Captain William Leefe Robinson VC's grave

[LeicesterTiger]

After we finished the event at Hendon this evening, myself, Mr Williams and Mr Poole travelled to Stanmore, where Captain William Leefe Robinson VC is buried. Born in Coorg, South India, 14 July 1895, he went on to join the RFC transferring from the Worcestershire Regiment, starting as an Observer but ended up as a pilot flying Be2c nightfighters out of Sutton Farm with 39 Squadron, and shot down Schutte Lanz Airship SL11 (also known as Zeppelin L12, and I have been fortunate enough to handle a piece of the wreckage from it), the first 'Zepp' to be shot down at night, and beginning the end of the Zeppelin peril.



In April 1917, he was posted to 48 Squadron who were flying the new Bristol F2a Fighters, as a Flight Commander, and unfortunately on the Bristol's first ever debut over the German lines they were set upon by Richtofen's Circus, with the Bristol's taking a heavy mauling (although this was soon to change as more aggressive tactics using the Bristol Fighters were adopted).



He was wounded and taken prisoner, however suffered badly in German prisoner of war camps, like many, and unfortunately died of illness contracted in the PoW camp on 31 December 1918 in Stanmore.





HE WAS THE FIRST AIRMAN TO ATTACK A ZEPPELIN AFTER A MOST DARING SINGLE HANDED FIGHT HE BROUGHT DOWN L21 A FLAMING WRECK AT CUFFLEY ON THE 3rd SEPTEMBER 1916 THUS HE LED THE WAY AGAINST THE GERMAN ZEPPELIN PERIL THREATENING ENGLAND



ONE WHO NEVER TURN'D HIS BACK BUT MARCH'D BREAST FORWARD, NEVER DOUBTED CLOUDS WOULD BREAK, NEVER DREAM'D THOUGH RIGHT WERE WORSTED, WRONG WOULD TRIUMPH, HELD WE FALL TO RISE, ARE BAFFLED TO FIGHT BETTER, SLEEP TO WAKE



GOD QUICKENETH THE DEAD AND CALLETH THOSE WHICH BE NOT AS THOUGH THEY WERE

Rest in peace Captain Leefe Robinson

[crankcase]

thanks for this posting.
i visited the grave some twenty years ago.
there was a restaurant nearby named for this VC winner which (before i visited) had contained some robinson memorabilia until destroyed in a fire. pity!
marc

[Jos]

Thanks for sharing these photo's.

I'd like to add a photo of his funeral on 3 January 1919.

Jos