John Dewar

Wing Commander John Scatliff Dewar, DSO, DFC (1907 – 1940) was a World War II Royal Air Force fighter pilot, who was killed in action during the Battle of Britain. Early life Dewar was born in Lahore, British 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 great uncle, John Milton Elborough 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.