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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

John Arthur Cobbett

In memory of:

Sergeant John Arthur Cobbett

January 3, 1944

Military Service

Service Number:

R/193139

Age:

21

Force:

Air Force

Unit:

Royal Canadian Air Force

Division:

432 Sqdn.

Additional Information

Son of Harold Frank and Gladys Georgiana Cobbett, of Hamilton, Ontario. husband of Patricia Jane Cobbett, of Hamilton.

Commemorated on Page 275 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

Burial Information

Cemetery:

CHOLOY WAR CEMETERY
Meurthe-et-Moselle, France

Grave Reference:

1. H. 10.

Location:

Choloy is a village and commune in the Department of the Meurthe-et-Moselle, 28 kilometres west of Nancy and some 5 kilometres west of Toul, a town on the N4 road from Paris to Nancy. The village is south of the River Moselle on the minor road (D11B) from Toul to the neighbouring village of Foug. The CHOLOY WAR CEMETERY is 3 kilometres west of Toul on the north side of the D11B road. The Choloy War Cemetery is the last resting place of casualties from the First and Second World Wars and is managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It is also the final resting place for many Royal Canadian Air Force members and their families who died while serving in Europe as part of 1 Air Division between 1953 and 1967 and other Service Members serving with NATO in Germany following Canada's departure from France.

Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Digital Collection

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  • Memorial– Sergeant John Arthur Cobbett is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

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    Memorial
    Memorial – Sergeant John Arthur Cobbett is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Memorial– Sergeant John Arthur Cobbett is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

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    Memorial
    Memorial – Sergeant John Arthur Cobbett is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Memorial– Father J P Lardie's comments as inscribed on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

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    Memorial
    Memorial – Father J P Lardie's comments as inscribed on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Hamilton Spectator c. 1943. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

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    Newspaper clipping
    Newspaper clipping – From the Hamilton Spectator c. 1943. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Hamilton Spectator c.1944. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

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    Newspaper clipping
    Newspaper clipping – From the Hamilton Spectator c.1944. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Hamilton Spectator c.1944. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

    Details

    Newspaper clipping
    Newspaper clipping – From the Hamilton Spectator c.1944. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper clipping– This is an image of John Cobbett's obituary from the Hamilton Spectator, Jan 45. It is taken from his Personal File in the Canadian Archives. His wife sent the clipping to the RCAF. Source: Library and Archives Canada vis R. Whitehouse

    Details

    Newspaper clipping
    Newspaper clipping – This is an image of John Cobbett's obituary from the Hamilton Spectator, Jan 45. It is taken from his Personal File in the Canadian Archives. His wife sent the clipping to the RCAF. Source: Library and Archives Canada vis R. Whitehouse
  • Photo of John Cobbett– This picture of John Cobbett was taken on his induction into the RCAF and was found in his paybook during a search of his records (Aug 08). Cobbett was a member of F/L J. A. Allen's crew. For addition information access Allen's pictures. Source: Library and Archives Canada vis R. Whitehouse

    Details

    Photo of John Cobbett
    Photo of John Cobbett – This picture of John Cobbett was taken on his induction into the RCAF and was found in his paybook during a search of his records (Aug 08). Cobbett was a member of F/L J. A. Allen's crew. For addition information access Allen's pictures. Source: Library and Archives Canada vis R. Whitehouse
  • Photo of John Cobbett– This picture of Cobbett was taken when he received his Air Gunners wings. It was taken from Personal file in the Canadian Archives. Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse

    Details

    Photo of John Cobbett
    Photo of John Cobbett – This picture of Cobbett was taken when he received his Air Gunners wings. It was taken from Personal file in the Canadian Archives. Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse
  • Document– Cobbett's service and NOK details from his RAF Form 373. Note that he was married 19 June 1943. He was 20 and she was 19. Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse

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    Document
    Document – Cobbett's service and NOK details from his RAF Form 373. Note that he was married 19 June 1943. He was 20 and she was 19. Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse
  • Telegram– RCAF Casualty Office telegram to Cobbett's wife stating that he is missing. It is dated 5 January. He was killed on 3 January. otice that the delivery must be reported to the sender for confirmation. Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse

