Rear-Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

Claude Congreve Dobson VC, DSO (1 January 1885 – 26 June 1940) was an English recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

forces.

Biography

Dobson was born in

Clifton, Bristol Clifton is an inner suburb of Bristol, England, and the name of one of the city's thirty-five Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom, electoral wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells. The easter ...

and was educated at

Clifton College Clifton College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in the city of Bristol in South West England, founded in 1862 and offering both boarding school, boarding and day school for pupils aged 13–18. In its early years, unlike mo ...

. He was an experienced submariner and small motor boat captain who served in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He was 34 years old, and a

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

serving with the North Russia Relief Force when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC: On 18 August 1919 at Kronstadt, Russia, Commander Dobson was in command of the

Coastal Motor Boat Coastal Motor Boat was a small high-speed British torpedo boat used by the Royal Navy in the First World War and up to end of the Second World War. During the First World War, following a suggestion from three junior officers of the Harwich ...

Flotilla which he led through the chain of forts to the entrance to Kronstadt harbour. ''CMB 31BD'', a 55 ft boat, from which he directed the general operations then passed in under heavy machine-gun fire and hit the battleship ''Andrei Pervozvanny'' with both torpedoes, subsequently returning through heavy fire to the open sea. ''CMB 31BD'' was commanded and helmed by Lieutenant

Russell Hamilton McBean Captain Russell Hamilton McBean Distinguished Service Order, DSO Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom), DSC (3 March 1894 – 30 September 1963) was an officer in the Royal Navy and was one of the men who took part in the Raid on Kronstadt ...

. His VC is currently displayed at the

National Maritime Museum The National Maritime Museum (NMM) is a maritime museum in Greenwich, London. It is part of Royal Museums Greenwich, a network of museums in the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. Like other publicly funded national museums in the Unit ...

Greenwich Greenwich ( , , ) is an List of areas of London, area in south-east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London, east-south-east of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime hi ...

.Victoria Cross (MED2102)

References

* ''

The Register of the Victoria Cross ''The Register of the Victoria Cross'' is a reference work that provides brief information on every Victoria Cross awarded until the publication date. Each entry provides a summary of the deed, along with a photograph of the recipient and the f ...

'' (This England, 1997) * ''

Monuments to Courage David Charles Harvey (29 July 1946 – 4 March 2004) was a British historian and author. He is notable for his seminal work, ''Monuments To Courage'', which documents the graves of almost all recipients of the Victoria Cross, a task that took ...

'' (David Harvey, 1999) * ''Valiant Hearts, Atlantic Canada and the Victoria Cross'', by John Boileau, 2005, publishers Nimbus Publishing ltd. *

External links

Location of grave and VC medal
(Kent) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dobson, Claude Congreve 1885 births 1940 deaths British recipients of the Victoria Cross Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Royal Navy personnel of the Russian Civil War Royal Navy rear admirals People educated at Clifton College Royal Navy recipients of the Victoria Cross Royal Navy officers of World War I Burials in Kent Royal Navy submariners Military personnel from Bristol 19th-century Royal Navy personnel

Biography

See also

References

External links