Dobson, Richard Iver
- Date of birth:
- December 12th, 1906 (Antwerp, Belgium)
- Service number:
- 183649
- Nationality:
- British
Biography
Before the war, Richard Dobson was a shipping agent in Antwerp and thus spoke Flemish fluently
At the beginning of the Second World War he was working with MI6 as a Conducting Officer (training officer for agents)
In February 1941 he was employed with T section at first as an interpreter but later in various roles. After that he was employed as head of the Belgian section.
In March 1944 he became head of the Dutch Section which was at that time penetrated by German counter-espionage. Known as the Englandspiel "clandestine" radio transmissions from the Netherlands fed the British false information, leading to the capture and death of most of the British and Dutch agents dropped into the Netherlands.
Dobson soon succesfully reorganised the Section.
Major Giskes head of German counter espionage in the Netherlands decided to call off the Englandspiel and sent a final signal to London.
Dobson remained in charge of the Dutch Section until the end of the war.
Promotions:"
April 18th, 1941: 2nd Lieutenant (without army pay and allowances)
? Lieutenant
? Captain
? Major (war sub)
April 19th, 1946: Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel
Do you have more information about this person? Inform us!
Officier in de Orde van Oranje Nassau met zwaarden (ON.4x)
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel
- Unit:
- N Section, Special Operations Executive (SOE), British Government
- Awarded on:
- May 23rd, 1947
"As head of the Dutch section of the Special Operations Executive from March 1944 to May 1945, Lt-Colonel Dobson displayed great devotion to duty and meritorious service in the field connected with the Armed Resistance Forces struggle and in the liberation of the Netherlands.
Lt-Colonel Dobson’s outstanding ability when working as Operations Organiser greatly assisted the Allied Forces advancement. Through his untiring efforts, determination and leadership he enabled many missions to be successfully achieved.”
Medal of Freedom with Bronze Palm
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel
- Awarded on:
- July 18th, 1947
Officier in de Orde van Leopold II
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel
- Unit:
- T Section, Special Operations Executive (SOE), British Government
- Awarded on:
- September 12th, 1948
“In recognition of services rendered to Belgium.”
The explanation for the award comes clear in a letter from Paul Bihin, Administrateur de la Sűreté de l’ Etat:
“Lt. Colonel Richard Dobson, attached to the British Special Services, has cooperated with the Belgian section of this organisation since February 12 1941 as Interpreter and conducting officer, he was later Briefing Officer and Operating Officer. He is one of the British officers with the longest records of service in the Belgian section. His thorough knowledge of Belgium and its two national languages enabled him to render invaluable services in the “underground” work in occupied territory.”
France and Germany Star
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
Sources
- - Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 37961 published on the 20 May 1947
- Second Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 38018 published on the 15 July 1947
- Second Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 38405 published on the 14 September 1948
- Morton and Eden
- The Dutch Medals Page
- Thompson On Name Study
- Englandspiel
Looking for reliable information or news facts about WW2? Do you want to create your own battlefield tour to sights of wars from the past? Or are you interested in war medals and their recipients? TracesOfWar.com tells you more!
More information
© STIWOT, 1999-2024. All rights reserved. Privacy statement, cookies, disclaimer and copyright