James Russell Robinson

ROBINSON - Dr. James RussellAt University Hospital, London, on Saturday, April 10, 2010, Dr. James Russell “Russ” Robinson in his 90th year. Russ is survived by his beloved wife of 57 years, Halina Czajkowska-Robinson and by a number of cousins. He was the son of the late Percy Robinson (1946) and Mabel (Keough) Robinson (1962.) Dr. Robinson was born in 1920 at Norwich, ON, where be completed primary and secondary education. From 1939-41 be attended the Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, where he completed two years towards a degree in Agricultural Science and was a member of The Canadian Officers Training Corps (Army). He joined the RCAF (AC2, 1941), trained as a radio technician (U. of Toronto and Clinton), was commissioned and attached to the RAF. Overseas, he was the O/C of RAF Cleadon (1942), a technical officer in the Faroe Islands (1943), and a research technician at TRE (Malvern) where he worked on design and development of mobile TYPE 9000 ("OBOE") ground stations (1943-44). Shortly after D-Day he accompanied the,first mobile OBOE to Normandy and remained with that Unít (AMES 9432) until severely injured (Belgium, Nov. '44). He attained the rank of Flíght Lieutenant. Following medical retirement from the RCAF he returned to uníversity and graduated as a specialist in organic chemistry: BSA-1948, Guelph; MScA-1949, Toronto; Ph.D. -1953, University of Western Ontario becoming the first Ph.D. of the Chemistry Department there. As a Research Scientist with Agrículture Canada he authored more than 40 scientific papers (1953-85). Sínce retirement from the Public Service he bas conducted research and publisbed several critical studies concerning the history of radar, e.g. “Radar Intelligence and The Dieppe Raid'' (Canadian Defence Quarterly, April 1991) and, recently, “Radar Offícers of Tbe Royal Canadian Air Force 1940-1946". He has provided on-going funding for a collection of books at The Weldon Library, U.W.O. all relative to Radar technology and history. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated in Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, 419 Hill St., London, on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. Interment St. Peter’s Cemetery, London. Memorial donations may be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Society or the Salvation Army. (O'Neil Funeral Home, London. 519-432-7136. Online condolences at www.oneilfuneralhome.ca)