I knew of Squadron Leader Gobeil’s tour as leader of the RCAF Siskins aerobatic team but did not know of him otherwise. As I explored his story further, one thing seemed odd. Although his records as an RCAF officer before and after the war were spotless, there seemed to be a black mark over his wartime tour. Sensing that something was amiss, I decided to investigate further.
Fowler Morgan Gobeil was born on 30 July 1906 at Ottawa, Ontario. He grew up there and attended Loyala College in Montreal from 1916-1919 and Ashbury College in Ottawa from 1919 to 1925. He entered Royal Military College in Kingston Ontario on 26 July 1927 and received his commission as Pilot Officer on 24 June 1929. He trained as a pilot at Camp Borden, Ontario and was awarded his wings on 20 September 1929. He was among the first pilots to be trained on the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) new Armstrong Whitworth Siskin fighter.
As was common with many pilots at the time, Gobeil suffered several crash landings during his early flying. He crashed at Camp Borden on 10 July 1929, 22 May 1930 and 13 August 1930. On 9 February 1931, he also crashed a float plane in Vancouver.
The RCAF Siskins
The Siskins were the first formally organized aerobatic team in Canada. They were formed in September 1929 at Camp, Ontario and took their name from the Siskin biplanes they flew. The Siskins' first leader was Squadron Leader E.A. McNab who would later become the first RCAF pilot to win the Distinguished Flying Cross during the Second World War. The Siskins quickly became renowned for performing their awe inspiring aerobatic stunts at shows across Canada. They performed over 100 air shows during their three years of exhibitions from 1930 to 1932.
In late 1929 P/O Gobeil was selected to become an initial member of the Siskins aerobatic team at Camp Borden. He was promoted to Flying Officer on 1 September 1930 and flew with the Siskins through their entire three seasons of operation.
In 1931, F/.L Henry W. Hewson became commander of the RCAF’s Siskin demonstration team during the Trans-Canada Air Pageant of 1931. The 1932 season would be much smaller than previous years due to depression era budget cutbacks.
Fowler Gobeil at St. Hubert’s with Siskin 23 after the First Trans-Canada Air Pageant Sept. 1931
On July 26, 1932 disaster struck the Siskins. During a practice at Trenton, Ontario, F/O Gobeil’s Siskin number 23, collided with team leader F/L H.W. Hewson’s Siskin number 61, while performing a ‘squirrel cage loop’ consisting of a series of consecutive loops moving forward along the line of flight so as to create the appearance of a large corkscrew in the air. Gobeil’s plane propeller cut Hewson’s aircraft in half. Hewson was either trapped inside or injured. His aircraft crashed and he died of his injuries a day later. Gobeil managed to bail out of his aircraft and parachute to safety unhurt. For this, he became an early member of the Caterpillar Club.
Fowler Gobeil recalled the fateful day years later:
“We began to feel that we were pretty hot, when disaster struck. On 26 July 1932, it was decided to try three consecutive loops in a five-plane half-V (an echelon ‘squirrel cage’ loop). I was flying the No. 3 position on the right. We completed the first two loops normally when I lost sight of the plane on my left. I sensed trouble immediately and pulled up straight ahead to clear the formation. At that moment the leader’s plane hit me from below. It was a thoroughly unpleasant experience. I could hear and see the two props thrashing one another and the screech of the engines as they broke off. The solid thud of the impact left no doubt that dear old ‘23’ had come to the end of her days. It was time to get out of it! I had never done a parachute jump before, but I pulled the pin on my safety harness and pushed up as we had been told to do. I waited for the harness to break clear and leave me free to depart – nothing went according to the book! The more I tried to get out, the more the harness held me in.”
F/O Gobeil went on to lead the Siskins’ for the rest of the 1932 season.
Siskins at the CNE, Ottawa, 1932
F/O Gobeil continued his RCAF career as a fighter pilot at various postings and was promoted Flight Lieutenant on 6 April 1935. He was posted overseas in 1937 and on April 3 1939 was assigned to No.10 Flying Training School, Ternhill, England.
