Album I 1935-1944

One of eleven scrapbook albums relating to O33013 (250752) Wing Commander Kenneth Victor Robertson DFC AFC and Bar, RAAF. From Essendon, Victoria, Robertson enlisted on 5 Feburary 1940. He served as a test pilot, flying instructor and held various positions within Australia and overseas before he retired on 28 March 1965. Albums contain captioned personal and official photographs, newspaper clippings, documents, letters, printed souvenir material and maps.

During the Second World War, Robertson was posted as an instructor to several flight schools before he was involved in testing the early 'g' suit, designed by Professor Frank Cotton to overcome the effects of gravity experienced by pilots during flying manoeuvres. In November 1943, Robertson was posted to 452 Squadron, where he flew Spitfires in defence of Darwin. Returning to work as a test pilot in October 1944, he was the first Australian pilot to fly Mustang A68-648, the aircraft which is now in the collection of the Australian War Memorial. During 1946, with postings to England and the United States, Robertson learned to fly helicopters and took the delivery of the Sikorsky S-51 for the RAAF. Returning to Australia in September 1947, Robertson continued as a test pilot and was posted to the Aircraft Research and Development Unit at Laverton in November 1951. In January 1956, he left for Malaya as commanding officer of 1 Squadron, RAAF and flew 103 operations in Lincoln bomber aircraft. Robertson returned to Australia in July 1958, and after several postings, was sent to the United States to attend the US Army Aviation School to become an instructor in rotary wing aircraft. At the start of December 1960 he was posted to command the newly-raised 16 Army Light Aircraft Squadron at Amberley before being posted to Headquarters Support Command in Melbourne in 1964. He retired from the RAAF in 1965 and remained a keen pilot in civilian life and continued to work as a flight instructor.