-
17 October 1879 Leslie is born, the son of Engineer Samuel
Robins who, since February that year, had been serving in the armoured
turret ship HMS Rupert
Birth registered in the fourth quarter in the Stoke
Damerel district of Devonport
-
3 April 1881 Census shows Samuel's wife, Ida F Robins, at
4 Berkeley Cottage, Stoke Damerel, with Leslie, Susan Dodridge, a
65-year-old nurse, and 14-year-old Sarah Joyce, a general servant
-
1 July 1894 Leslie joins the Royal Navy and begins his
education at the RN Engineering College at Devonport as an engineer
student after sitting competitive examinations in April, organised by the
Civil Service Commission. During Leslie's training, his father would have been
required to pay £40 each half-year. As a student, Leslie himself would at
first have received 2s a week pocket money from the Admiralty, rising
later to a maximum of 8s
-
9 June 1899 According to service record, 'passes
creditably' for Assistant Engineer in professional subjects and knowledge
of engine room duties
-
1 July 1899 Appointed Probationary Assistant Engineer at
the RN Engineering College at Greenwich, where he was studying
-
11 July 1899 Lent to the cruiser HMS Sybille during
manoeuvres
-
1 July 1900 Leslie confirmed as Assistant Engineer; still
at college
-
10 July 1900 Lent to the cruiser HMS Hawke during
manoeuvres
-
16 July 1901 Leslie is lent to the cruiser HMS Latona for
manoeuvres
-
4 August 1902 Sent for temporary service at the Admiralty
-
13 November 1902 Appointed additional to the Duke of
Wellington for HMS Drake
-
13 January 1903 Posted to the 14,100-ton armoured cruiser
HMS Drake, then completing at Pembroke Dockyard. The Drake went on to
serve in the Channel Fleet 1903-04. The cruiser squadron of which the Drake formed part was
mostly employed in home waters in the first few months of its existence in
1903, taking part in manoeuvres with the Reserve Fleet. (Drake was laid down on 24 April 1899 and launched on 5
March 1901. She was armed with two 9.2in guns, sixteen 6in and fourteen
12pdrs. Torpedoed and sunk by U79 off Rathlin Island, north of Ireland, on
2 October 1917)
-
9 July 1903 Marries Nellie Marie, daughter of William
Grant, of Southwick, Hants. The ceremony was at Borstal Parish Church,
Rochester
-
25 August 1903 Described as 'temperate, zealous, with good
judgement and good physical qualities'.
-
1 April 1903 Appointed Engineer Sub-Lieutenant with
seniority from 1 July 1900
-
17 September 1903 Leslie's service record says he 'passed
creditably' for Engineer Lieutenant while at Barcelona
-
1 November 1903 Promoted to Engineer Lieutenant
-
16 January 1904 Capt Jellicoe records that Leslie has
'high mathematical qualifications'. He is a 'promising and attentive
officer'. Similar comments are made by later commanding officers
-
14 April 1904 Supernumerary at HMS Pembroke, Chatham RNB
-
7 June 1904 Borne on the books of HMS President and
is at the RN College as an assistant instructor in steam until his move to
HMS Cochrane in 1908. (Granted 15 days' leave from 4 July 1908)
-
21 October 1908 Posted to the 13,550-ton armoured cruiser
HMS Cochrane with the 5th Cruiser Squadron of the Home Fleet.
(Cochrane was launched on 20 May 1905 by her builders, Fairfield, of
Govan. She was completed on 18 February 1907. Wrecked in the Mersey
estuary on 14 November 1918. Her only battle honour was Jutland 1916)
-
1 November 1909 Appointed Engineer Lieut-Commander. A note on his service record says that at this point he
had not completed the necessary three years' watch-keeping time. Treasury
sanction was obtained for his advancement under a Dispensing Order in
Council
-
21 July 1910 Becomes Second Assistant, Engineering
Department at Devonport Yard.
