Dean Hugh Dover

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CANADIANS DOWN ENEMY FIGHTERS IN AIR TANGLES
Three Nazis Destroyed and a Fourth Damaged During Battle
RAILWAYS BLASTED

London, Aug. 20, 1943 — (CP Cable) — Three German fighters were destroyed and one was badly damaged yesterday by the R.C.A.F, fighter wing in sweeps over France and Holland, it was announced today. The actions cost the wing one pilot, who had received his commission just two hours before going on the sweep.
The Canadians sighted 15 or more Nazi fighters over Holland. The Nazis dispersed, but four were brought to battle and the Canadians blew two of them from the sky.
Flight-Lieut. Dean Dover, of Toronto, member of the Wolf squadron, destroyed one with a short burst from 100 yards, and F/O S. Harry Dowding, of Sarnia, Ont. and Thomas Brannagan, of Windsor, Ont., shared another. This was the first encounter with the enemy for Brannagan in +15 sweeps over the Continent.

Gets First Enemy
Flight-Lieut. Arthur Coles, of Vancouver, chalked up his first destroyed plane by getting a Messerschmitt 109 south of Abbeville. He poured fire into the Nazi and went low to watch him explode.
"There were two Jerries together but the second one did not bother me when I went after the first one," Coles said.
F/O A. Fleming, of Smith Falls, Ont., badly damaged a Messerschmitt near Abbeville. He saw it go into a spin, but did not know if it crashed.
During last night Canadian Mustangs and Mosquitoes attacked railway yards at Orleans, damaging a number of locomotives. They also raided the airfields at Tours and other railway and ground targets. All returned safely.

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ONTARIO FLIERS ARE PROMOTED

London, Sept. 27, 1943 (CP) — R.C.A.F. overseas headquarters announced the following promotions of Ontario fliers (in part):
From Flying Officer to Flight Lieutenant – D. E. Noonan, Kingston; W. A. Olmsted, Hamilton; W. R. McRae, Port Arthur.
From Flying Officer to Temporary Flight Lieutenant – J. H. Turnbull, St. Thomas; H. J. Everard, Timmins.
From Pilot Officer to Temporary Flying Officer – D. H. Dover, Mount Dennis

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14 RCAF MEN ON HONORS LIST

Ottawa, Aug. 10, 1944 - (CP) - Air Force headquarters announced tonight award of a Bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross to two members of the RCAF serving overseas and award of D.F.C.'s to 12 other officers. The awards:

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PL-19718 - 403 Squadron March 1943

Front row: F/O Joseph P. Lecoq, Montreal,F/L. Charles P. Thornton, Detroit; P/O John Allen Wilson, Hamilton; Sgt. Stanley Barnes, Toronto; F/O Stanley W. Matthews, Winnipeg; W/O1 Clinton F. Rae, Moulinette, Ont. and Sgt. James R. MacKinnon, Winnipeg.

Middle row: F/O Livingston Foster, Grimsby, Ont.; F/O Robert G. Middlemiss, Montreal; F/O James F. Lambert, Winnipeg; F/L Dean Dover, Mount Dennis, Toronto; S/L Frank E. (Bitsy) Grant, Brockville, Ont.; W/C J.E. Johnson, DSO and bar, DFC and bar; F/L Noel J. Ogilvie, Ottawa; F/O Harry Dowding, Sarnia, Ontario; F/O J. D. Browne, Florham Park, New Jersey and P/O Paul K. Gray, Toronto.

Back row: F/O Thomas A. Brannagan, Windsor, Ont.; F/O John Hodgson, Calgary; F/L Arthur C. Coles, North Vancouver, BC; F/L Herbert J. Southwood, Calgary; Sgt. Norman V. Chevers, Niagara Falls, Ont.F/O James Preston, St. Catharines, Ont.; F/L David Goldberg, Hamilton; F/O Malcolm J. Gordon, Edmonton and F/L Harry A. Pattinson, Hamilton.

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DOVER, F/L Dean Hugh (J16342) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.403 Squadron
Award effective 8 August 1944 as per London Gazette dated 11 August 1944 and
AFRO 2101/44 dated 29 September 1944.

Public Record Office Air 2/9633 indicates he was recommended when he had flown 100 sorties (160 operational hours).

This officer has led his squadron on a great number of operations with marked success and has assisted in destroying many enemy aircraft, personally shooting down two. An outstanding leader he has always displayed great courage and devotion to duty.

NOTE: Public Record Office Air 2/9633 has recommendation dated 6 December 1943. It evidently was not approved at the time. The document is interesting for the long list of sorties (100 trips plus one Air/Sea Rescue sweep) totalling 160 hours; it is transcribed here for the record:

This officer's devotion to duty, outstanding ability to lead and keenness in air battles has been an inspiration to all pilots in his squadron. He has led his squadron on at least 20 occasions over France with marked success and apart from assisting in destroying many enemy aircraft he has personally shot down two in combat well inside enemy occupied territory.

