The Airmen's Stories - Sgt. B L Robertson

Basil Lionel Robertson of Portslade, Sussex was born in 1921 in Gloucestershire, the son of Frederick John Robertson (1877-1957) and Violet Maud Robertson (nee White 1877-1956).

His father was awarded a MC serving with the Dorset Yeomanry in WW1.

He joined the RAFVR in May 1939 as an Airman u/t Pilot.

Called up on 1st September 1939, he completed his training and joined 54 Squadron at Hornchurch on 22nd August 1940.

It appears that Robertson transferred from 54 Squadron to 263 Squadron (date unknown) to convert onto Whirlwinds. Then on 1st October 1941 he was posted to 137 Squadron as that unit worked up on the type having been re-formed at Charmy Down during mid-September 1941 (John Sample DFC was the CO).

On 1st October 1941 ten more pilots were posted to 137 Squadron from 263 Squadron - P/O Michael Bryan, P/O J. C. Lawton, P/O George William Martin, Sgt. Häggberg, Sgt. JF Luing, Sgt. J Maddocks, Sgt. Michael Peskett, Sgt. HL O'Neill, Sgt. Basil Lionel Robertson and Sgt. John Anthony William Sandy.

28/10/41 - John Sample was killed in an accident.

Robertson is recorded taking part in these operations with 137 Squadron:-

On 24th November Squadron Leader Coghlan (Whirlwind P7096), P/O Lawton (P7105?), P/O Martin (P7105?), Flight Sgt. Robertson (P7007), Sgt. Häggberg (P7050) and Sgt. McClure (P7106) unsuccessfully searched for several E-Boats, which had attacked a convoy.

Uneventful patrols were flown on 25th November by P/O Bryan (Whirlwind P7107), Flight Sgt. Robertson (P7105), Sgt. Häggberg (P7092) and Sgt. McClure (P7062).

01/12/41 - 137 Squadron moved to RAF Matlaske.

On 29th December P/O Martin (Whirlwind P7092), Flight Sgt. Robertson (P7107), Sgt. Brennan (P7035), Sgt. Häggberg (P7105) and Sgt. McClure (P7050) were put on patrol over Yarmouth at 20,000 feet, but they saw nothing.

On 12th February 1942 Warrant Officer Robertson (Whirlwind P7107) with Flight Sgt. Mercer (P7055), Red Section, and P/O Häggberg (P7093) with P/O DeHoux (P7012), Blue Section were recalled from a training flight and briefed to escort the 16th and 21st Destroyer Flotilla. They took off at 13:10.

Unfortunately they were unaware of the Channel Dash by the German battle cruisers "Scharnhorst", "Gneisenau" and "Prinz Eugen", which took place during the day.

While looking for their destroyers they saw several ships through a hole in the clouds twenty miles off the Belgian coast and dived down to investigate. Around 20 Me109s immediately bounced them. Flight Sgt. Mercer got a Me109 in his sights, but his cannon would not fire.

P/O DeHoux fired all of his ammunition 'without apparent result' whilst Häggberg and Warrant Officer Basil Lionel Robertson (RAF No. 748333) failed to return.

Additional research and above image courtesy of Dean Sumner.

Above image courtesy of RetiredQA.