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    Telegram
    Telegram – RCAF Casualty Office telegram to Cobbett's wife stating that he is missing. It is dated 5 January. He was killed on 3 January. otice that the delivery must be reported to the sender for confirmation. Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse
  • Document– This document gives a brief outline of Cobbett's journey through the RCAF system. He joins the RCAF in Hamilton (#10 Recruiting Centre) and is sent to Toronto for processing (#1 Manning Depot). From there he is sent to Brantford, Ont. (#5 Service Flying Training School)for evaluation. He needs to upgrade his educational basics so he is sent to a upgrade school at Magill University (Montreal). From there he is sent to Trenton #2 AGGTS (Air Gunner School) and then on to MacDonald (#3 Bombing & Gunnery School). Here he gets his Wings and is sent back to Toronto (#1 Manning Depot) for processing for overseas duty. Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse

    Details

    Document
    Document – This document gives a brief outline of Cobbett's journey through the RCAF system. He joins the RCAF in Hamilton (#10 Recruiting Centre) and is sent to Toronto for processing (#1 Manning Depot). From there he is sent to Brantford, Ont. (#5 Service Flying Training School)for evaluation. He needs to upgrade his educational basics so he is sent to a upgrade school at Magill University (Montreal). From there he is sent to Trenton #2 AGGTS (Air Gunner School) and then on to MacDonald (#3 Bombing & Gunnery School). Here he gets his Wings and is sent back to Toronto (#1 Manning Depot) for processing for overseas duty. Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse
  • Document– This is the back of his Record of Service folder. It shows all of his movements as stated and shows that he was taken into the RAF training pool on 26 June 1943. After training on Lancasters he was sent to a squadron. He died on 3 Jan 44 over Germany during the return after bombing. They were shot down by a night fighter. He was made a Sgt Air Gunner on 11 June 43. Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse

    Details

    Document
    Document – This is the back of his Record of Service folder. It shows all of his movements as stated and shows that he was taken into the RAF training pool on 26 June 1943. After training on Lancasters he was sent to a squadron. He died on 3 Jan 44 over Germany during the return after bombing. They were shot down by a night fighter. He was made a Sgt Air Gunner on 11 June 43. Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse
  • Document– Report Card (p1) from #2 AGGTS Trenton (11 Jun 43) the day he was promoted to Sgt and had his photo taken. See (p2) for comments by his instructors. Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse

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    Document
    Document – Report Card (p1) from #2 AGGTS Trenton (11 Jun 43) the day he was promoted to Sgt and had his photo taken. See (p2) for comments by his instructors. Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse
  • Document– P2 of Report Card from #2 AGGTS. Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse

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    Document
    Document – P2 of Report Card from #2 AGGTS. Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse
  • Document– Report Card from #5 Service Flying Training School 26 Nov 42 Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse

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    Document
    Document – Report Card from #5 Service Flying Training School 26 Nov 42 Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse
  • Document– Cobbetts report card from # 3 OTU in England. He had a 5 week course in gunnery from a Lancaster. Note that he only scored 3% hits air-to-air. That was not unusual. From here he was posted to a squadron. Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse

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    Document
    Document – Cobbetts report card from # 3 OTU in England. He had a 5 week course in gunnery from a Lancaster. Note that he only scored 3% hits air-to-air. That was not unusual. From here he was posted to a squadron. Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse
  • Document– P2 of the 3 OTU Report Card. Cobbett did 95 hours of flying in the 5 weeks he was training. Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse

    Details

    Document
    Document – P2 of the 3 OTU Report Card. Cobbett did 95 hours of flying in the 5 weeks he was training. Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse
  • Document– This request for a Marriage Allowance for his wife shows the place and date of marriage. They were married just after he got his Sgt's. Stripes and before he left for England on 26 June 43. A very short marriage, unfortunately. Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse

    Details

    Document
    Document – This request for a Marriage Allowance for his wife shows the place and date of marriage. They were married just after he got his Sgt's. Stripes and before he left for England on 26 June 43. A very short marriage, unfortunately. Source: Library and Archives Canada via R. Whitehouse
  • Document– This is page 2 of an Mobile Research & Enquiry Unit document recording the exhumation of 16 bodies from a cemetery in Koethen, Germany in 1947. The crew of Cobbett's plane were identified. He had been buried there, but the American's had mistaken him for one of their airman and removed him to France. Source: Library & Archives Canada, RG24 via R. Whitehouse

    Details

    Document
    Document – This is page 2 of an Mobile Research & Enquiry Unit document recording the exhumation of 16 bodies from a cemetery in Koethen, Germany in 1947. The crew of Cobbett's plane were identified. He had been buried there, but the American's had mistaken him for one of their airman and removed him to France. Source: Library & Archives Canada, RG24 via R. Whitehouse

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