Anthony Ridley Robson

Born 10 Aug 1916 - Died 4 Apr 1991

Service number: NZ403990 AWMM
132842 AWMM
Also known as: —
Armed force / branch: Air Force AWMM
Last rank: —
War: World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM

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Anthony Ridley Robson Robson (third from the left) he is talking to King George V after returning from a sortie in his Spitfire (485 Squadron), aircrew working on the spitfire - This image may be subject to copyright

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Biographical information

He joined the RNZAF on 26 October 1940 and trained to be a fighter pilot.

After joining 485 (Spitfire) Squadron he was shot down over Abbeville, France on 13 February 1943 and became a POW.

The entry in the Squadron Operational records from the day Robson was shot down reads: Westhampnett 13.2.43 11.30-13.05hrs. S/Ldr Grant led 485 and 610 Squadrons in Rodeo 168 over Northern France, the original idea being to engage a standing patrol over Boulogne which was guarding an enemy vessel in the harbour. The Wing crossed in at Hardelot at 20,000 feet and swept North as far as Desvres. At 12.15 the Wing was engaged in the Hardelot area and numerous dogfights ensued as a result of which S/L Grant and F/O Hume each destroyed an FW190 and F/O Brown damaged an FW190. F/O I.A.C. Grant, F/O A.R. Robson and Sgt R.J. Steed are missing. 610 probably destroyed 1 FW190 for the loss of one of their a/c and its pilot. The fighting was heavy, some pilots reported it as the heaviest since Dieppe. The Wing was drawn down originally to attack some 16 FW190's below them and whilst doing so were bounced by 20 others coming up from the South: the first gaggle seemed to have been a decoy. S/L Grant destroyed the e/a which was seen to fire at his brother F/O Grant. F/Lt Black and Sgt Meagher fired but observed no results. Medium Flak was met from Hardelot and Boulogne.

Robson was a member of the RNZAF Contingent London Victory Parade on 8 June 1946.

This was the only DFM awarded to 485 Squadron. A total of 184 DFM's were awarded to the RNZAF for World War Two service. AWMM
Anthony Ridley Robson (known as Tony or Slim). He was from Poukawa near Gisborne, attended Poukawa and Te Awa Schools and two years at Palmerston North High School. He then helped his father, a leg amputee from WW1, on the family farm. Tony was a keen and very able horseman and polo player as well as being an accurate marksman.

Undertook initial training at Levin Ground Training School and then No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School at Bell Block, New Plymouth. Embarked on the Awatea bound for Canada one of 52 Airman Pilots Under Training (AP/UT), 23 of whom died during the war, on 19 December 1940. This was the first group of NZ pilots to go to Canada to train under the Commonwealth Air Training Scheme. He trained at No. 6 Service Flying Training School and gained huis pilot brevet (wings) 9 June 1941.

To the UK and assigned to 52 (Spitfire) Operational Training Unit (OTU). Initially London then to Llandow, Wales.

Posted to 123 (East India Spitfire) Squadron at Castletown in Scotland initially, but Tony quietly made inquiries for a transfer to 485 (NZ Spitfire) Squadron and was surprised when his wish was granted! Tony did his first and only operation with 123 Squadron, a convoy patrol, on 17 October 1941. He joined 485 Squadron at the same time as Johnny Checketts, Reg Grant, Mick Shand (all future 485 commanders) and good friend John Palmer who ended up as a fellow POW. 485 Squadron was based at Kenley, the Station having a rugby team on which Tony Robson played with a number of other 485 Squadron members. New Zealand fighter ace Alan (Al) Deere was captain of the team.

Tony's first op with 485 was on 11 Nov 1941. He carried out 11 operations in 1941. He was busy in January 1942 with 20 operations, none in February and 5 in March. At this time, while staying with a friend in Cambridge, he and a fellow-pilot met Winston Churchill's daughter, in their pyjamas. Not knowing who it was they called for their friend to 'send them up'. Mary Churchill took it all in her stride and sat talking to the New Zealanders for some time!

19 operations in April followed. there were many contacts and close scrapes with the enemy. The Spitfire squadrons were being decimated by the much superior German Fw190 at this time, and all squadrons, including 485, suffered significant losses. Tony managed to get the better of two Fw190s in April, one probably destroyed on 27th and another damaged on 29th. On the 29th the King visited the Kenley Wing and Tony was the first Spitfire back. As he got out of his aircraft he realised he was being met by the King and he spent some minutes relating what had happened as the King had listened to the operation, an expletive-rich 'broadcast' as the Wing was 'bounced' by Fw190s, as it unfolded. When hearing that Tony had hit one of the Fw190s, he replied. "I hope you got him!" The photos of Tony with the King were published in many UK and NZ papers.

20 operations followed in May, again Tony bettered the Fw190 on 1 May claimed as damaged and 4 May claimed as probably destroyed but confirmed by gun-camera footage as destroyed. The camera-gun movie footage and still frames were used extensively in newspapers and cinema as the best gun-camera footage taken of aerial victory. tony Robson and his Spitfire OU-U had hit the headlines twice in just over a week. The footage was seen as a coup by the Ministry of Information as proof the Fw190 did not get things all its own way.

31 May Tony was surrounded by eight Fw190s in a dogfight but somehow managed to elude them but in the process had his tail wheel shot off and damage to his aircraft's tail. Tony was in the news again with the award of 485 squadron's only Distinguished Flying Medal announced 18 May. He later received this from the King's hands, no doubt the King remembering his eventful visit to 485 Squadron at Kenley.

Tony was shot down on his 90th op and became POW Stalag Luft III.
Public - john - Researcher - 14 November 2022 - Hamish Brown, Wine, Women and Song. A Spitfire Pilot’s Story Stayer Ltd 2011. Errol W. Martyn. For Your Tomorrow, Volume 3 Volplane Press 2008. Alan W. Mitchell New Zealanders in the Air WarHarrap & Son 1945. Military personnel file. Collection of items to Tony Robson.
Gerard S. MorrisSpitfire: The New Zealand StoryReed 2000
I. T. TavenderThe Distinguished Flying Medal. A Record of Courage. 1918-82
Hayward & Son 1990
Kevin W. WellsAn Illustrated History of the New Zeal

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Anthony Ridley Robson

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