Pilot Officer John (Jack) Kenneth Hobson

J11647

Jack was born on 03 April 1921 in Hamiota, Manitoba, to Harry Hobson and Annie Grierson Palmer. He was the youngest of eight children; with four sisters and three brothers: Mary, Hazel, Marguerite, William, Ruth, Arthur, and Douglas.

In 1926, Jack’s family relocated from Manitoba to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where he grew up. Jack was an athletic young man who enjoyed playing hockey, tennis, basketball, and broomball. He attended Wilson School for his primary education, City Park Collegiate for his high school studies, and Saskatoon Technical for his commercial education. Before enlisting in the military Jack worked as a warehouse clerk at Walter Woods Ltd. since 1940.

On 06 Jun 1941, Jack enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in Saskatoon. His records show that he was 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighed 152 pounds, had brown eyes, black hair, and a fresh complexion. He was Presbyterian and smoked 10 cigarettes a day. Notably, the Medical Officer described him as, “a desirable type of material” with a “good appearance” a “pleasing personality” and was “polite & mannerly”.

Jack started his basic training in Brandon, Manitoba and later trained at various stations across Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. On 11 April 1942 at Rivers, Manitoba, Jack received his observer’s wings. On 08 June 1942, he was transferred to Charlottetown, PEI for General Reconnaissance Training. A month later, on 05 July 1942, Jack went to 31 OTU (Operation Training Unit) at Debert, Nova Scotia, where he trained on operational aircraft, such as the Lockheed Hudson, as part of a bomber crew. His instructors generally regarded him as an average student, noting that he was eager to learn but sometimes careless in his work. One remarked, “I believe this lad could do better work than is indicated by his marks”, while others noted his keenness to get into action.

The OTU was the last stop for aircrew trainees before they were sent into active duty. They spent 8 to 14 weeks learning to fly operational aircraft, such as the Hawker Hurricane, the Fairey Swordfish, and the Lockheed Hudson. Their instructors had experience in actual operations and would be stationed there on their return from an operational tour.

The Lockheed Hudson, an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft, was widely used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and RCAF during World War II, particularly for anti-submarine squadrons.

Shortly after arriving at Debert, Jack wrote to his brother, Doug, a Warrant Officer stationed in northern Africa. In his letter dated, 22 July 1942, Jack mentioned his recent posting with the Coastal Command in Charlottetown. He wrote:

We are preparing for our trip across the Atlantic in a Hudson. I’m in a good crew, an Aussie pilot and two Canuck WAGs and I think we shall be OK.”

Later in the letter, he added:

This Coastal Command is a great layout, a lot of work and a great headache, too. Much water but a lot of fun and a good experience. It gets pretty foggy, hard for flying sometimes, but I expect to be here until the end of August.”

On the night of 09 August 1942, Jack was part of a five-man crew aboard the Hudson BW401, participating in a cross-country night flight exercise as the observer. In the early hours of 10 August 1942, the weather deteriorated, and the crew received orders to divert to Charlottetown. Jack acknowledged the order, and the plane turned towards its new destination. Jack’s “over and out” was the last communication received from the aircraft. Flying over hilly terrain in the darkness of the night and poor visibility, the crew did not see the hilltop ahead, and the plane crashed into Dalhousie Mountain, near Scotsburn, Nova Scotia, disintegrating on impact. All five crew members were killed, including Pilot Officer (RAAF) J.A. Bursill (pilot); Pilot Officer A. Rogers (observer), Sgt A.W. Cooke (wireless air gunner); Sgt. J.K. Hobson (observer); and Sgt. H.J. Vincent (wireless air gunner). Jack sustained severe multiple burns and injuries resulting in immediate death. The aircraft was reported missing for most of the day, and the families of the crew were notified. After receiving several sighting reports, a recovery party from Debert was dispatched to Dalhousie Mountain, where they discovered the wreckage.

Jack’s body was returned to his hometown of Saskatoon where he was laid to rest with military honours in the family plot at the Woodlawn Cemetery.

