Honoring Staff Sgt Joseph W Roundhill
BACKGROUND
Joseph Warren Roundhill known as JW Roundhill (or Limey to his military compatriots) was born August 1st 1923 to English parents. The family moved back to England in 1933. JW joined the RAF in 1941 at a trainee pilot. He moved on to the US Air Force (being a dual national) and eventually became a waist gunner and toggler on Bombers.
Announcement of JW Roundhill as "Special Honoree" at the D-Day at 75 event held on June 6th 2019 in Seattle (Courtesy Britevents Northwest)
Omaha Beach, Normandy, France
D-DAY AT 75: June 6 2019
MEMORIAL ROLL OF HONOR LISTING
OUR EVENT HONOREES WERE:
Trooper Louis H BAKER, British 1st Special Air Service
Jack BARDSLEY, Royal Air Force
Private Arthur BAXTER, The Gordon Highlanders
Herbert James BRAMLEY, British Army
PFC Edward (Ted) COLBURN, United States Army
QMS Charles (Alfred) GALLAGHER, British Army
CPO Albert (Bert) HARRIS, Royal Navy
Warrant Officer Thomas S.F. KING, Royal Air Force
Sgt Andrew LAZARUS, US Army Air Force
Kenneth L MORFORD, US Army Airborne
Sgt William READY, United States Army
Cpl Geoffrey ROBINSON, Royal Air Force
Cpl Lesley ROBINSON, British Army
Staff Sgt Joseph W ROUNDHILL, US Air Force*
Lance Cpl Reginald SIMCOX, British Army
Bertha STAPELY, Women's Royal Air Force
Robert WEEKS, United States Army
*Living Honoree and D-Day Operations participant
Honoring Corporal Lesley Robinson (British Army) and Corporal Geoffrey Robinson (RAF)
BACKGROUND
Lesley and Geoffrey Robinson were brothers who had two very different wartime stories. Lesley was the older brother and was born in 1915. Geoffrey was born after the First World War in 1920. Leslie worked in the retail trade prior to being called up. Geoffrey worked as an Instrument maker before the war, making scientific instruments.
D-DAY STORY
Corporal Lesley Robinson was a signals officer who was 24 when the war started so he spent most of his twenties fighting. His regiment was sent to North Africa, and he fought in Tunisia. He was eventually shipped to Sicily and was involved in the Italian Campaign. He was seconded to the American army for a short while as they needed signals officers. From Sicily they moved onto mainland Italy. The British army and US allies eventually took Rome. He was awarded 4 medals acknowledging the time he served. He was conscripted as a private and ended up a
Corporal. Corporal Geoffrey Robinson was called up at age 18 in 1939 and served as ground crew in the RAF for the duration of the war. He was stationed in Lincolnshire and ensured that aircraft were ready to fly to bombing missions in Europe.
FOLLOWING D-DAY
Lesley went on to be a Bus driver after the war for London Transport. Lesley and his wife, Joan, , had a daughter (Pat) and two grandchildren. One of those Grandchildren, Sarah, lives in the Seattle area. Geoffrey worked in the Banking industry after the war, for a Belgian Bank. Lesley passed away in 2000 and Geoffrey, more recently, in 2016 at the grand old age of 96!
MORE INFO
World War Two Italian Campaign (Wikipedia)