-
23 March 1914 Posted for duty in light cruiser HMS
Amethyst for service with TBDs. Amethyst led the Harwich Force consisting
of the 1st and 3rd Destroyer Flotillas, the 8th Submarine Flotilla and
various depot and supply ships. (The 1903-built Amethyst was one of four in the 3000-ton
Gem class and was the first warship larger than a destroyer to be given
turbine engines, a modification introduced so that she could be used in
comparative trials with her sister ships. She achieved 23.4kts with 14,200
shp and subsequently proved the most reliable ship in the class. She
received the battle honours Heligoland and Dardanelles. Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt, who led the Harwich Force,
condemned the Amethyst as 'damn slow'. On the eve of war, he had quietly
made arrangements that she was to be blown up if she was ever reduced to a
condition in which she could fight no more)
-
5 August 1914 The day after war was declared, destroyers
from Harwich, with Commodore Tyrwhitt in the Amethyst, were at sea to
carry out a sweep towards the Heligoland Bight. Amethyst and Aerial towed
the submarines E6 and E8 as far as Terschelling
-
August 1914 Amethyst is relieved by Arethusa
as leader of the Harwich Force. Joined 1st Light Cruiser Squadron, Grand
Fleet, for the rest of the year until she went to the Dardanelles
-
28 August 1914 Amethyst featured in the Battle of Heligoland Bight, the first naval battle of the Great War. This was a confused series of engagements which started at
daylight in misty weather and a glassy sea within a few miles of
Heligoland, and lasted until about 1.30pm when the British finally
withdrew in safety. After the action, Amethyst took in tow the destroyer
Laurel, damaged during a successful torpedo attack on the German cruiser
Mainz, which was sunk
-
7 September 1914 Leslie appointed Engineer Commander with
seniority from 24 August
-
24 October 1914 Additional with HMS Victory for HMS
Amethyst
-
13 December 1914 Posted for duty as assistant to the
manager of the Engineering Department at Chatham Dockyard
-
25 September 1915 Becomes Assistant Chief Engineer at
Rosyth.
-
December 1916 Posted to RNAS Kingsnorth airship station
near Ashford in Kent.
Kingsnorth, the most important airship station in the
country, had two sheds, the largest of which was 700ft long, 150ft wide
and 98ft high. The station offered constructional facilities as well as
providing a base for airship patrols of the North Sea. There were further
mooring out stations at Godmersham Park and Wittersham, while Capel
airship station at Folkestone was only a few miles away. His service record shows he is still on relief at Rosyth
-
March 1917 Report from his commanding officer says Leslie
is engaged in taking over the engineering side of Kingsnorth: 'Has shown
he is possessed of considerable experience in these matters.'
-
20 March 1917 Granted the title of Chief Engineer at RNAS
Kingsnorth. He is given a consolidated allowance of £150 p.a., subject to
a £50 deduction if he occupies an official residence
-
5 October 1917 Service record shows him still at
Kingsnorth, but under the DCAP (Deputy Controller of Armament
Construction)
-
1 April 1918 Shown as Lieut-Colonel in the Royal Air Force
List. In August 1918 the Air Ministry said they did not wish him to be
attached to the RAF and his name would not appear in the RAF List in
future
-
1917-19 In charge of airship engine section, Admiralty
Department of Airship Production; still based at Kingsnorth
-
January 1917 First SSP (Submarine Scout Pusher) airship on
trials at Kingsnorth, followed in February by the famous North Sea type
which was nearly twice the size of the SSPs
-
November 1918 Improved Coastals under construction in 1918
but by November production was concentrated on the SS twin with 47 under
construction. This programme was rapidly cut back at the end of the war
-
11 June 1919 Award of Leslie's OBE announced in the London
Gazette for 'valuable services throughout the war, particularly in
connection with the design and construction of machinery for airships'. The full recommendation from the DCAP states: 'In the Department of Airship Construction was Head of
Section dealing with design and construction of machinery for rigid and
non-rigid airships, and machinery equipment for airship stations, and has
since been responsible for the work of that section, including the
introduction of a special type of airship engine. (NOTE: The type of engine was not specified and all
attempts to research this have drawn a blank) 'He has done consistently good work in connection with the
design and supply of engines for both rigid and non-rigid airships. 'The able manner in which he has organised his department
has resulted in a great degree in the efficiency of airships and the
marked success with which they have been maintained in commission.'
-
31 August 1919 Engineer Assistant, Department of the
Director of Dockyards, Admiralty. (Borne in HMS President). Subsequent report says he is a 'very able, zealous and
promising officer whose abilities and qualifications are of a high order
and appear to mark him for eventual advancement to the highest posts for
which he may be eligible'. It adds that he has 'sound judgement and tact'. He is
'well equipped in knowledge and experience for high administrative work in
Dockyards or at Admiralty in due course'
-
25 February 1920 Invested with the OBE at Buckingham
Palace
-
22 February 1922 Leslie is Engineer Commander of the
25,000-ton battleship HMS Benbow, ship of Rear-Admiral, 4th Battle
Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet. (Benbow, whose main armament was ten 13.5in guns, was
built by Beardmore and launched on 12 November 1913. She was sold in March
1931 to Metal Industries, of Rosyth)
-
December 1922 C-in-C Mediterranean (Adm Brock) recommends
Leslie for promotion to Engineer Captain. Report states that his zeal and
organisation were largely responsible for successfully expediting the
refit and preparation of the Benbow for sea
-
March 1923 An otherwise glowing report says: 'Is perhaps
not quite as accommodating as he might be but this is largely due to his
high sense of duty.'
