ROBILLARD, Sergeant Joseph Guillaume Laurent (R54188) - Distinguished Flying Medal - No.145 Squadron - Award effective 30 October 1941 as per London Gazette dated 11 November 1941 and AFRO 1378/41 dated 21 November 1941. Born in Ottawa, 28 November 1920; home there. Attended La Salle Academy, 1937 and Ottawa Technical High School, 1938-39. Interested in model aircraft and obtained a private pilot license (eight hour solo, 8 hours dual) before enlisting. When he first applied to enlist he was 14 pounds underweight so he went on a special diet to gain weight. Enlisted in Ottawa, 17 July 1940. To Trenton, 16 August 1940. To No.2 ITS, Regina, 31 August 1940; graduated and promoted LAC, 12 October 1940 when posted to No.12 EFTS, Goderich; graduated 10 December 1940 when posted to No.2 SFTS, Uplands; graduated and promoted Sergeant, 21 February 1941. Posted to Debert, 4 March 1941; arrived in UK 17 April 1941. Posted to No.58 OTU, 22 April 1941. Posted to No.145 Squadron, 3 June 1941. Shot down over France, 2 July 1941, evaded capture, reported safe in Gibraltar, 12 August 1941. Promoted Flight Sergeant, 1 September 1941. Returned to UK in October 1941; posted to No.72 Squadron, 1 November 1941, serving with that unit until 22 April 1942. Promoted WO2, 1 March 1942. Commissioned 14 April 1942 (backdated to 30 March 1942). Posted to Canada, 8 May 1942; on strength of No.3 Training Command, 13 May to 30 June 1942, during which time he was on a speaking tour with P/O P.E. Morin, DFM; estimated to hae been heard by 20,000 people. On strength of No.1 OTU, Bagotville, 1 July to 19 October 1942. Promoted Flying Officer, 1 October 1942. To Halifax, 20 October 1942, embarking again on 27 October; arrived back in UK 4 November 1942. To Air Ministry, 12 March 1943; to Uxbridge, 15 March 1943; to No.402 Squadron, 16 June 1943; to Station Digby, 23 October 1943; to No.411 Squadron, 13 January 1944; to No.144 Airfield (Wing), 1 March 1944; to No.443 Squadron, 11 March 1944; promoted Flight Lieutenant, 30 March 1944; to No.443 Squadron, 15 July 1944; attempted to secure a third tour (he had flown 220 operational sorties) but failed; embarks for Canada, 22 October 1944; on strength of No.2 Training Command, 4-19 December 1944; with No.2 SFTS, 20 December to 20 March 1945; released 3 April 1945. Joined RCN as a pilot in 1946; attained rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 March 1952. Retired 22 November 1955. Subsequently worked at Canadair. Died in Montreal, 8 March 2006. Following are good photographs of him: PL-2522 and PL-2525 (wings parade, Uplands, LACs L.B. Devine, T.L. Mansfield, J.G.L. Robillard, G.B. Smith; PL-2528 (receiving wings from S/L J.L. Pattison; PL-PL-7254 (head and shoulders), PL-28810 (climbing into Spitfire), PL-29846 (with W/C G.C. Maxwell, RAF and F/L Dover). Wartime victories as follows: 22 June 1941: one Bf.109 destroyed, Hazebrouck; 2 July 1941: two Bf.109s destroyed (see citation); 4 April 1942: one FW.190 destroyed and one FW.190 damaged, Gravelines/Dunkirk; 28 June 1944: one Bf.109 destroyed, Villers/Bocage; 20 July 1944: one FW.190 destroyed, Bernay; 23 August 1944: one Bf.109 destroyed, northeast of Paris. One day in July 1941, this airman was the pilot of an aircraft which participated in an operational sweep over the Lille area. During the operations he observed one of our pilots descending by parachute. Believing it was his commanding officer who had been shot down, Sergeant Robillard escorted him down, but was himself attacked by nine enemy fighters. Nevertheless, he succeeded in destroying at least two of them. Sergeant Robillard has always displayed great keenness and initiative. He has destroyed at least three enemy aircraft. The original recommendation for his DFM, found in Public Record Office Air 2/5684, is somewhat more detailed and adventurous: On July 25th, 1941, while on a sweep in the Lille area, Sergeant Robillard saw a Spitfire shot down and the pilot bale out. Thinking it was his Commanding Officer he started to escort the parachute down. He was then attacked by nine Messerschmitt 109s, and before he himself was shot down, succeeded in destroying two and possibly a third of the enemy. On reaching the ground he was hidden by some French and then, rather than escape, he fraternized with the local German army and obtained some very valuable information for the Government. He then successfully returned to his squadron a month later. His initiative and desire to engage the enemy have been an inspiration to his squadron. He has destroyed at least three enemy aircraft and damaged another. Public Record Office WO 208/3305 has his MI.9 report on evasion; see also CAN/RAF data base for H.P. Duval. His interview was on 28 August 1941. I was lectured on escape by Flying Officer Challen on 18 May 1941 at 58 OTU, Grangemouth. I left Tangmere at 1145 hours on 2 July 1941 in a Spitfire on a sweep. We encountered Messerschmitts and I was boxed in by seven of them at 6,000 feet. I destroyed three, two I saw fall and French people subsequently told me that the third had fallen. I was actually trying to collide with it when a shell shot off my port wing. The aeroplane exploded and threw me out and I landed by parachute at 1215 hours at St. Pierre des Auxchelles, south of Lilliers. I hid in a railway tunnel, and later was taken to a farmhouse where I got civilian clothes. A Frenchman then took me to Lillers where I remained in hiding till 26 July when the search for me had died down. I heard that there was a 100,000 franc reward offered for me. I met Sergeant Crabtree in Lillers and the rest of my story is the same as his and Pilot Officer Duval’s. We reached Gibraltar on 13 August and left by a Sunderland on 26 August, arriving at Calshot the same day. The report of Sergeant V.R. Crabtree, RAF (No.616 Squadron, shot down 3 July 1941) described adventures which began to overlap those of Robillard and Duval only on 19 July 1941. On 19 July I went to Lillers where I met Sergeant Robillard, remaining there until 26 July, when we both took trains to Paris via Bethune and Abbeville, joining up with Pilot Officer Duval and the rest. My subsequent story to Gibraltar is the same as Pilot Officer Duval’s. I was flown from Gibraltar to Calshot on 26 August.