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Auction: 21002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 150

Three: Flying Officer Wireless Operator (Air) R. E. Richardson, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who was killed in action when attacking a V-2 rocket site on 31 August 1944

1939-45 Star; France & Germany Star; War Medal 1939-45, with Air Council enclosure named 'Flying Officer R. E. Richardson,' and in card box of issue, postage for 16 June 1950 and addressed to 'F. Richarson, Esq., 104 Bury Road, Hemel Hempstead, Herts.', nearly extremely fine (3)

Robert Edwin Richardson was born in 1923, the son of Frank and Jane Richardson, of Hemel Hempstead. Having been commissioned in March 1944, he joined No. 103 Squadron, crewing up under Flying Officer Donald Ryerse in July 1944. The crew had completed 16 missions, with the Op of 31 August their 17th.

No. 103 Squadron detailed 14 aircraft for this attack on the V-2 storage facility at Agenville France. All aircraft took off in good weather but cloud persisted along most of the route and crews had to descent from the bombing height ordered. The markers appeared somewhat scattered and the Master Bomber's instructions were at times rather confused. Bombing was from between 7000 ft and 11500 ft. Defences consisted of intense predicted flak and some machines were hit. The crew were posted missing from this operation. All other machines returned safely to base.

For this attack on nine V-2 storage sites in northern France Bomber Command detailed a total of 601 aircraft - 418 Lancasters, 147 Halifaxes, 36 Mosquitos. Eight of the sites were found and bombed, with six Lancasters lost.

The crew flew in Lancaster LM243 PM-T 'Tantalizing Tommie' and were hit by flak and crashing, killed all the crew. Richardson is buried in the Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension.

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Sold for
£400

Starting price
£110