Wall of Service
Column
17
Row
1
Muriel Caroline (Tobutt) Robbins was born December 4, 1920 at Hayes, Middlesex England. At age 21 she joined the Royal Signal Corps. She was sent to Leicestershire training centre and then on to Kingston-on-Thames, Sussex after completing tests to become a signal operator. From there she went to Brompton Road G.O.R. to learn to be a plotter but called Switch Board Operators tracking incoming enemy planes by moving pieces on a large map. She worked underground 3-G.O.R's-RAF, NAVY, ARMY. She worked 8 hour shifts, 4 hours on duty and 4 hours on standby for 3 nights rotating shifts and taking messages from various calls.
After Christmas l943 she moved to St. Leonards-Hastings and Battle Abbey and lived in a previous Convent which was bombed one night while she was in Sick Bay. Her Artillary Officer Capt. Price was killed. She was lucky that she had fallen ill.
The Canadian Unit was next door. Mum met our father Gunner Melville Leo Robbins. Mum went on to serve underground in Dover Castle (which she was given a private tour of many years later when the Operation Rooms were reopened to the public). She married Leo and daughter Carol Ann was born just before the war ended. Dad was sent home with his Unit in late 1945 and Muriel and Carol Ann arrived in Canada on The Queen Mary at Pier 21 July 1946. Muriel was an only child and left her parents and relatives for an unknown new homeland Orillia, Ontario.
Three other children were born in Canada ... Susan, David and Marylou. Muriel worked in the home and community. Before passing away June 15, 2008 she received her 61 year membership certificate from the Royal Canadian Legion. During those years she served as President of the Ladies Auxillary for 6 years and was the first woman President of Branch 34. She worked on the Poppy Fund and the Board of the Legion Complex and arranged many War Bride Reunions over the years.
