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Auction: 17002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 226

Four: Stoker Petty Officer F. Richards, Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Reserve, who lost his life in the destroyer H.M.S. Exmouth when she was torpedoed by the U-22 in the Moray Firth in January 1940: she sank within three minutes with the loss of all hands

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45; Royal Fleet Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.V.R. (K. 575670 (Po. B. 18043) F. Richards, S.P.O., R.F.R.), good very fine and better (4)

Frederick Richards was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire in January 1901 and entered the Royal Navy as an Acting Stoker 1st Class in August 1919. Confirmed in that rate in the following year, he served in the river gunboat Kiawo on the Yangtze in the period February 1927 to July 1928, prior to coming ashore and enrolling in the Royal Fleet Reserve in August 1931.

Recalled shortly before the renewal of hostilities, he joined the destroyer H.M.S. Exmouth as a Stoker Petty Officer and was similarly employed on the occasion of her loss to enemy action on 21 January 1940. On that date, the Exmouth - under Captain R. S. Benson, D.S.O., R.N. - was escorting the merchantman Cyprian Prince in the Moray Firth when she was hit by a torpedo from U-22: she sank within three minutes with the loss of all hands.

Richards left a widow - Gladys Mabel Richards of Small Heath, Birmingham - and has no known grave. His name is commemorated on the memorial dedicated to Exmouth's ship's company at Wick St. Fergus Church, Caithness, Scotland, in addition to the Portsmouth Naval Memorial; sold with copied service record.



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Sold for
£150