Bob Doe - The quiet hero

Wing Commander Robert Francis Thomas Doe DSO (India) DFC was born on the 10th March 1920 in Reigate, Surrey.

Bob was shy as a boy and prone to regular bouts of illness. He left Leatherhead School at the age of 14 and went to work at the News of the World as an office boy.

In March 1938 he signed up with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in March 1938. training with 15 Elementary & Reserve Flying Training School at Redhill. He gained a short service commission in the RAF in March 1939 and completed his training as a combat pilot with 6 Flying Training School at RAF Little Rissington

Doe didn’t exactly fit the stereotype fighter pilot. He lacked confidence and found it difficult to qualify as a pilot. He barely passed his exams to gain his wings. He was poor at aerobatics and, not exactly ideal for a fighter pilot, he did not like flying upside down.

However pass he did and on 6th November he was posted to No. 234 Squadron flying Spitfires Posted on 6th November 1939 to No 234 Squadron (Spitfires) at RAF Leconfield.

Bob served with 234 Squadron for most of the Battle of Britain. He recorded his first hit on August 15th 1940 when he shot down two Messerchmitt BF 110’s. He went onto record 14 kills, 1 probable.
But it wasn’t always plain sailing (or should that be flying), on October 10th 1940 his plane - a Hawker hurricane - was damaged over Warmwell, Dorset at 12:00. He was wounded in his shoulder and leg and forced to bail out over Brownsea Island. The plane crashed near Corfe Castle. Bob was admitted to Poole Hospital on 22 October 1940. Bob was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and received a bar a month later on November 26th.

In January 1941 while on night sortie, oil in the oil cooler of his aircraft froze and the engine seized. Bob landed heavily at Warmwell on a snow covered runway, breaking his harness and smashing his face against the reflector sight, almost severing his nose and breaking his arm. He recovered at Park Prewett Hospital where he underwent 22 operations.

In May 1941 Bob was posted as a flight commander to no 66 Squadron. This was followed by various postings where he led the training of the next batch of pilots.

In October 1943, Bob was transferred to India to fight in the Burma campaign. In December 1943, Doe formed No 10 Squadron and stayed with it until April 1945. After this, Doe was appointed to the Indian Staff College at Quetta. After the war in the Far East had finished, Doe was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his “inspiring leadership and unconquerable spirit and great devotion to duty”.

Bob returned to UK in 1946 and remained in the RAF until 1st April 1966 when he retired with rank of Wing Commander.

Bob passed away aged 89 on 21st February 2010.

Sources
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Doe