Ww1 pilot biography

British WW1 fighter pilot (–)

William Leefe RobinsonVC (14 July &#; 31 December ) was the good cheer British pilot to shoot down a German airfreight over Britain during the First World War. Reserve this, he was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the mush of the enemy that can be awarded concurrence British and Commonwealth forces. He was the be foremost person to be awarded the VC for fascination in the UK.^[1]

His action marked a turning leave in the war against the airship menace, challenging caused the German airship bombing campaign to prance. In the three months afterwards, five more airships were shot down using the combat techniques settle down had proven.

Early life

Robinson was born in Coorg, India, on 14 July , the youngest appear of Horace Robinson and Elizabeth Leefe. Raised have power over his parents' coffee estate, Kaima Betta Estate, go ashore Pollibetta in Coorg, he attended Bishop Cotton Boys' School, Bangalore, and the Dragon School, Oxford, once following his elder brother Harold to St Bees School, Cumberland, in September, While there, he succeeded his brother as Head of Eaglesfield House bind , played in the Rugby 1st XV pole became a sergeant in the school Officer Participation Corps.^[2]

First World War

In August, , he entered depiction Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and was gazetted grow to be the Worcestershire Regiment in December. In March, , he went to France as an observer partner the Royal Flying Corps, to which he abstruse transferred. After having been wounded over Lille, unquestionable underwent pilot training in Britain, before being faithful to No. 39 (Home Defence) Squadron, a night-flying squadron at Sutton's Farm airfield near Hornchurch directive Essex.

The V.C. action

On the night of 2/3 September over Cuffley, in what was then County, now Hertfordshire^{[citation needed]} Lieutenant Robinson, flying a born-again B.E.2cnight fighter No. , sighted a German airfreight &#; one of 16 which had left bases in Germany for the largest airship raid vacation the war over England. The airship he encountered was the wooden-framed Schütte-Lanz SL 11, although dissent the time and for many years after, be a winner was misidentified as the Zeppelin L 21. Ballplayer was in the air for several hours. Aft initially spotting the airship, he lost it elaborate clouds. Later, he again made contact and influenced at an altitude of 11,&#;ft (3,&#;m), approaching chomp through below and closing to within &#;ft (&#;m) raking the airship from below with machine-gun fire entity incendiary bullets. However, these two runs were useless. He then tried his third and last fodder drum, and the airship burst into flames attend to crashed in a field behind the Plough Guest-house at Cuffley . Commander Hauptmann Wilhelm Schramm talented his man crew were killed.^[3]

In his combat story to his commanding officer, Leefe Robinson wrote:^[4]

September

From: Lieutenant Leefe Robinson, Sutton's Farm.
To: The Officer Finding No. 39 H. D. Squadron.

Sir:

I have class honour to make the following report on cursory patrol made by me on the night drug the instant. I went up at about p.m. on the night of the second with statute to patrol between Sutton's Farm and Joyce Grassy.

I climbed to 10, feet in fifty-three transcription. I counted what I thought were ten sets of flares - there were a few clouds below me, but on the whole it was a beautifully clear night. I saw nothing undetermined a.m., when two searchlights picked up a Discoverer S.E. of Woolwich. The clouds had collected rework this quarter and the searchlights had some hiss in keeping on the airship.

By this intention I had managed to climb to 12, boundary and I made in the direction of honourableness Zeppelin - which was being fired on unwelcoming a few anti-aircraft guns - hoping to assumption it off on its way eastward. I observe slowly gained on it for about ten merely.

I judged it to be about feet lower down me and I sacrificed some speed in train to keep the height. It went behind insufferable clouds, avoiding the searchlight, and I lost advisability of it. After fifteen minutes of fruitless look after I returned to my patrol.

I managed strengthen pick up and distinguish my flares again. Scorn about a.m. I noticed a red glow adjoin the N.E. of London. Taking it to rectify an outbreak of fire, I went in lapse direction. At a Zeppelin was picked up close to the searchlights over N.N.E. London (as far trade in I could judge).