On 6 December 1943 his unit Commanding Officer, Squadron Leader R.A. Buckham, wrote:

With my knowledge of the above mentioned officer I concur completely with the above statement.

- The document was further favourably endorsed by Group Captain W.R. McBrien (6 December 1943), an Air Vice Marshal (signature illegible, 13 December 1943) and by the Air Officer Commanding, Tactical Air Force (1 January 1944). In light of these statements, it is difficult to understand the delay before Dover was awarded a DFC.

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JOHNSON WING BAGS 14 PLANES, DAMAGES SIX

By HAROLD MAYES
With the Tactical Air Force in Belgium, Sept, 27, 1944 - (Reuter) - Wing Cmdr. Johnny Johnson, Britain's leading fighter pilot, shot down his 38th German aircraft today as the Canadian fighter wing he commands destroyed 14 planes and damaged six in fierce battles along the Rhine east of the Holland salient.
Up to lunch time today Johnson's wing had brought its total of German planes destroyed in 1½ days to 23.
Another Canadian Spitfire wing, led by Wing Cmdr. Dal Russel, D.F.C. and Bar, of Westmount, Que., has a total of 30 planes shot down in 2½ days, 20 of them by a squadron led by Sqdn. Ldr. Dean Dover, D.F.C., of Toronto.

Four Canadian pilots got two kills each today
One of them, Flt. Lt. Rod Smith, D.F.C., of Regina, attacked an Me-109 out of a formation of 10 German fighters with a four-second burst from 150 yards and saw it crash into the Rhine. Twenty minutes later he shot down another Me-109 as it was diving in an attempt to bomb the vital Nijmegen Bridge.
The pilot of the plane was seen to drop out, but the parachute did not open.
Smith yesterday destroyed two FW190's and now is credited with 11 planes destroyed.
The Germans, who are operating in formations up to 50 strong, are taking a terrific beating in every combat. Although the totals are smaller because fewer German aircraft are engaged on a percentage basis, tactical air force pilots now are rivaling the first Battle of Britain days.
The Germans still seek security in large numbers, but their pilots are proving no match for those of the Allies.
Yesterday some German fighters trying to give close support to their troops between Arnhem and Nijmegen were operating at deck level while others gave cover at between 6,000 and 8,000 feet. But with continual harassing by Allied fighter patrols they met with little success.
The only time during the day when the Germans were on the winning side in a single air battle was when 30 of them pounced on six rocket-firing Typhoons, two of which are missing.
The Germans are using a mixed bag of aircraft at night in attacks on the salient area.
One Ju-87 was shot down last night, and the previous night an Me-109 was destroyed.
By day they are using some jet propelled Me-262s, which are a purely experimental type for bombing missions. Yesterday one was damaged by Spitfires.
With their road and rail links being attacked day and night by the Allied air forces, the communication problems for the Germans trying to defend their own country may soon approach a state of chaos.
The attacks on communications are being carried out without switching a single aircraft from tactical obligations in the immediate battle areas.
The whole weight of Allied air supremacy now is being used in a manner never previously achieved.

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RECORD SCORE MADE BY TWO RCAF GROUPS

An Advanced RCAF Airfield in Holland, Nov. 22, 1944 - (CP) - Here's the record of a hot day's operations by two RCAF Spitfire squadrons operating as fighter-bombers,
Four enemy fighters destroyed, a fifth probably destroyed; enemy rail lines cut at 20 points; a direct hit with a bomb on a road bridge; one locomotive destroyed, 22 damaged and put out of action; six freight cars destroyed; 28 damaged; two anti-aircraft railway cars destroyed, and two damaged; four barges damaged; seven transport vehicles destroyed, two probably knocked out and seven damaged.
The squadrons are commanded by S/L Dean Dover, DFC, Mount Dennis, and S/L William Olmsted, DFC, Hamilton, in a wing directed operationally by Wing Cmdr. Dal Russel, DFC and Bar, of Montreal.
F/L Don Laubman, DFC and Bar, of Edmonton, brought his bag to 15 German aircraft destroyed as a result of the day's encounters.
F/O's Don Goodwin, Maynooth, Ont., and Neil Burns, 196 Eglinton Ave., Toronto, took off on a weather reconnaissance flight, but returned an hour later after disabling six locomotives, destroying six freight cars and cutting two rail lines. They encountered a perfect setup for dive-bombing—two trains passing one another—10 miles east of Deventer. They scored direct hits on both, severing the parallel lines and destroying six cars. Then they returned and strafed both locomotives.
En route home they damaged four more engines by cannon and machine-gun fire. Olmsted's men had the most success against trains, disabling 18 of 23 Locomotives and all but three of 34 freight cars.

