Arthur Robinson was born in December 1909, the son of Harry and Laura Robinson, of Blackpool, Lancashire.

After leaving school he worked for the GPO in Blackpool (on the outdoors staff, so presumably a postie), before joining the Royal Navy at the end of 1928, probably just after turning 19, as a stoker. After training his first ship was the cruiser HMS LONDON. LONDON did a Mediterranean cruise, after which Arthur volunteered for submarines.

His first submarine was HMS THAMES. He stood by HMS TRITON in build, and went to war in her in 1939. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for bravery in TRITON (London Gazette of 9 May 1940). In April 1940 he went on leave, and was then drafted to HMS RORQUAL, in which he was Mentioned in Despatches in 1941 (London Gazette of 29 July 1941) “for courage and skill during successful submarine patrols“. RORQUAL was a mine-laying submarine, and over the summer of 1941 she served as a cargo and fuel carrier between Alexandria and Malta. At some point in 1941, probably after July 1941, he was drafted to HMS TRIUMPH.

Arthur Robinson died when HMS TRIUMPH was lost with all hands having apparently struck a mine in the Aegean Sea.  He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Panel 68, Column 3.