The son of a World War Two veteran who flew with a Halifax bomber crew as a rear gunner is hoping to find the family of the bomber pilot who was called one of Canada’s “great heroes” of that conflict.
The rear gunner’s name is the late Norman Francis Williams, and his son, Bill Williams, is searching for the family of the pilot, Nelson Alexander Cobb, whose hometown is listed as Griffin, and his birthdate was listed as Dec. 3, 1922.
Cobb, whose nickname was “Ty” (like the famous baseball player), was a flight lieutenant, and Williams’ father spoke of him with affection and admiration.
“The crew were a great team, and he and my father, Ty’s tail gunner, worked incredibly well together to survive. The records I have been able to find are mainly those associated with his decoration recommendation compiled on March 1, 1943, some months before he was killed in action on June 29, 1943,” said Williams, going on to describe Cobb as “one of Canada’s great heroes of World War II”.
Williams said Cobb was only 20 when he flew a twin-engined bomber on their first bombing mission to Germany.
A description of his first sortie as a pilot is provided on the “Canada At War” online war memorial, which says of Cobb, “when coned by searchlights and with his aircraft riddled by anti-aircraft fire, this officer, showing grim determination, dived from 17,000 to 6,000 feet, bombed his target and obtained some excellent photographs.”
On another occasion, “when on an operation at Bremen, pilot officer Cobb’s aircraft was fiercely attacked by a Junkers 88. A running encounter ensued, lasting 10 minutes, before the enemy fighter was finally destroyed.”
Williams noted that Cobb’s crew competed a 30-mission tour along with the No. 10 squadron, and then transferred as a crew to No. 35 Squadron (Pathfinders), and they completed another 12 missions. Williams said during their 30-mission tour, their Halifax was damaged by either flak or enemy aircraft fire on more than half of those missions.
On their 42nd mission, Williams’ father was seriously wounded, but managed to destroy two German aircraft that had been attacking them. For that night’s action, Williams received the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, but was hospitalized for an extended time to treat his injuries.
On the next mission, Cobb’s aircraft was so badly damaged during a raid on Cologne that he gave the order for the crew to bail out while he remained at the controls. The seven other crew members survived and were captured. Before Cobb could bail out, his plane exploded and he was killed at the age of 21.
Cobb’s crew recorded many significant achievements, including being the first crew to have a confirmed kill of a fighter. “Bomber” Harris, who was the commander-in-chief of Bomber Command, flew his own aircraft to where Cobb’s crew was stationed to personally congratulate them.
Cobb was the son of Herbert Sullivan Cobb and Ella May Cobb of Toronto, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on May 7, 1943.
Williams became World War Two’s most highly-decorated NCO and the only non-pilot air ace who had eight confirmed kills and another seven probables, many of them as a member of Cobb’s crew.
Williams said while his father has passed on, he has many other stories about Cobb he would like to share with Cobb’s relatives, if they would like to contact him. He can be reached by email at [email protected].
