Eric Gascoigne Robinson

Who was Eric Gascoigne Robinson?

Rear Admiral Eric Gascoigne Robinson VC, OBE 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 earned his award by going ashore and single-handedly destroying a Turkish naval gun battery whilst a Lieutenant Commander with the fleet stationed off the Dardanelles during the Gallipoli campaign in World War I. Had Robinson not won the VC for this action, he would almost certainly have received the award for leading the night-time action which destroyed a stranded British submarine while under intensive fire from Turkish shore artillery.

After these exploits, he was badly wounded at the frontline on the Gallipoli Peninsula, but recovered and served continuously for the remainder of the war and into the Russian Civil War. In 1939 aged 57, he again volunteered for military service and spent three more years at sea, commanding convoys during the Battle of the Atlantic. During his lengthy career, Robinson remained a highly regarded officer who had served through four wars and amassed a large collection of awards and honours.