Franks Robinson

Franks Robinson was the son of the Very Reverend John Joseph Robinson, rector of Waterford Cathedral, and later the Dean of Belfast. Franks was educated at Edinburgh House School and St. Columba’s College, Rathfarnham, Dublin. He then finished his education at Trinity College, Dublin, after which he joined the Waterford Steamship Company as a junior clerk. A member of the Ireland team that won the silver medal at the 1908 London Olympics, Robinson scored Ireland’s solitary goal in their 8-1 defeat by England in the final.

Robinson later became a Master at Eton College and during his time in England played his club hockey for Staines between 1912-14. Just after the outbreak of World War I, he was commissioned into the Royal Marine Artillery and went on to serve in France, Belgium, and the Middle East, in a long and distinguished career. Robinson was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps in 1916, and within four months qualified as a pilot, and was given a flight command in France. He went to Iraq in 1917 and stayed there until 1921, before returning on a staff appointment in 1927. Robinson was later put in command of the Royal Air Force (RAF) Depot in Uxbridge and then the No.2 RAF Training School at Digby, Lincolnshire.

In addition to being a good hockey player, Robinson was a keen lawn tennis and squash player and was the RAF squash rackets champion for many years, the last occasion being in 1932 when he was aged 46. He was also winner of the RAF Veteran’s Cup at lawn tennis.

Between 1933-35 Group Captain Robinson was in charge of the RAF station at Amman and, in 1933, was appointed aide-de-camp to the King, a position he held until his retirement from the post on 1 May 1939. During his career he was honoured with the Star, Victory, and British War Medals, as well as the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), and Military Cross (MC). The latter being for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in 1915 as an observation officer with the Royal Marine Artillery.