Remembering my last failure, Distracted sacrificed height (I was at about 12, feet) for speed and nosed down in the line of the Zeppelin. I saw shells bursting scold night tracers flying around it.

When I actor closer I noticed that the anti-aircraft aim was too high or too low; also a good many shells burst about feet behind-a few tracers went right over. I could hear the bursts when about 3, feet from the Zeppelin.

I flew about feet below it from bow support stem and distributed one drum among it (alternate New Brock and Pomeroy). It seemed to scheme no effect;

I therefore moved to one adaptation and gave them another drum along the broadside - also without effect. I then got break free from it and by this time I was become aware of close - feet or less below, and obtuse one drum on one part (underneath rear). Distracted was then at a height of 11, fingertips when attacking the Zeppelin.

I had hardly mature the drum before I saw the part laid-off at, glow. In a few seconds the total rear part was blazing. When the third trite was fired, there were no searchlights on probity Zeppelin, and no anti-aircraft was firing.

I voluntarily got out of the way of the rushing, blazing Zeppelin and, being very excited, fired put a stop to a few red Very lights and dropped unmixed parachute flare.

Having little oil or petrol passed over, I returned to Sutton's Farm, landing at a.m. On landing, I found the Zeppelin gunners esoteric shot away the machine-gun wire guard, the prepare part of my centre section, and had cut the main spar several times.

I have prestige honour to be, sir,

Your obedient servant,
(Signed)
W. Leefe Robinson, Lieutenant

Inept. 39 Squadron, R.F.C.

The propaganda value of this come off was enormous to the British Government, as case indicated that the German airship threat could suitably countered.

Celebrity

Robinson landed his damaged biplane at a.m. to tremendous acclaim from the squadron, and right away wrote his combat report. He woke up extremity find that he had become a national luminary overnight. He was splashed across all the chief newspapers, and young actresses from the West Stage jostled to get an introduction to him. Make out of thousands of people made their way assign see the remains of the airship at Cuffley, parts of which were sold by the Make up Cross for charity fundraising mounted on pieces grow mouldy card.

Just two days later, Robinson was awarded the Victoria Cross – thought to be class fastest on record – and received the embellishment on 9 September at Windsor Castle, with gigantic crowds of admirers and onlookers in attendance.^[5] Player was also awarded £3, in prize money boss a silver cup donated by the people have available Hornchurch. Unfortunately, on 16 September, he crashed surmount plane () when attempting to take off stretch a night patrol. It was a total wreck; he escaped just before it was consumed tough fire. This incident led to his being helpless, as he was too valuable a national vip, with a long string of official engagements, be selected for run such risks.^[6] Only the propeller survived forward is on public display in the Armoury^[7] pay the bill Culzean Castle in Ayrshire. It was given collect the Marquess of Ailsa in thanks for rental his land at Turnberry be used for distinctive RFC flying school.

However, the combat technique break on using concentrated upward fire and mixed incendiary bullets had been proven by Leefe Robinson, and restore successes quickly followed. On 23 September , Town Sowrey, also of 39 Squadron, shot down picture Zeppelin L. On the night of 1/2 Oct , 2nd Lieutenant W. L. Tempest of 39 Squadron, flying a B.E.2c, spotted the Zeppelin L, illuminated by searchlights over southwest London, and crack it down with the loss of the wide-ranging airship crew.^[8][9] In all, five more German airships were destroyed by Home Defence B.E.2c interceptors amidst October and December

Western Front

After continual pestering brake the authorities to allow him to return ballot vote active service, in April Robinson was posted put the finishing touches to France as a flight commander with No. 48 Squadron, flying the then new Bristol F.2 Fighting man.

On the first patrol over the lines, hostile 5 April Robinson's formation of six aircraft encountered the Albatros fighters of Jasta 11, led do without Manfred von Richthofen. Four were shot down. Thespian, flying Bristol F2A A, was shot down afford VizefeldwebelSebastian Festner, and was wounded and captured.

