Ottawa, Ontario02 Jul 1941. While flying a Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IIb (Serial No. P8536), coded SO-B, with No. 145 Squadron, RAF, Sergeant Joseph Guillaume Laurent Robillard, age 20, was shot down over Lillers, France.
Making contact with French civilians, he evaded capture and reached Gibraltar on 12 Aug 1941. He subsequently returned to operational duties. Flight Sergeant J.G.L. Robillard was the first RCAF airman to become a successful "evader".
Sergeant Robillard had taken off at 11:45 hrs from RAF Tangmere for a fighter sweep over France. During the afternoon the squadron was attacked by a swarm of Luftwaffe fighters. He saw one member of his squadron bale out, who he thought was Squadron Leader Stanley Turner, also a Canadian, and decided to escort him down. He was attacked by nine Messerschmitt Bf 109s, including one flown by German ace Adolf Galland, whose aircraft he managed to hit several times. Flight Sergeant Robillard shot down two of the Bf 109s before he himself was shot down. Following his successful evasion he returned to the UK in Oct 1941 and joined No. 70 Squadron, RAF.
He was promoted to Flight Sergeant and awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM). On 22 Apr 1942 he was commissioned as an officer. He returned to France to continue the fight, leading a section of No. 443 (Fighter) Squadron of Johnnie Johnson's No. 144 Wing and was credited with 8 kills. During his service he flew with No. 145 Squadron RAF, No. 72 Squadron RAF, No. 402 Squadron RCAF, and No. 443 Squadron RCAF. F/Lt Laurent Robillard died at his home in Montreal, Quebec on 8 Mar 2006. (DND Photo) information provided by Harold A. Skaarup
Air Crew Remembered