Captain Roy Edward Dodds DFC RAF
Roy Dodds ( pictured above ) was born in United States on the 19 July 1891 and lived in St,Thomas, Ontario where he worked a car salesman. He enlisted in the RFC in Canada on the 25th July 1917 and was commissioned on the 24th December 1917. He was appointed Flying Officer on the 5th January 1918 and embarked for the UK on the 15th January 1918. He was posted to No.103 Squadron on the 26th May 1918 to and served with this unit until the 23rd March 1919. He was appointed Flight Commander on the 30th September 1918.
Captain Roy Edward Dodds was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross - London Gazette dated 8 February 1919.
After the war he returned to the United States and sold cars in Detroit, Michigan. During WW2 he served as a pilot instructor with the Royal Canadian Air Force.
In his later years he was plagued by ill health with no family and little income. Dodds died alone in a boarding house room in Detroit, Michigan on the 2nd April 1965. When no one claimed his body at the local morgue, the Canadian Legion of Detroit stepped forward and had arranged for his funeral.
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Air Ministry report (5 December 1918) said he had flown 25 hours on "war flying as a pilot and formation leader", successfully led a bombing formation home intact from Leuze on afternoon of 23 October in failing light whilst under attack from ten Fokker biplanes, three of which his formation brought down. The actual citation (below) is unusually detailed: An officer who possesses high courage combined with great power of leadership. He has taken part in sixty bombing raids far over enemy territory, a large number of which he has led. In addition, he has carried out a number of photographic reconnaissances, frequently meeting and overcoming hostile aerial resistance. In the course of these flights he has destroyed four enemy machines, and his observer has accounted for three others. A fine achievement, for the machine he flies is designed for heavy bombing and long reconnaissances rather than for aerial combats. Air 1/976/204/5/1135, “Brigade Reports, August 1918", copied into Library and Archives MG.40 D.1 Volume 19 has the following under date of 11 August 1918: Lt. R.E. Dodds and 2/Lt I.B. Corey, No.103 Squadron, while photographing in the Estaures-Armentieres area about 4.30 p.m., 11/8/18, were attacked by seven E.A. They drove down two out of control and then proceeded on their photography although they continued to be harassed by the remaining five E.A. The latter broke off the combat on the approach of three Dolphins. These were elsewhere identified as Pfalz Scouts. Same file, date of 25 August 1918: Lt. Dodds, No.103 Squadron, drove down one Fokker out of control S. of Armentieres. The following notes were compiled from RAF records by W/C F.H. Hitchins: Victories with No.103 Squadron: 10 August 1918 - one out of control by pilot, one out of control by observer, 2/Lt. J.B. Russell, DFC; Peronne 10 August 1918 - one out of control by pilot, one out of control by observer, 2/Lt. L.B. Carey, Peronne 11 August 1918 - one out of control by pilot, Estaires 11 August 1918 - one out of control by observer, 2/Lt. L.B. Carey, Estaires 25 August 1918 - one out of control by pilot. 30 October 1918 - one out of control by pilot, morning, Leuza - Fokker biplane, 14,000 feet, returning - ten E.A. “Has done 25 hours war flying as pilot and formation leader; successfully led bombing formation home intact from Leuze on afternoon of 23.10.18 in failing light whilst attacked by ten Fokkers, of which his formation brought down three.” (Brigade report, “Canadians”, report for October 1918, repeated in Headquarters Summary No.5) Elsewhere total flying reported to be 250 hours, war flying 130 hours - more likely.
Item compiled by David Fell with photo from my archive.
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