Ormston Hobbis was a well-known amateur tennis player, originally from Tynemouth, Northumberland. He joined the R.A.F. on a short service commission in July 1939 and was posted from 12 F.T.S. to No. 219 Squadron (Blenheims) at Catterick on 13 July 1940. Though equppied to carry out shipping protection duties, 219 was scrambled during the Battle to meet day raids in August in conjunction with Hurrricane squadrons in the south. In September it converted to Beaufighters and night patrols were started over London using Redhill as an advanced base, but although there were plenty of enemy aircraft about there were no combats for several months and morale began to slide. Hobbis’s victory two miles off Portsmouth on 27 April 1941 was therefore a tonic for the whole squadron:

‘ ... P/O Hobbis took off on a dusk patrol at 20.30 hrs. P/O Hobbis after about one hour was put on to a raider making for Portsmouth. A A.I. interception was made which resulted in a visual and he opened fire at 150 yds. dead astern. The E/A burst into flames and crashed into the sea two miles from the shore, later being confirmed.’ Gradually the squadron score began to mount, Hobbis shooting down a second night intruder, a Junkers 88 in the Brighton area, on 1 June 1941. A fortnight later he made his third night kill, a Heinkel 111A four miles east of Winchelsea, and subsequently reported: ‘I took off from Tangmere at 2326 on the 13 inst. in Beaufighter R2154 with Sgt. Clark ... was instructed to patrol Shoreham - Beachy Head at 15000. Was handed over to Durrington ... They informed me that they had a customer for me and gave me a Vector of 190° and told me Angels 20 ... Got blips later and Sgt. Clark controlled me with various conclusions in azimuth and height finally informing me that E/A was at minimum range. At this point I got visual of exhaust flames. I closed in to point blank range astern and gave about 2 sec. burst, I saw flashes of explosive shell hitting E/A and one particularly large and brilliant flash from his port engine. E/A dived down belching black and I broke away over him to his right. There was no moon & E/A disappeared into darkness. Just after this incident I saw a tremendous bursts of incendiary bombs ingnite on the ground, and the following day learned from the prisoners that they had jettisoned their incendaries (a total load) ...’


Promoted Flight Lieutenant in April 1942, Hobbis commanded 530 Squadron, a Turbinlite Havoc unit at Hunsdon from May to September 1942, and in May 1943, together with his recently commissioned regular navigator F/O W.T.M. Clark, D.F.M., was posted from 51 O.T.U. to a Mosquito unit, No. 488 (New Zealand) Squadron at Ayr as ‘A’ Flight commander. On 25 November 1943 he reported over the R/T that his port engine was on fire and that he had ordered his navigator, Flight Sergeant O. L. R. Hills, to bale out and that he was going to do the same. Air Sea Rescue failed to find either man. Squadron Leader Hobbis is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 118.