▁family ▁farm ▁at ▁H ale wood , ▁near ▁Liverpool . ▁He ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁H ale wood ▁village ▁school ▁from ▁where ▁he ▁won ▁a ▁scholar ship ▁to ▁the ▁Liverpool ▁Institute ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 . ▁He ▁distinguished ▁himself ▁there ▁in ▁languages ▁and ▁in ▁science ▁under ▁the ▁tut el age ▁of ▁the ▁chem istry ▁master ▁L . ▁A . ▁N aylor . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁he ▁won ▁a ▁scholar ship ▁to ▁C ai us ▁College , ▁Cambridge ▁to ▁read ▁chem istry . ▁He ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁with ▁an ▁upper ▁second ▁class ▁degree , ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁research ▁student ▁in ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Col lo idal ▁Science ▁at ▁Cambridge . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War ▁Robert son ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁Oper ational ▁Research ▁Section ▁of ▁Coast al ▁Command . ▁The ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁unit ▁was ▁Con rad ▁Hal ▁W adding ton , ▁who ▁after ▁the ▁war ▁invited ▁Robert son ▁to ▁join ▁him ▁in ▁a ▁new ▁research ▁body , ▁the ▁National ▁Animal ▁Bre eding ▁and ▁Gen et ics ▁Research ▁Organisation ▁( N AB G RO ). ▁In ▁an ▁ob itu ary ▁study ▁of ▁Robert son , ▁William ▁G . ▁Hill ▁wrote , ▁" At ▁this ▁stage ▁Alan ▁could ▁have ▁had ▁no ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁passing ▁acquaint ance ▁with ▁gen et ics , ▁but ▁he ▁did ▁have ▁a ▁firm ▁understanding ▁of ▁practical ▁far ming . ▁… ▁W adding ton ▁wanted ▁to ▁apply ▁oper ational ▁research ▁methods ▁to ▁animal ▁bre eding ▁and ▁recognized ▁Alan ' s