Lieutenant Charles Crichton Robson (born 1895, date of death unknown) was a Scottish World War I observer ace credited with eight aerial victories.

Military service

Robson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, the son of Charles and Maggie Robson. He enlisted into the 9th Battalion, The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment), as a private, and served in France from 24 February 1915. On 6 August 1915 Robson was commissioned as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the 14th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Scots, but on 4 September transferred from the Reserves to a service battalion, the 12th Royal Scots. On 1 July 1917 Robson was promoted to lieutenant, and on 19 December was transferred to

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

and appointed a flying officer (observer), with seniority from 21 November. Robson was posted to No. 11 Squadron, and teamed with pilot Lieutenant

Herbert Sellars Lieutenant Herbert Whiteley Sellars (11 June 1896 – 15 May 1918) was a British World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories. On 21 March 1918, Sellars shot down and killed the German ace Ludwig Hanstein. Biography Sellars was b ...

, flying a

Bristol F.2b The Bristol F.2 Fighter is a British First World War two-seat biplane Fighter aircraft, fighter and reconnaissance aircraft developed by Frank Barnwell at the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter, ''"Brisfit ...

two-seater fighter. He gained his first aerial victory on 12 March 1918, shooting down in flames a LVG C.VI, and over the following six days drove down out of control three Albatros D.Vs. On 21 March he accounted for two more Albatros aircraft, the second being that of '' Leutnant'' Ludwig Hanstein, the ''

Staffelführer ''Staffelführer'' was one of the first paramilitary ranks used by the German ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) in the early years of that group's existence. The later SS rank of ''Staffelführer'' traces its origins to the First World War, where the tit ...

'' of ''

Jagdstaffel 35 Royal Bavarian Jagdstaffel 35 was a World War I "hunting group" (i.e., fighter squadron) of the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. The unit would score 44 aerial victories during the war, at the expen ...

'', who was killed. On 2 April 1918, the day after the Royal Flying Corps and the

Royal Naval Air Service The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps t ...

were merged to form the Royal Air Force, Robson drove down a Fokker Dr.I. His eighth and final victory came on 15 May, sharing in the driving down another Dr.I. However, shortly afterwards his aircraft was shot down by '' Vizefeldwebel'' Josef Mai of '' Jagdstaffel 5''. Sellars was killed in the crash. Robson survived, but was taken prisoner. Robson's award of the Military Cross was gazetted on 21 June 1918. His citation read: : Temporary Lieutenant Charles Crichton Robson, Royal Flying Corps. ::"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He completed a long-distance reconnaissance under very trying weather conditions, and succeeded in returning with the most valuable information. He has shown himself to be very cool and resourceful under all circumstances."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robson, Charles 1895 births Year of death missing Military personnel from Edinburgh Royal Flying Corps officers Royal Air Force personnel of World War I British World War I flying aces British Army personnel of World War I Recipients of the Military Cross British World War I prisoners of war World War I prisoners of war held by Germany Royal Scots soldiers Royal Scots officers Royal Air Force officers Scottish flying aces