Strana 83
EN286, F/Lt Eric Robinson, No. 1 SAAF Squadron, Pachino, Sicily, July 1943
The pilot with the full name McClellan Eric
Sutton Robinson, usually called „Robbie“,
was born in Johannesburg on February 26,
1919. He achieved ace status by shooting down
five enemy aircraft plus one probable and one
damaged. His first operational unit was No. 1
SAAF Sqn with Hurricanes, which he joined
in August 1942 and stayed there for one year.
He achieved his first combat success on
November 2, 1942, when he shared one Ju 87
and after switching to Spitfire Mk.V he added five
victories between January and April 1943. After
that, Robinson was unlucky for first time, as he
was shot down by friendly USAAF P-38 and had
to bail out over the Mediterranean Sea on July
14, 1943. He was lucky to be rescued by Greek
destroyer. Robinson was awarded DFC at the end
of his combat tour in September 1943 and sent to
the UK to become instructor at No. 11 OTU. There
he was unlucky for second time on November
14, 1944, as he collided with one of the trainees
when flying Kittyhawk and crashed to his death.
His Spitfire EN286 was one of the aircraft which
were taken over from Polish Fighting Team.
The original codes were overpainted by Dark
Earth color and then new ones of No. 1 Sqn
painted. The inscription Cirecooks is the
combination of his given name being spelt
backwards and the surname of his fiancée.
The number III indicates it was hist third aircraft
of this name. Robinson did not achieve any aerial
victory flying it.
BUILT
INFO Eduard
83
February 2025