WWII Service
As WW II began, the Canadian government wanted to have a uniquely Canadian fighter squadron established to contribute to the war effort. Since the RCAF was not yet ready to send its own squadrons, the quickest way to accomplish this was to form an RAF squadron drawn from the more than 1,000 so-called CAN/RAF Canadians already trained and serving in the RAF. An agreement was quickly reached between the Canadian and British governments and on October 30, 1939 the No. 242 (Canadian) Fighter Squadron RAF was formed at Church Fenton, Yorkshire.
Not everyone was happy with this decision. Many RAF senior officers came from privileged upper class British families and, as they had been raised, tended to view their ‘colonial’ colleagues as lesser individuals. They were happy with the existing arrangement of having the Canadians under their own command and control and only reluctantly complied with the new orders from their political masters.
S/L Gobeil, as an RCAF officer on exchange with the RAF Training Command, was selected as the first commanding officer of 242. His first task was to fill out the Squadron with CAN/RAF pilots and ground crew and to train them up to operational efficiency standards. All of the chosen pilots and 40% of the ground crew were Canadian.
By all accounts, S/L Gobeil was proudly Canadian and was admired and respected by most under his command. He was assertive and outspoken in attempting to do his best for his squadron. When challenged he was firmly defensive of his beliefs. He badgered his superiors relentlessly to improve his squadron’s equipment and conditions.
Since the Canadian squadron did not yet have any aircraft of its own, they started operational training with three Miles Master Mk I trainers, a North American Harvard trainer and a Fairey Battle light bomber. Instead of the Supermarine Spitfire fighters they hoped for, they were given seven Bristol Blenheim I light bombers and three more Fairey Battles.
S/L Gobeil lobbied vigorously to have 242 made a day-fighter unit equipped with Spitfires. The RCAF took up the quest with the RAF at higher levels and by mid-December the decision was made to equip them with the older Hawker Hurricanes, not Spitfires. On Jan. 5, 1940, SL Gobeil and five other pilots took delivery of their first Hurricanes. They soon had 12 Hurricanes to start training on. On 10 January, S/L Gobeil’s Hurricane turned over in a forced landing at Croft, Lancashire. On March 25, 242 Squadron undertook their first operational sorties.
It seemed to be a common practice, in all branches of the service, during the war for the British to assign missions to ‘colonials’ that they deemed too dangerous to risk their own flesh and blood, such as the disastrous raid on Dieppe. Gobeil experienced what he viewed as this type of discrimination firsthand under the command of the British ‘old boy’s network’ of RAF senior officers. It seems that distrust was developing on both sides.
S/L Gobeil was fiercely protective of his squadron and its crews. At times it seemed as if 242 Squadron was being assigned missions Gobeil tended to resist orders to send his pilots into actions which he deemed futile and suicidal. He may find that he did not have enough serviceable aircraft to complete a mission or he may scrub one because the weather was unsuitable for flying. This did not sit well with his RAF superiors and he came to be viewed as a bit of problem and a renegade by the upper echelons for these actions.
S/L Gobeil seems to have fulfilled his duties as commanding officer well and the squadron continued to develop its capabilities quickly. It’s operational record during the period of late 1939 through May 1940 are well documented in Hugh Halliday’s book “242 Squadron the Canadian Years”. It was during a deployment to France that on May 25 1940 Gobeil shot down a German ME110 becoming the first RCAF officer to shoot down and enemy aircraft. He had claimed the kill of an ME109 two days earlier but it was never confirmed.
