Brigadier G.W. Robinson
5th Armoured Regiment (8th Princess Louise’s Hussars)
2nd Armoured Brigade

We were proud of his promotion, proud for him and proud for the Regiment. But an awful sense of loss went through all of us when we realized what it meant. He’d made us as a Regiment. He’d taken up there in England when we were far from ready and he’d turned us into a unit and a damn good unit. There is no doubt that his tough training saved us lives and casualties. He fought us well. You couldn’t have asked for a better man, anyway you want to look at it. We were awful, awful sorry to see him go.

(Quoted in Douglas How, The 8th Hussars, 288)

Born on 7 December 1907 in London, Ontario, George William Robinson was an insurance executive and squadron commander of the 1st Hussars when it mobilized for active service in summer 1940. Redesignated the 6th Canadian Armoured Regiment, it went overseas in October 1941 with Robinson rising to second-in-command. In May 1942, he replaced Lieutenant-Colonel H.S. Gamblin of the 5th Armoured (8th Princess Louise’s New Brunswick Hussars) Regiment.

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