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Flyers Play Havoc With Hun Utilities
Canadian Spitfire Pilots Destroy Enemy Transport

November 23, 1944 - The Spitfire Squadron commanded in Holland by Squadron-Ldr. William Olmsted, DFC, of Hamilton, continues to play havoc with German communications. This squadron and another, commanded by Squadron-Ldr. Dean Dover, DFC, of Mount Dennis, seem to be engaged in a friendly competition, judging from the dispatches from that war theatre, and the results are disastrous for the enemy.
They had a "hot" day recently, and here's the record: Four enemy fighters destroyed; a fifth probably destroyed; enemy rail lines cut at 20 points; a direct hit with a bomb on a road bridge; one locomotive destroyed and 22 damaged and put out of action; six freight cars destroyed, 22 damaged; two anti-aircraft railway cars destroyed and two damaged; seven transport vehicles destroyed, two probably knocked out and seven damaged.
Squadron-Ldr. Olmsted's flyers had the most success against trains — they disabled 18 of 23 locomotives and all but three of 34 freight cars.

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DOVER, S/L Dean Hugh, DFC (J16342) - Bar to DFC - No.412 Squadron
Award effective 1 December 1944 as per London Gazette of that date and
AFRO 239/45 dated 9 February 1945.

Squadron Leader Dover, now on his second tour of operational duty, has proved an outstanding leader, both in the air and on the ground. His great skill, coolness and tactical ability have contributed materially to the success of the squadron which, within a short period, has put out of action some 528 enemy vehicles. In addition, three enemy aircraft have been destroyed. By his outstanding keenness, iron determination and untiring devotion to duty, Squadron Leader Dover has set a splendid example to all.

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1945

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Canadian Fighter Pilots Get Biggest Bag of Huns

London, Jan. 2, 1945 - (CP) - Canadian fighter pilots accounted for at least half of the 94 German planes destroyed by the RAF's 2nd Tactical Air Force New Year's Day when the Luftwaffe made an attempt to cripple west front airfield operations.
A compilation tonight, based on the latest reports received from the Continent, showed that RCAF fighters in their biggest day of the war destroyed at least 36 enemy aircraft and half-a-dozen others fel1 to Canadian sharpshooters in RAF Squadrons.
The top scoring wing in the 2nd Tactical Air Force during the day of close to 100 "kills" was the Canadian Spitfire unit which brought down 24 German machines, probably destroyed another three and damaged seven. An untold number of probables and damaged planes were claimed by other Canadians.
The wing’s scorers included two airmen who downed three planes apiece, both from the Ram Squadron. F/O G. D. Cameron of Toronto destroyed a trio of ME-109s while F/L John Mackay of Cloverdale, B.C. destroyed two ME-109s and an FW-190. Mackay got the last two without using his guns because they dived into the ground when he chased them.
F/L D. Pieri of Toronto and Elmhurst, Ill., destroyed two ME-190s and probably destroyed two others.
F/L Dick Audet of Lethbridge, Alta., who last Friday shot down five enemy planes in little more than five minutes, brought his total to seven with two FW-190s bagged as they roared low over his field. Friday's quintet were the first aircraft the 22 year-old Lethbridge airman had downed.
Others from the Canadian wing, who helped to set up the day's record - the previous top mark for the Canadians in a single day was 22 planes - included S/L Ldr. Dean Dover, DFC, and Bar, of Toronto, who destroyed an ME-109 and shared another with F/O Dean Kelly of Peterborough, Ont. and F/L Donald Gordon of Vancouver with two ME-109's.
Double scorers included F/L J. W. Garland. Richmond, Ont.; P/O Steve Butte, Michel, B.C.; P/O Mac Reeves, Madoc, Ont. and F/O A. H. Fraser, Westmount, Que.
Single scorers included F/L B. Banks, Toronto; F/L B. MacPherson, St. Thomas, Ont.; F/L Basil Doak, Cowansville, Que.; F/O Vic Smith, Toronto; F/O J. C. Lee, Ottawa; P/O D. M. Horsburgh, Carnduff, Sask.; F/L N. Keen, White Lake, B.C.; F/O H. Laurence, Edson, Alta.; and F/S Keith Lindsay, 10764 95th St. Edmonton. Lindsay also claimed one probable.
Operations today were restricted by weather but 90 sorties were flown and all aircraft returned. Two locomotives were destroyed and four others damaged in the Cologne area by Spitfire fighter-bombers.

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Victories Include :

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A series of photos taken at an end-of-the-war party

Charlie Fox, Gord McGregor & Dover

Paul Davoud, Dover & McGregor

Maurice Boyd, Dover & Fox

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