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	\|rank= [[Wing commander (rank)\|Wing Commander]]		\|rank= [[Wing commander (rank)\|Wing Commander]]
	\|unit=		\|unit=
	\|commands= [IAF No. 10 Squadron] (1943–45)		\|commands= [[IAF No. 10 Squadron]] (1943–45)
	\|battles= [[Second World War]]		\|battles= [[Second World War]]
	* [[Battle of Britain]]		* [[Battle of Britain]]

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{{more citations needed|date=July 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Robert Francis Thomas Doe
|image= File:Robert Doe, RAF fighter pilot and ace.jpg
|image_size=
|caption= Bob Doe, during World War II
|nickname=
|birth_date= {{birth date|1920|03|10|df=yes}}
|birth_place= [[Reigate]], Surrey
|death_date= {{death date and age|2010|02|21|1920|03|10|df=yes}}
|death_place=
|placeofburial=
|allegiance= United Kingdom
|branch= [[Royal Air Force]]
|serviceyears= 1939–1966
|rank= [[Wing commander (rank)|Wing Commander]]
|unit=
|commands= [IAF No. 10 Squadron] (1943–45)
|battles= [[Second World War]]
* [[Battle of Britain]]
* [[Burma Campaign]]
|awards= [[Distinguished Service Order]]<br/>[[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] & [[Medal bar|Bar]]
|relations=
|laterwork=
}}
'''Robert Francis Thomas Doe''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|DSO|DFC1}} (10 March 1920 – 21 February 2010) was a British fighter pilot and [[flying ace]] of the [[Second World War]]. He flew with the [[Royal Air Force]] during the [[Battle of Britain]], and was seconded to the [[Indian Air Force]] during the [[Burma campaign]].

==Early life==
Robert Francis Thomas Doe was born in [[Reigate]], [[Surrey]], on 10 March 1920. After leaving school before taking examinations he started work as an office boy for the [[News of the World]]. Doe joined the [[Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve]] in March 1938 and made his first solo flight on 16 June 1938.<ref>Helen Doe, ''Fighter Pilot: The Life of Battle of Britain Ace Bob Doe'' (Amberley Books, 2015)</ref>

==Second World War==
After applying for a short service commission, Doe joined the [[Royal Air Force]] in January 1939. Doe trained with 15 E&RFTS (Elementary & Reserve Flying Training School) at [[Redhill Aerodrome|RAF Redhill]], Surrey and combat training with [[Central Flying School|6 Flying Training School]] at [[RAF Little Rissington]].<ref>Bob Doe, ''Bob Doe – Fighter Pilot'', (Spellmount, 1991, {{ISBN|0946771731}})</ref>

Doe was posted on 6 November 1939 to [[No. 234 Squadron RAF|No. 234 Squadron]], a Spitfire Squadron at [[RAF Leconfield]] alongside [[Australia]]n [[Paterson Clarence Hughes|Pat Hughes]], who would later become an ace. Doe served with No. 234 squadron for most of the [[Battle of Britain]]. Doe claimed his first victory on 15 August 1940 when he shot down two [[Messerschmitt Bf 110]]s followed by a [[Messerschmitt Bf 109]] and a [[Dornier Do 18]] on 16 August, a Bf 109 destroyed (of [[JG 52]]) and another Bf 109 damaged on 18 August, a half-share of a [[KG 54]] [[Junkers Ju 88]] on 21 August and a Bf 109 shot down on 26 August 1940. In September, he added to his tally with No. 234 Squadron with three Bf 110s on 4 September, a shared [[JG 53]] Bf 109 on 5 September, three damaged [[Dornier Do 17]]s and a Bf 109 shot down on 6 September, and a [[Heinkel He 111]] destroyed on 7 September.

On 27 September 1940 Doe was posted to [[No. 238 Squadron RAF|No. 238 Squadron]], flying Hurricanes from [[RAF Middle Wallop]] in [[Wiltshire]], claiming his first victory for the squadron on 30 September by shooting down a [[KG 55]] [[He 111]]. In October, Doe shot down a Bf 110 on 1 October and a Ju 88 on 7 October, the last of his 14 and 2 shared aerial victories of the battle and of the war.

On 10 October, in combat over [[Warmwell]], [[Dorset]] with some Bf 109s at 12:00, his plane was critically damaged and he was wounded in the leg and shoulder. Doe bailed out, landing on [[Brownsea Island]] while his [[Hawker Hurricane]] crashed near [[Corfe Castle (village)|Corfe Castle]] viaduct on what is now part of the [[Swanage Railway]]. Admitted to [[Poole Hospital]] on 22 October 1940, Doe was awarded the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] and received a [[Medal bar|Bar]] a month later on 26 November. Doe rejoined No. 238 Squadron in December 1940.

In January 1941, while flying a night sortie, the oil in the [[Cooler (oil)|oil cooler]] of his aircraft froze. As a result of his engine seizing he landed heavily at Warmwell on the snow-covered runway, breaking his harness and smashing his face against the [[reflector sight]], almost severing his nose and breaking his arm. Doe was taken to [[Park Prewett|Park Prewett Hospital]] where he underwent 22 operations by pioneering New Zealand [[plastic surgeon]] [[Harold Gillies]]. (After the war he was invited to join the [[Guinea Pig Club]].<ref>Helen Doe, ''Fighter Pilot: The Life of Battle of Britain Ace Bob Doe'' (Amberley Books, 2015)</ref>)

