Centenary Commemoration of the Death of Lieutenant Dodson

[Dever Mayfly]

After learning to fly with the Royal Flying Corps in a Farmer Experimental, Lieutenant ʻBertieʼ Dodson became one of the first commissioned officers in the Royal Air Force, when it formed on 1^st April 1918.  At this time he was flying Sopwith Camels in 46 Squadron, despite their known inadequacies against the latest German aircraft.  After transferring to 73 Squadron, he was killed in action in C3314 on 25^th August 1918.  I believe he was protecting the New Zealand positions during the second Battle of Bapaume, part of the Allies’ Hundred Days Offensive.  I am investigating his story and if any member has any information about him, or his three brothers (one served in the Lancashire Fusiliers), I would be grateful if it was added to this thread as we approach the centenary anniversary of his death.

[helpjpl]

Royal Aero Club Aviators Certificates -

No. 5184

Herbert Leigh Midelton Dodson  41 Victoria Avenue, Didsbury, Manchester

Born:  23rd Dec. 1895 at Manchester

Nationality:  British

Rank, Regiment, Profession:  2nd Lieut. A.S.C.

Certificate taken on:  -

At:  - 

Date:  29th March 1917

 

Royal Aero Club Photograph:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1283/31032_A200037-00020/14500?backUrl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3findiv%3d1%26dbid%3d1283%26h%3d14500%26tid%3d%26pid%3d%26usePUB%3dtrue%26_phsrc%3duUh1%26_phstart%3dsuccessSource&ssrc=&rdb=RoyalAeroClub

 

1911 Census:

Widower Joseph Bottomley Dodson (69), Retired Estate Agent, born Uppermill, Saddleworth, Yorks - living at Brookfield, Fulshaw, Wilmslow with

Son Sydney Pearson Dodson (32), Single, Electrical Engineer born Didsbury

Grandson Herbert Leigh Midelton Dodson (15) born Didsbury

Grandson Harold Midelton Dodson (13) born Didsbury (DOB 11/01/1898) - Lancashire Fusiliers (DOD 20/03/1979)

Grandson Francis Pownall Dodson (11) born Didsbury (DOB 09/09/1899) (DOD 08/10/1897) Occupation in 1939 - Schoolmaster

Grandson Charles Joseph Pearson Dodson (9) born Didsbury (DOD 26/09/1983) 1939 Census gives DOB as 06/12/1901. Occupation - Professional Racing Motorist

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34733/page/7687/data.pdf

 

JP

Edited 18 August , 2018 by helpjpl

[Dever Mayfly]

Many thanks "helppjpl".  I am interested to discover how he entered the Army Service Corps as a 2nd Lieutenant in 2017 - Sandhurst, Inns of Court OTC, or was there a direct entry system for pilots?

In June 1917 he was "declared effective" on S.E.5, which was superior to the Sopwith Camel but problems with its Hispano-Suiza engine meant that there was a chronic shortage. He was posted to the newly formed 112 Squadron at Throwley Aerodrome, Kent in July, flying a Sopwith Pup for air defence duties protecting the London area. It was formed in response to the introduction of the German Gotha G-IV bomber, which caused 142 deaths during the first daylight raid on London on 13^th June 1917.  He participated in the successful battle over the Isle of Thanet on 22^nd August. After 6 months, he was posted to France with 46 Squadron. 

 

[helpjpl]

11 hours ago, Dever Mayfly said:

Many thanks "helppjpl".  I am interested to discover how he entered the Army Service Corps as a 2nd Lieutenant in 2017 - Sandhurst, Inns of Court OTC, or was there a direct entry system for pilots?

 

London Gazette, 20 November 1915:

The undermentioned Cadets and ex Cadets, Officers Training Corps, to be temporary Second Lieutenants:-

Dated 25th October, 1915.

Herbert Leigh Midelton Dodson

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29375/supplement/11563/data.pdf

 

JP 

[Dever Mayfly]

Thanks for that missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle.  We know he is on the WWI memorial board of Manchester Grammar and now that he was commissioned just before his 20th birthday.  When he joined 46 Squadron, he flew the Sopwith Camel.  By mid-1918, the Camel had become obsolescent as a day fighter because its climb rate, speed and performance at altitudes over 12,000 feet were all outclassed by the latest German fighters, such as the Fokker D-VII. However, it remained viable in the ground-attack role supporting the infantry. The Camel inflicted great losses on German troops, albeit suffering a high attrition rate itself.  Bertie was based at Filescamp during the German Spring Offensive when 46 Squadron lost many pilots.  He is mentioned by Christopher Cole in his history of the Royal Air Force: 

On 9^th May the weather was fine with considerable haze.  Two enemy triplanes dived on a 46 Squadron patrol. One sat on the tail of Lieutenant RK McConnell and shot both spars and a section wire.  In order to entice the enemy down, McConnell let his machine fall as though out of control, swerving aside each time the enemy fired.  This ruse allowed Lieutenant Dodson to attack the triplane and he fired 150 rounds into it at close range.  The enemy aircraft stalled and went down in a spin for about 1000 feet then hit another enemy aircraft as though the controls had been shot away, before it eventually it crashed to the ground.    (Cole, Christopher; Royal Air Force 1918; Kimber 1968)

[Dever Mayfly]

The Second Battle of Bapaume starting on 21^st August 1918 was a continuation of the Battle of Albert.  On the third day, the Lancashire Fusiliers, 10th Manchesters and New Zealand Rifle Brigade, took Dovecote after beginning their advance at 2.30 a.m.  The front line was established east of the Albert-Arras railway line with all but one of the ridges to the south and west of Bapaume held by IV Corps.  The plan to take Bapaume involved 1st (New Zealand) Infantry Brigade, at Grévillers, moving to south, with 63rd Division advancing to protect their right flank.  Meanwhile, 2nd (New Zealand) Infantry Brigade would move north with its left flank protected by 37th Division. The aim was to envelop Bapaume, forcing the Germans to abandon it and thus avoid costly street to street fighting. 

The advance began at 5 a.m. on 25^th August under the cover of fog.  In the south, the Auckland and Wellington Battalions skirted Bapaume, taking fire from machine-gun posts.  To the north, the 2nd Infantry Brigade began its advance from Biefvillers over ground which favoured the defenders. The brigade was assigned 23 tanks and had support from the artillery and 73 Squadron Royal Air Force, although this was delayed due to the fog.  The 1st Battalion, Canterbury Regiment, one of the two leading battalions, reached their objective for the day by 7 am. The other leading battalion, 1st Otago, struggled to make progress. The British tanks misidentified the New Zealander soldiers as Germans and opened fire.  Once this was corrected, the tanks helped them reach their objective for the day, the Arras Road. They managed to link to the 37th Division on their left, but not the 1st Canterbury Battalion on their right. The Brigade Commander ordered the 2nd Canterbury Battalion to fill the gap and asked the Royal Air Force to attack the enemy in depth, despite adverse weather conditions and vulnerabilities from German machine gun fire and British Artillery. 

 

Lieutenant Dodson set off without regard for his own safety in Sopwith Camel C3314 and helped protect the New Zealand positions, but he never returned to the Squadron and his death was confirmed as one of more than 11,000 casualties at Bapaume, with the 2nd (New Zealand) Infantry Brigade suffering nearly 500 killed or wounded on that day. Lieutenant Herbert Leigh Middleton "Bertie" Dodson is remembered with honour at Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery Harcourt – Grave Reference VC 25 Stone number 1033.