It is interesting to note that, for unexplained reasons, S/L Gobeil kept two nearly identical sets of journey logbooks during his flying time with the RAF
According to one of Gobeil’s logbooks, on May 23, 1940 S/L Gobeil had his first encounter with the enemy over France. Flying Hurricane LE B he was on:
“Patrol Calais-Boulogne and sweep inland 20 mi, 10:00-11:00 with 56/213. Object to destroy enemy bombers and dive bombers. My aircraft was bad shot up by a 4 box burst of A.A. When we came through the clouds at Abbeville after being lost. Surprised and shot down a lone ME 109 vicinity Berck-s-mer. Much heavy red S. A. fire from enemy tanks experienced. Had to land at Lymane on way to Manston as only had 5 gallons, also for repairs to aircraft. One trim tab shot off elevators, both holed, both ailerons holed, under surface of tin wings dented, large hole in fuselage back of R/T set. Met very poor throughout.”
The other logbook states:
“Patrol Calais-Boulogne and sweep inland 21 miles with 56/213 Sqn. Object to destroy enemy bombers and dive bombers. Weather very bad. Low cloud, heavy rain. Lost near Abbeville. Very heavy A.A. fire. Shot down a lone ME-109 on circuit over Berck-sur-mer aerodrome. Landed at Lymane with 5 gallons petrol. Refueled and to Manston.”
Since he was not officially credited with this kill, we must assume it was never confirmed. (The underlining in the logbook entries is his.)
Two days later on May 25 1940, he was credited with the first aerial victory of WWII by a member of the RCAF. He was flying Hurricane LE C out of Manston, England when he shot down a Messerschmitt 110 over France. According to one of Gobeil’s logbooks he was flying:
“Patrol Ypres-Lille with 56/213. Lost them in cloud near Menin. Saw a JU 88 east of Ypres, but he went into clouds. Shot down an ME 110 in flames at 26,000’ just near Roubaix. He was dodging in and out of the clouds and did not see me, as he did no maneuvering whatever and there was no return fire. Land Manston.”
The second logbook states:
“Patrol Ypres-Lille with 56/213. Lost them in clouds near Menin. Saw a JU 88 east of Ypres but lost him in clouds. Shot down a recce ME-110 in flames. Picked him up just below clouds at 26,000 near Roubaix. Never saw me. Landed Manston.”
Following the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk, 242 Squadron was ordered to France to protect British troops still remaining there. Gobeil felt that this was a futile and fruitless exercise, complained to his superiors and only reluctantly dispatched his squadron on June 8. Details of the next 10 days are lost for the most part in the fog of war. Reports that did emerge describe a chaotic scene and are often contradictory. On June 15, someone unknown ordered the evacuation of all 242 ground crew, leaving the pilots and their planes to make their way back home on their own, finally reaching home on June 18. For some reason Gobeil was the last one to arrive home, alone. Shortly afterwards RAF senior command removed Gobeil from his command and replaced him with Douglas Bader, one of their own. He commenced the task of converting 242 Squadron into a multinational RAF squadron under British Command whose exploits have been well documented in ”Reach For The Sky, The Story of Douglas Bader” by Paul Brickhill.
S/L Gobeil was transferred back to Canada. He was taken on strength of No.4 BGS, on 7 December 1940 and remained there until 31 July 1942 when he was posted to Ferry Command Headquarters, Dorval, Quebec 31 July 1942.
Trans Atlantic Glider Flight
On July 23, 1943, S/L Gobeil became the first Canadian pilot to fly a glider towed across the Atlantic Ocean. During the winter of 1942-1943 the RCAF considered towing gliders across the Atlantic to deliver medicine and other supplies to Britain. To test this idea, a C-47 Dakota transport, piloted by F/L William S. Longhurst took off towing a Waco glider named "Voo-Doo" piloted by S/L Fowler M. Gobeil and S/L R.G. Seys at the end of a 350 foot rope. Voo-Doo carried 3,000 pounds of cargo. For safety, they were accompanied by a Catalina flying boat. The flight was accomplished in four legs.
· June 23, 1943 - Dorval to Goose Bay - 850 miles - 6 hours 47 minutes.