On 15 May 1941 he was posted as a Flight Commander to [[No. 66 Squadron RAF|No. 66 Squadron]] and then joined [[No. 130 Squadron RAF|No. 130 Squadron]] on 18 August. The series of operations in a two-month period and the need to bring through fresh pilots who could be trained by experienced hands, meant Doe's career as a front line fighter pilot was over for the time being. On 22 October 1941 Doe was posted to No. 57 Operational Training Unit as an instructor. On 9 June 1943 Doe went to the Fighter Leaders School at [[RAF Milfield]] and then joined [[No. 118 Squadron RAF|No. 118 Squadron]] at [[RAF Coltishall]] in July. In August 1943 he joined [[No. 613 Squadron RAF|No. 613 Squadron]].<ref>Helen Doe, ''Fighter Pilot: The Life of Battle of Britain Ace Bob Doe'' (Amberley Books, 2015)</ref>

In October 1943 Doe was posted to [[Burma]] as the activities on the Western Front changed from defence to attack in preparation for [[Operation Overlord]] and the invasion of [[Normandy]]; while in the East, the [[Imperial Japanese Army|Japanese Army]] was still advancing on key [[British Empire]] assets, including India.

In December 1943 Doe was tasked with forming [[No. 10 Squadron IAF|No. 10 Squadron]] of the [[Indian Air Force]], commanding it throughout the [[Burma Campaign]] until April 1945 when he joined the [[Indian Army Staff College]] in [[Quetta]] and then from August the planning staff at [[Delhi]]. On 2 October 1945, Doe received the [[Distinguished Service Order]] for his leadership of No. 10 Squadron.<ref>Helen Doe, ''Fighter Pilot: The Life of Battle of Britain Ace Bob Doe'' (Amberley Books, 2015)</ref>

==Later life==
In September 1946, Doe returned to the UK, where he held several staff positions. He commanded No. 32 squadron in Egypt in 1952, and retired on 1 April 1966 with the rank of wing commander.<ref>Bob Doe, ''Bob Doe – Fighter Pilot'' (Spellmount, 1991)</ref>

After retirement, Doe opened a garage business. He also wrote his autobiography ''Bob Doe – Fighter Pilot''. He died on 21 February 2010, aged 89.

==Quotations==
{{quote|We do not want to be remembered as heroes, we ask only to be remembered for what we did ... that's all.|W/C Robert "Bob" Doe British 234 & 238 Squadrons Fighter Command<ref>[http://battleofbritain1940.net/bobhsoc/ Battle of Britain Historical Society]</ref>}}

{{quote|If you believe in yourself and believe in what you are doing then you are twice as strong as if you don't. That is what I believe and I certainly believed in my right to defend my land.|Wing Commander Bob Doe, RAF pilot (in [[National Geographic Society|''National Geographic'']])}}

{{quote|I wasn't fighting for King and Country. I was fighting for my Mum. I just didn't want them over here. I didn't think it was right..."|Wing Commander Bob Doe, RAF pilot (in [["Finest Hour" BBC TV Series published on dvd 2004|''BBC'']])}}

==Combat record==
<small>Source: Shores & Williams, ''Aces High'', pp. 223–4</small>
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders collapsible collapsed" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; text-align:right;"
|-
! colspan="6" | Chronicle of aerial victories
|-
!width="140" align=center|Date
!width="100" align=center|Service
!width="100" align=center|Flying
!width="160" align=center|Kills
!width="140" align=center|Probables
!align=center|Notes
|-
|15 August 1940
|[[Royal Air Force]]
|
|1.5 * [[Messerschmitt Bf 110]]
|
|
|-
|16 August 1940
|Royal Air Force
|
|1 * [[Messerschmitt Bf 109]]
|1 * [[Dornier Do 18]]
|
|-
|18 August 1940
|Royal Air Force
|
|1 * Messerschmitt Bf 109
|
|
|-
|21 August 1940
|Royal Air Force
|
|0.5 * [[Junkers Ju 88]]
|
|
|-
|26 August 1940
|Royal Air Force
|
|1 * Messerschmitt Bf 109
|
|
|-
|4 September 1940
|Royal Air Force
|
|3 * Messerschmitt Bf 110
|
|
|-
|5 September 1940
|Royal Air Force
|
|1 * Messerschmitt Bf 109
|
|
|-
|6 September 1940
|Royal Air Force
|
|1 * Messerschmitt Bf 109
|
|
|-
|7 September 1940
|Royal Air Force
|
|1 * [[Heinkel He 111]]
|
|
|-
|30 September 1940
|Royal Air Force
|
|1 * Heinkel He 111
|
|
|-
|1 October 1940
|Royal Air Force
|
|1 * Messerschmitt Bf 110
|
|
|-
|7 October 1940
|Royal Air Force
|
|1 * Junkers Ju 88
|
|
|-
!align=center|TOTALS
!
!
!14 kills, 2 shared
!1 probable, 5 damaged
!
|-
|}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|id=1658805|name=Bob Doe}}
* [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/air-force-obituaries/7294353/Wing-Commander-Bob-Doe.html Wing Commander Bob Doe] – Daily Telegraph obituary
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article7047111.ece Wing Commander Bob Doe] – The Times obituary

{{Top UK World War II Aces}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Subject bar
| portal1=Aviation
| portal2=Biography
| portal3=United Kingdom
| portal4=World War II
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Doe, Bob}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:2010 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Reigate]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force wing commanders]]
[[Category:British World War II flying aces]]
[[Category:Indian Air Force officers]]
[[Category:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order]]
[[Category:The Few]]
[[Category:Members of the Guinea Pig Club]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force pilots of World War II]]

Bob Doe - Revision history

Bot at 02:07, 12 February 2022

Bot at 02:07, 12 February 2022

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