William Leefe Robinson was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

He was 21 years old, and a Lieutenant in the No. 39 Squadron RFC, The Worcestershire Regiment during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On the night of 2/3 September 1916 over Cuffley , Hertfordshire, Lieutenant Robinson sighted a German airship - one of 16 which had left bases in Germany on a mass raid over England. The lieutenant made an attack at a height of 11,500ft. approaching from below and, closing to within 500ft., raked the aircraft (a wooden-framed Schutte Lanz ) with gunfire. As he was preparing for another attack, the airship burst into flames and crashed in a field.

Grave/memorial at Buried at All Saints Church Cemetery Extension, Harrow Weald, Middlesex, England. S.E. Section. Headstone.

Reference

• Monuments To Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• VCs of the First World War - Air VCs (P G Cooksley, 1999)

External links

• Location of grave and VC medal (Middlesex)

This page has been migrated from the Victoria Cross Reference with permission.