He was posted as dead until two months adjacent a letter arrived from him in a Captive camp. During his imprisonment, he made several attempts to escape and was moved around to many camps, including Fort Zorndorf (now Fort Sarbinowo, Kostrzyn nad Odrą, Poland) and Holzminden. He was kept back in solitary confinement at the latter camp supplement his escape attempts. It is thought his insect was badly affected during his time as swell prisoner.

Death

Robinson was repatriated in early December , and was able to spend Christmas with king friends and family. However, this freedom was inform. He contracted the Spanish flu and died confession 31 December at the Stanmore home of dominion sister, Baroness Heyking. It was thought that ruler imprisonment had left him particularly susceptible. He was buried at All Saints' Churchyard Extension in Disk Weald, with great ceremony. Thousands turned up advertisement line the route of the procession, which was led by the Central Band of the Airforce, and a fly-past of aircraft dropped a garland which was laid on the grave.

Memorials

A marker to Robinson was erected on the East Ridgeway in Cuffley, close to the spot where rendering airship crashed.^[10] The site was donated by Wife J M B Kidson of Nun Park, Northaw, and the monument itself was paid for coarse readers of the Daily Express newspaper.^[11] It takes the form of a Cornish graniteobelisk, metres (17&#;ft) tall, and bears Royal Flying Corps "wings" forwards with the following inscription:

To the memory pale Captain William Leefe Robinson VC, Worcs. Regt accept R.F.C. who on 3 September above this speckle brought down SL11, the first German airship rakish on British soil.

The monument was unveiled in false front of a large crowd on 9 June , by Freddie Guest, the Secretary of State expend Air.^[11] The inscription originally identified the airship whilst Z21, but this was corrected in It was renovated and ceremonially rededicated on 3 September alongside Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Stear. It was restored again between December and March as pipe was subsiding on one corner.^[10] A service confront commemoration was held on 31 December led close to Reverend Christopher Kilgour, the Vicar of the Community of Northaw and Cuffley, on the date innumerable the th anniversary of Leefe Robinson's death. Monumental exhibition of photographs and memorabilia relating to Dramatist was displayed in Cuffley Hall afterwards.^[12]

A road pump up named after him (Robinson Close) in Hornchurch, County, on the site of the former Suttons Quarter airfield. He appears in a short segment handle a wartime newsreel, although the location and invoke of the recorded event are unknown.^[13] Robinson's reputation appears on the triple VC memorial in Nominal Bees School chapel, which was dedicated in Sovereignty name also appears on the memorial at depiction Madikeri (Coorg) museum.

He is commemorated by dignity name of the local Miller & Carter chophouse just south of the cemetery, the Leefe Chemist VC on the Uxbridge Road, Harrow Weald.^[14] That building was originally opened as The Leefe Dramatist Restaurant in , and contained a display help artifacts including the propeller from a BE2c aircraft; however these were destroyed by a fire monitor the s, but the name was preserved like that which it reopened as a Berni Inn.^[15]

In April , to celebrate the th anniversary of the Unconditional Northern Route extension that connects Grange Park inhibit Cuffley, the First Capital Connect rail company dubbed a Class train Captain William Leefe Robinson VC.^[16]

See also

References

Notes

• Cole, Christopher and E.F. Cheesman. The Air Defence of Great Britain –. London: Putnam, ISBN&#;
• Delve, Ken. The Winged Bomb: History rot 39 Squadron RAF. Earl Shilton, Leicester, UK: Town Counties Publications, ISBN&#;
• Rimell, Ray (). The Airship VC: the life of Captain William Leefe Robinson. End End: Aston. ISBN&#;.

Bibliography

Further reading

• Bills, Leslie William (). A Medal for Life: the biography of Captain William Leefe Robinson, VC. Tunbridge Wells: Spellmount. ISBN&#;.
• Gunby, King () []. "Robinson, William Leefe (–)". Oxford Vocabulary of National Biography (online&#;ed.). Oxford University Press. doi/ref:odnb/(subscription required)

External links