Claude Congreve Dobson

Claude Congreve Dobson
Born	1 January 1885 Barton, Gloucestershire
Died	26 June 1940 Chatham, Kent
Buried at	Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1899 - 1935
Rank	Rear Admiral
Commands held	CMB 31BD
Battles/wars	World War I Russian Civil War
Awards	Victoria Cross Distinguished Service Order

Rear-Admiral Claude Congreve Dobson VC, DSO (1 January 1885 - 26 June 1940) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Dobson was an experienced submariner and small motor boat captain whoserved in World War I. He was 34 years old, and a commander in the Royal Navy 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 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.

His VC is currently displayed at the National Maritime Museum^[1]

See also

Biography portal

• Gordon Charles Steele - awarded VC in same action
• Augustus Agar - took part in the operation, awarded VC for an early action in a CMB and precluded from the main operation because of his special work for the secret services.

References

1. ^ Victoria Cross (MED2102)

• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• 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)
• Claude Congreve Dobson at Find a Grave

Persondata
Name	Dobson, Claude Congreve
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1 January 1885
Place of birth	Barton, Gloucestershire
Date of death	26 June 1940
Place of death	Chatham, Kent