Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Russell was the older of two sons born to Aubrey Henry Robinson (service no. 52587) of Devonport and Freda Jane Gill Robinson (nee Woodward) of Dundas. He was educated at Devonport primary and high schools before entering the Post Office as a messenger, postman and night telephone operator at the Devonport Telephone Exchange. Promotion took him to several positions on the North West Coast of Tasmania until he qualified in Morse code and became a telegraphist.

At 19 he enlisted in the RAAF and after training at Western Junction and Deniliquin he qualified as a pilot. He was sent via the United States to Great Britain in April 1944 where he served as a pilot and later was seconded to Air Traffic Control at Ford Airfield in Sussex. It was while posted here that he met Gladys Edna Locke (Eddie) who was then an ambulance driver in the WAAF (UK service no. 2031079, rank LACW). It was love at first sight. A month later they were engaged and after a further three months they married at Kingston-upon-Thames on 22 March 1945. Russ was returned to Australia just before Christmas in 1945, leaving him to wait for Eddie who followed him on a ‘bride ship’ in June 1946.

On return they initially settled in Launceston, where their daughter and son were born. Russ continued his career in the Post Office, chasing promotion opportunities around Tasmania and ending up in Hobart as State Manager, Australia Post. He stayed in this position until his early retirement due to poor health in 1979.