Awarded the VC for his heroism on 18 August 1919, age 34, while serving in the Royal Navy. "Commanding Coastal Motor Boat â„–31 he passed into Kronstadt Harbour under heavy machine gun fire, torpedoed the battleship Andrei Pervozvann, and escaped under heavy fire showing conspicuous gallantry and skill. (Kronstadt, Russia)". Freemason at: â„–2612, Navy Lodge.
Our colleague, Andrew Behan, states that in addition to much information about this man on his and on the , Claude Congreve Dobson was born on 1 January 1885 in Clifton, Bristol, Gloucestershire, the youngest of the five children on Nelson Congreve Dobson (1845-1919) and Louisa Alice Dobson née Pierce (1845-1932). His birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1885 in the Barton Regis Registration District, Gloucestershire. He was baptised on 6 March 1885 in St Paul's Church, Clifton, Bristol, where in the baptismal register his family were shown to be living at Victoria Terrace, Clifton and that his father was a surgeon.
He was described as aged 6 years and a scholar in the census that was undertaken on 5 April 1891. He was living at 27 Victoria Square, Clifton, with his parents and his four siblings: Robert Nelson Dobson (1875-1903); Hilda Frances Dobson (1877-1957); Montague Charles Dobson (1879-1915) and Harold Pierce Dobson (1882-1916) who were also all listed as scholars, together with a cook, a parlour maid and a housemaid. His father was described as a registered Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (F.R.C.S.).
He joined the Royal Navy as a cadet on 15 January 1900 and when the census that was compiled on 31 March 1901 he was listed as such, aged 16 years and was aboard H.M.S. Britannia, the Royal Navy's cadet training ship that was anchored at Dartmouth, Devon.
He was shown as a Lieutenant, aged 26 years, on the census return form that was completed on 2 April 1911, serving aboard H.M.S. Forth, a 2nd class cruiser, that was stationed in Devonport, Devon.
On 19 October 1920 he married Edith Archibald MacMechan (1897-1990) in the Emmanuel Church, Guthrie Road, Clifton, where in the marriage register he is shown as aged 35 years, a bachelor and a Commander Royal Navy who was living at 16 College Road, Clifton, the son of Nelson Congreve Dobson, a deceased surgeon F.R.C.S., whilst his wife was described as aged 22 years and a spinster who was residing at 72 Victoria Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, the daughter of Archibald McKellar MacMechan, a Professor of English, PhD, F.R.C.S.
When he completed his census return form on 19 June 1921 he described himself as aged 36 years, 6 months and a Commander in the Royal Navy at H.M.S, Vernon, a shore establishment in Portsmouth, Hampshire. He was living in a seven roomed property at 141 Stoke Road, Gosport, Hampshire, with his wife, together with a cook and a housemaid.
They had two children: Joan Congreve Dobson and Anne Sheila Dobson, who were both born on 8 October 1923 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
When the England and Wales Register was compiled on 29 September 1939 he was shown as a Rear Admiral living at 16 Archery Square, Walmer, Deal, Kent, with his wife, together with two female domestic servants.
His death was registered as aged 55 years in the 2nd quarter of 1940 in the Medway Registration District, Kent. Probate records confirm that his address remained as 16 Archery Square, Walmer and that he died on 26 June 1940 in the Royal Naval Hospital, Windmill Road, Gillingham, Kent. His in the Woodlands Cemetery, Woodlands Road, Gillingham, ME7 2DX. Probate was granted to his widow on 7 October 1940 and his effects totalled £5,521-10s-3d.
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