LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Harold James RICHARDSON
Service No: 410382
Born: Mildura VIC, 16 February 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 December 1941
Unit: No. 27 Operational Training Unit (RAF), RAF Station Lichfield
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 27 Operational Training Unit Wellington aircraft BJ963), Irish Sea, 22 July 1943, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Escott Robert and Christina Christy Richardson, of Maryborough, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Maryborough VIC
Remembered: Panel 197, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 22 July 1943 Wellington BJ963 took off from Lichfield on a non-operational cross country flight. The route was from Base – Shrewsbury – Bardsley Island – Studwals – Baggors Park – Base. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. It was presumed that the aircraft must have crashed at sea. Following post war enquiries and investigations, it was recorded in 1949 that the missing crew members had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of BJ963 were:
Sergeant Allan James Henry Bock (408418) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Thomas James Clayton (1126817) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Norman Royce Linton (410605) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Arthur Cyril Mack (1183352) (RAFVR)
Sergeant Harold James Richardson (410382) (Observer)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/35/110