Doug, Jack’s brother, recalled one last memory of Jack. During a brief leave in Saskatoon, the brothers said goodbye as they prepared to return to their respective air stations, Jack turned to their mother and said,

“Doug will come back when this war is over but I won’t.”

ADDENDUM

Margurite, Jack’s sister, sent two ‘Armed Forces Air Letters’ to Doug to inform him of his brother’s death (see letters below). The first one was dated 12 August 1942 and comprised of the information the family had received in the two telegrams from the Military, as well as, information Marguerite was able to obtain from the local newspaper. The second letter, dated 15 August 1942, contained two letters the family received from Jack’s station that provided a little more detail about the crash, as well as, Jack’s standing with his peers and staff at the station.

On 11 August 1942, a Court of Inquiry was convened to investigate the circumstances of the crash. The board was comprised of Squadron Leader JA Coltart from No. 36 OUT Greenwood, and Flight Lieutenants JFK Barton, and CW McNeill, both from No. 31 OTU Debert. The inquiry concluded the primary cause of the crash was the pilot’s failure to spot the hilltop due to the darkness and poor visibility at their altitude. While attempting to alter course for Charlottetown, the pilot did not maintain a safe height while flying over hilly terrain. The aircraft struck the hillside at approximately 900 feet above sea level, with the starboard wing striking the ground, igniting a fire upon impact that killed all the crew members.

A lingering mystery remained in Pictou County surrounding the crash. Military authorities swiftly removed much of the wreckage, creating an air of secrecy and spawning numerous rumours. Arthur S Mackay, a resident of Scotsburn who witnessed the crash at the age of 18 stated when interviewed, “On August 10, 1942, approximately between 1:00 a.m. and 1:30 a.m., I was at my house at which time I was half-asleep in bed. I heard the roar of an aircraft which awoke me. I went to the window and first observed a red glow against the sky outlining the foothills which are about a mile away. Accompanied by this glow were puffs of white light which seemed to explode and then die out. Following this was a red flare which lit the sky right up with a sort of heat wave effect. In a few minutes I heard two explosions which jarred our house. In about five minutes the light went out — this being followed by a light rain.”

The crash twisted metal over a large area, with one of the engines plowing the soil into a mound as it cut through the trees. It was reported that vegetation took years to regrow on the spot where the plane burned or where fuel had spilled. Despite the impact of the event, no historical marker was erected for many years.

For decades, local residents discussed the possibility of creating a memorial to honour the young men who lost their lives that night. Thanks to the efforts of Gordon McLeod from Lyons Brook, and several others from Pictou County, the idea finally became a reality. On 10 August 2008, exactly 66 years after the crash, a dedication service was held at the Durham Presbyterian Church, followed by a military style ceremony at the crash site. A memorial stone and plaque were unveiled in honour of the fallen crew members. Family members of those who perished were invited to the service, including Douglas E Hobson and his wife, Shaun, who participated in the ceremony to honour Jack Hobson, his uncle.

Jack was awarded:

- - - - Air Observer’s Badge 11 April 1942
      - Memorial Cross 08 September 1942 (received posthumously and presented to his mother, Annie Hobson)

Since 1947, the Province of Saskatchewan has honoured fallen heroes through the GeoMemorial Commemorative Naming Program, which names geographical features, such as lakes, rivers, streams, sand dunes and beaches in memory of citizens who sacrifice their lives in service to the province or country. In recognition of Jack Hobson’s service, a lake in northern Saskatchewan was named after him on 01 May 1958. It is located at coordinates 56.819753,-106.191945. Doug Chisholm, a bush pilot and aircraft mechanic, initiated a project to visit these GeoMemorial sites, where he installed bronze plaques on the shoreline in honour of the individuals for whom the sites were named. He also photographed each location from the air. Hobson Lake was among the sites Doug visited, and a memorial photograph was obtained as a tribute to Jack’s legacy.