-
December 1923 Adm Brock says that for all practical
purposes, Leslie had occupied the post of engineering officer on his
staff. As such he has been of the greatest assistance, particularly during
the somewhat critical period at Chanak when Benbow was
flying my flag as SNO Dardanelles Force. Sound judgement and ability.
Appears to possess special aptitude for staff work. I recommend him
without qualification.'
-
19 May 1924 With 22,500-ton battleship HMS Monarch. Listed
(Oct 1924) as Engineer Captain and senior officer of the ship, which was
paid off at Portsmouth on 14 June 1924.
(Monarch was armed with ten 13.5in guns and had been
launched by Armstrong on 30 March 1911. She was sunk as a target off
Scilly on 20 January 1925)
-
30 June 1924 Promoted Engineer Captain. Goes on leave 21
August until 21 November
-
21 November 1924 Engineer Captain on Naval Staff at Dept
of the Director or Torpedoes and Mines. Also shown on list of engineer
officers who had passed through a special course of training at the Royal
Naval College at Greenwich.
-
December 1927 Report of Leslie's abilities says he has
been in charge of the torpedo tube section of the DTM. 'Very painstaking,
thorough and energetic with sound judgement.'
-
20 December 1927 Additional with HMS Victory for ICE
-
26 April 1928 Additional HMS President for senior
engineering officers' course, Royal Naval College, Greenwich
-
31 May 1928 Engineer Overseer, Manchester and Liverpool
Districts, Admiralty Engineering Department. Based at 16 Cleveland
Buildings, 94 Market Street, Manchester. (Borne in HMS President.) Staff
consisted of an engineer lieutenant, six civilian assistants and a typist. There was a one-week overlap before took over his duties
on 6 June
-
22 January 1929 Awarded a Good Service pension of £150 a
year from this date.
(Announced publicly in The Times of 13 February 1929)
-
March 1930 Report on his work as district overseer states:
'High professional standards. Carried out the duties of Engineer Overseer
of this large industrial district with zeal. Tact good. Good judgement and
ability. 'Still young and active and can be recommended for further
employment on the retired list. There is no available appointment for him
in the higher rank to which he will be shortly promoted and he will leave
the service with a record which speaks for itself.'
-
30 April 1930 Promoted to Engineer Rear-Admiral
-
1 May 1930 Retired and moved to live at Emsworth, Hants.
Kelly's Handbook for 1939 gives residence as South Lodge (Tel Emsworth
188)
-
3 November 1932 Made will leaving all his estate to his
wife, Nellie Marie Robins. Witnesses were a solicitor and Nora M Harvey,
clerk to the Portsmouth law firm of R V Stokes & Metcalfe. Leslie's
address given as South Lodge, 28 Beach Road, Emsworth
-
5 March 1940 Admiralty Officer in the North-West, based at
Piccadilly House, Piccadilly, Manchester
-
30 November 1945 Appointment as Admiralty area officer
ceases
-
14 February 1949 Dies at Victoria Cottage Hospital,
Emsworth, of angina and cancer of the prostate.
-
15 February 1949 Death registered by his daughter, Miss
Brenda M Robins, of 28 Beach Road, Emsworth, the same address as her
father. Brief obituary appeared in the County Extra edition of the
Portsmouth Evening News. Stated he moved to Emsworth when he retired from
the RN 18 years earlier. He was reported to be Correspondent to the
Managers of Emsworth Church of England School. He left a widow, two sons
and a daughter. Rear-Adm Robins was said to have owned property which
'went for a song' after his death. His home in Beach Road included a
tennis court and orchard which were subsequently sold for housing. In
those days the village was known as HMS Emsworth because of the number of
retired senior naval officers who lived there
-
16 February 1949 Death notice appeared in the Portsmouth
Evening News
-
17 February 1949 Memorial service at 11am St James Church,
Emsworth, followed by cremation at Southampton.
-
18 February 1949 Death announced in The Times.
The son of
