A.E Robinson balloon Sqn killed by enemy action 1940

Hi
im try to research this chap he was 53 when killed by enemy action and was on a balloon sqn
aircraftman first class A.E.Robinson his son was killed nov 1945 Flt lt Robinson E.A Robinson in an accident
i am trying to find out how the balloon chap was killed

thanks

 

Although there was action on this day Robinson's death is registered in Oxford quite some way from the south coast attacks.

First thing is apply for his death certificate from the GRO to see what it says about place and reporting officer.

Robinson
Arthur E T 53 Oxford Vol 3a Page 2565

Then if no joy here his service record will give you a better source for researching than third party scraping of internet mentions.

Apply via the MoD site, the record is open to all and you do not need to supply proof of death only a link to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission entry.

Ross

 

ROBINSON, ARTHUR EDWARD TURNER
Rank:Aircraftman 1st Class
Service No:840221
Date of Death:12/08/1940
Age:53
Regiment/Service:Royal Air Force (Auxiliary Air Force) 928 Balloon Sqdn.
Grave Reference: Sec. F.F. 4. Joint Grave 34520. Cemetery:CROYDON (QUEEN'S ROAD) CEMETERY
Additional Information:Son of James and Minor Robinson; husband of Clara Jane Robinson, of Thornton Heath.

Casualty Details


To confirm Ross's info:
Arthur E T Robinson in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Arthur E T Robinson
Birth Date: abt 1887
Date of Registration: Sep 1940
Age at Death: 53
Registration district: Oxford
Inferred County: Oxfordshire
Volume: 3a
Page: 2565

TD

 

It looks as AC1 Robinson was serving with No 928 Balloon Squadron based at Harwich which was controlled by No 4 Balloon Centre, Chigwell Essex,part of No 30 (Barrage Balloon) Group structure.

This Group had the responsibility of safeguarding the Thames estuary.

The fact that his death was registered at the Oxford Registration District indicates that he may well have died from wounds at a hospital,could be a military one in the Oxford area.His burial at Croydon would be have chosen by his NOK who lived in Thornton Heath...cannot understand why his grave should be a joint one.

As an older serviceman, AC1 Robinson was a member of the part time pre war Auxiliary Air Force,his service number suggests he joined the AAF in 1925,the AAF being incorporated into the RAF on 3 September 1939.

He may have seen military service during the Great War.

 

ORB AIR 27/2263 February 1939 - December 1940
No 928 Squadron: Operations Record Book | The National Archives

 

From an Ancestry family tree

Arthur E Turner Robinson
Birth: Abt 1888 - Norwood, Surrey, England
Death: 13 August 1940 (13 Aug 1940)
F: James Edward Turner
M: Minor Jenkins

Probable birth details:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
Name: Arthur Edward T Robinson
Registration Year: 1887
Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
Registration district: Lambeth
Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District
Inferred County: London
Volume: 1d
Page: 550


London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921
Name: Arthur Edward Turner Robinson
Estimated birth year: abt 1888
Age: 31
Spouse: Clara Jane Hutchinson
Spouse Age: 34
Record Type: Marriage
Event Date: 7 May 1919
Parish: St Luke, West Norwood
Borough: Lambeth
Father Name: James Edward Turner Robinson
Spouse Father: Frederick Hutchinson
Register Type: Parish Register

TD

 

Joint grave his son buried with him

ROBINSON, EDWARD ARTHUR
Rank:
Flight Lieutenant
Trade:
Pilot
Service No:
132165
Date of Death:
08/11/1945
Age:
22
Regiment/Service:
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
102 Sqdn.
Grave Reference:
Sec. F.F. 4. Joint Grave 34520.
Cemetery:
CROYDON (QUEEN'S ROAD) CEMETERY
Additional Information:
Son of A.C.1 Arthur Edward Turner Robinson, R.A.F. (killed on active service, 12th August, 1940), and of Clara Jane Robinson, of Thornton Heath.
Flight Lieutenant ( Pilot ) Edward Arthur Robinson ( - 1945) - Find A Grave Photos

 

1. 12 August 1940
   
   
   •  On 12 August 1940 the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) began a systematic assault on RAF (Royal Air Force) Fighter Command's forward airfields and radar stations. This was their first major attack on Fighter Command's ground organisation.
     
     
   •  The airfields suffered different degrees of damage but were all serviceable by the next morning. Most of the radar stations were also quickly back on air, except Ventnor on the Isle of Wight which was seriously damaged.
     
     
   •  These attacks displayed features which would characterise the fighting in the days ahead. There were several major raids, involving hundreds of aircraft, and attacks were timed to coincide with or closely follow one another, often on widely dispersed targets. Bombers, including the Junkers 87 or 'Stuka' dive bomber, were heavily escorted by fighters.
     
     http://www.iwm.org.uk/sites/default/files/press-release/Battle_of_Britain_and_Blitz_Factsheet.pdf

 

When I made my initial post I had consulted the ORB and confirmed the events of the day for the unit.

They had a series of actions ordered but then canceled so no activity with enemy contact.

Only one casualty is listed - and that was the usual balloon unit parlance for a casualty of equipment ie a balloon.

No mention was given for Robinson a few days before or after.

Because of the age of personnel balloon units had a higher than normal rate of fatal illness so either he was non effective strength and died away from the unit or the CWGC has his last recorded unit posting rather than actual current.

So query on cause of death you gave and the recorded unit.

Either way a copy of his death certificate will define cause without doubt and a copy of his service record will confirm actual last unit.

Ross

 

Joint grave with his father as you say is correct.The mother would have a civilian grave as shown.Father and son are buried in a CWGC grave No 34520 in Section F. F. 4.

As regards the death of F/L Robinson,designated as a pilot,was the result of a No 102 Squadron flying accident on 8 November 1945 as Bomber Command was being rundown.

From being a Halifax squadron,apart from the early days equipped with the Whitley,No 102 Squadron, after 3 years being based at Pocklington was posted to Bassingbourn on 8 September 1945,the ex USAAF 8th Air Force base and surprisingly converted to the Liberator.

It looks as if the aircraft,I am assuming was a Liberator,crashed at Abington Piggotts, a nearby village to the north west of Bassingbourn,on take off from the airfield.

 

Yes Harry, the accident card says that the co-pilot raised the flaps on KN742 before the aircraft had attained 500ft minima.

Ross

 

Here is another of F/L Robinson's crew,F/O Willam Marquis,designation,Pilot who lost his life on the eventful day.

Casualty Details

Would Geoff's software system pick up the rest of the crew?

Flaps..... always likely to be a killer on take off if maloperated.

 

The crew of Liberator VIII KN742

F/L. Edward Arthur Robinson. Pilot +
F/O. William Marquiss. (sic) Co-Pilot +
F/O. Stanley Brown. Navigator +
F/S. Albert Miller. Wireless Operator +
F/S. Ronald Kenneth Lewis. Flight Engineer +

Source - The Price of Peace - C. Cummings

 

Thanks Peter,when I posted,I thought that Cummings would also be a likely source of the information.

Makes you wonder what the reason was to continue with No 102 Squadron on strength at the time for it disbanded in the New Year of 1946 as the general rundown of B.C gained pace.

 

More on KN742

Link to AiB report at TNA

Correction from Colin on co-pilot spelling

RAF Liberator GR.VIII KN742 crash Bassingbourn 8/11/45 - help please

Harry, the unit had changed to transport duties from Bomber and was working up to service the trooping route from/to the Far East - by 1946 the bulk of Far East troops had either returned or were being retained in place (willing or not).

Ross

 

thank you so much

 

thank you

 

thanks

 

thanks

 

thanks