· June 27, 1943 - Goose Bay to Bluie West One, Greenland - 785 miles - 6 hours 13 minutes.
· June 30, 1943 - Bluie West One to Reykjavik, Iceland - 1,000 miles - 7 hours 20 minutes.
· July 1, 1943 - Reykjavik to Prestwick - 865 miles - 7 hours 43 minutes.
It was a long and hazardous flight. Both aircraft had to be flown constantly to keep the rope from getting either slack or too tight and to keep the aircraft in line with one another. For their action, Gobeil, Seys and Longhurst were all awarded Air Force Crosses.
Postwar Career
In August 1945, S/L Gobeil, became Commanding Officer, No.1 Instrument and Flying School (Deseronto) and served in the postwar RCAF as a staff officer (personnel administration) spending much of the time at Trenton, Ontario. He was promoted to Wing Commander in 1948 and appointed Commanding Officer of Station Toronto on 5 May 1953. On October 23, he was awarded the Queen’s Coronation Medal. He retired with the rank of Wing Commander on 1 April 1956.
Gobeil spent the next 25 years with Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation and Canadian Heritage Scholarship Trust in Toronto.
He relocated to Ottawa, 1986 and died there 13 December 1994.
Controversy
Although most under Gobeil’s command respected and admired him for the way he stood up for them, there were a few dissenting voices. Two notables were his adjutant F/O Peter D “Boozy Mac” MacDonald and pilot F/O Percival Stan Turner. Their reports were very critical of Gobeil, accusing him of alcoholism, cowardice, and dereliction of duty. For some unknown reason, Turner in particular seem to hate Gobeil. Hugh Halliday has documented this situation in an article entitled “No. 242 “Canadian” Squadron Revisited” dated Sept. 12, 2017 that appeared in the RCAF Journal.
What is clear from the above reports is that there is a disturbing undercurrent of politics and personal ambition behind the situation that contributed damage to S/L Gobeil’s reputation.
· RAF command resented being ordered, by their political masters, to create an independent Canadian Squadron.
· S/L Gobeil’s RAF superiors considered his independent attitude and resistance to their orders to border on insubordination and thought him to be untrustworthy and a problem.
· For his part. Gobeil was equally distrustful of his British superiors and their motives, and always acted first in the best interests of his Canadian charges.
· The critical reports of F/Os Turner and MacDonald reinforced the negative impression RAF officials had of S/L Gobeil’s performance as CO.
· This information was duly relayed back to Canadian officials who came to view Gobeil as an embarrassment leading to his ultimate recall to Canada.
· RAF command were undoubtedly pleased when, in June 1940, an all Canadian squadron was no longer considered politically necessary and they could regain control of 242.
Upon his return to Canada, S/L Gobeil’s war record was subject to much scrutiny and he was even considered for dismissal. Finally in 1946 after yet another inquiry, the case was quietly closed.
Two Mysteries Remain
1. Why S/L Gobeil maintained two nearly identical logbooks remains a mystery. One possible explanation is that he was afraid that after the war, the British would retain his logbooks and he wanted to make sure that the second copy remained in Canadian hands. Perhaps a closer examination of the small differences between the books will reveal more clues as to his reasons. This would make a good thesis project for a history doctoral student.
2. How Gobeil came to retain the gun sight used to shoot down the ME110 and return to Canada with it also remains a mystery. I have learned that gun sights like this one could be easily removed from one aircraft by the pilot and used in another. Could this have been a common practice among pilots who, having scored one kill, believed the same sight might bring them luck in future encounters. If so, it is not unreasonable to assume that S/L Gobeil removed and kept this gun sight for that reason and that, as a senior officer, he was able to bring it back to Canada with him unrestricted. This is another topic for future research.
Unfortunately, W/C Fowler M Gobeil was never officially exonerated of any wrongdoing and the black mark remains on this part of his history to this day. In retrospect it seems that his greatest sin was his loyalty to Canada and doing his best to support his troops.
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