John Dewar (RAF officer)

Early life

Dewar was born in Mussoni, Lahore, India, the second son of Douglas Dewar who was working for the Indian Civil Service at the time but originally came from Camberley in Surrey. John was named for his grandfather, John M.E. Scatliff. He was educated at The King's School, Canterbury where he was a School Monitor and played in the Cricket XI and the Rugby XV. Dewar was a member of the school Officer Training Corps, attaining the rank of Sergeant. He was also Editor of the school magazine, The Cantuarian.

Royal Air Force

Dewar attended the Royal Air Force College Cranwell from 1926 and 1927 and on graduation was commissioned as a Pilot Officer. His first posting was to No. 13 Army Co-operation Squadron at Andover. Dewar was promoted to Flying Officer on 17 June 1929. He became a Qualified Flying Instructor at the School of Naval Cooperation. In 1933 he was posted to No. 822 Fleet Spotter/Reconnaissance (an attached RAF flight that later became part of the Fleet Air Arm) and joined HMS Furious. He served as part of the Home Fleet and in the Mediterranean. On one occasion he was washed overboard in the Bay of Biscay but was rescued.

He was promoted to the rank of Flight Lieutenant on 1 February 1934 while at sea in the Caribbean. In 1934 he was transferred to No. 801 Fleet Fighter Squadron. From 1936 to 1938 Dewar served in the Armament Testing Section at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) at RAF Martlesham Heath, and participated in the early development of both the Hurricane and Spitfire prototypes. He was promoted to Squadron Leader on 1 February 1938 and posted to Thorney Island as Senior Operations Officer.

On 10 November 1939 he was posted to RAF's No. 11 Group pilot pool for reassignment to a fighter squadron. He was by that time one of the most senior active duty pilots in the RAF.

Family life

On 10 July 1937 he married Kathleen "Kay" Bowyer, daughter of Southampton politician P.V. Bowyer.

World War II

Dewar was given command of No. 87 Squadron RAF on 29 November 1939 and led the Squadron during operations during the Battle of France, distinguishing himself by his superb piloting and leadership skills. On 7 May 1940, returning from a sortie in bad weather and low on fuel, Dewar had to force land his Hurricane at an unserviceable airfield at Villefranche. As he touched down his wheels dug into the mud and the aircraft overturned, severely injuring his right shoulder.

In spite of his injury, he refused to ground himself and continued to fly. He claimed a Dornier Do 17 shared and two Junker Ju 87s of I./StG 2 on 11 May, and another JU 87 the next day. For this and his leadership of 87 Squadron he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). On 20 May 1940, in the face of the advancing German Army, Dewar ordered his squadron to return to England .

He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross which appeared in the London Gazette of 31 May 1940. The citation reads:

Air Ministry, 31 May 1940.

ROYAL AIR FORCE.
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the undermentioned awards, in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy:—
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
[...]
Squadron Leader John Scatliff DEWAR (26029)

In the same edition of the Gazette he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order with the following citation:

Air Ministry, 31 May 1940.

ROYAL AIR FORCE.
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the undermentioned appointments and awards in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy:—
Appointed Companions of the Distinguished Service Order.
Squadron Leader John Scatliff DEWAR, D.F.C. (26029)

He continued to fly operationally from RAF Exeter with No. 87 Squadron during the Battle of Britain, claiming two Bf 110 fighters on 11 July, a share in a Ju 88 on 13 August, and a Ju88 destroyed on 25 August.

On 1 September 1940 he was promoted to the rank of Wing Commander and became the Officer Commanding RAF Exeter.

On 11 September 1940 Dewar took off on a routine flight from RAF Exeter for RAF Tangmere in Hurricane V7306 but he failed to arrive. There was considerable enemy action in late afternoon that day around Southampton, including a low-level bombing raid on Eastleigh airfield by the elite Eprobungsgruppe 210. The timing of this raid closely approximates in time and location Dewar's route north of Southampton, so it has been speculated is that he may have observed enemy aircraft and decided to join the combat on his own. As it was an "unofficial" flight (he was taking advantage of a brief lull in the action to visit his wife who lived near Tangmere), he was not reported as missing until the following day, 12 September, which is erroneously recorded in the records as his date of death. Dewar was the highest RAF ranking officer to be lost during the battle.

His body was washed ashore on 30 September 1940 at Kingston Gorse in Sussex. There is some mystery surrounding his death as some reports suggest that he had taken to his parachute and that his body "was riddled with bullets" when it was found, implying that he had been shot and killed during his parachute descent. We know one suitable claim for his loss. Lt. Günter Hess (1.) of 2./JG 53, Hurricane at 18.00 (OKL+JFV d.Dt.Lw. 4/II-129B), so he was killed bo rookie.

John Scatliff Dewar is buried at St John the Baptist church in North Baddesley, Hampshire. He and his wife Kay had no children. Kay died on 16 September 2001 at Blatchington Court, Seaford.