Lancelot Richardson

Lancelot Lytton Richardson
Born 18 October 1895
Young, New South Wales, Australia
Died 13 April 1917(1917-04-13) (aged 21)
Bois-Carre British Cemetery Thelus, Pas de Calais, France
Allegiance British Empire
Service/branch Cavalry; aviation
Years of service 1914–1917
Rank Captain
Unit 6th Light Horse Regiment AIF, 25 Squadron
Awards Military Cross

Captain Lancelot Lytton Richardson was an Australian flying ace during World War I. He was credited with seven confirmed aerial victories.

Early life and service

When Lancelot Lytton Richardson enlisted on 24 September 1914, he completed an Attestation Paper that started his military records. On his attestation, he listed his birthplace as Young, his age as 19, his occupation as "grazier", and his mother, Elizebeth Greedy Richardson, as his next of kin. His mother was not widowed, though there was no mention of Richardson's father. Despite his youth, Lancelot Richardson had been involved in some minor legal trouble in Barraba, New South Wales. Nevertheless, he was accepted for service in a cavalry regiment.[1]

Flying service

Serjeant Richardson was commissioned a Temporary Second Lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps on 28 December 1915.[2] Appointment as a Flying Officer followed, on 16 May 1916.[3] He was assigned to 25 Squadron on 3 June to fly a Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2b pusher. Two weeks later, he and his observer teamed with two other FE.2 crews to drive a Fokker Eindekker down out of control for Richardson's first victory. Nine days later, on 26 June, Richardson had Leslie Court aboard as observer/gunner when they forced another Eindekker to land. On 2 July, Richardson forced an Albatros two-seater reconnaissance plane to land. Then, on 20 July, with Court manning the guns, Richardson teamed with another British aircrew to destroy one Eindekker and drive another down out of control; he was now an ace, but was wounded in the process.[4][1]

Richardson was promoted to Temporary Captain on 1 January 1917,[5] and returned to combat duty in early 1917 as a flight leader in the same squadron. With William Meggitt manning the guns, Richardson drove a German two-seater out of control on 15 February 1917. On 17 March 1917, he capped his career as an ace by sharing in the destruction of an Albatros D.II.[4] On 11 May 1917, he was awarded the Military Cross.[6] On 13 April 1917, Richardson fell to his death under the guns of Hans Klein of Jasta 4.[1]

Endnotes

  1. 1 2 3 "Lancelot Richardson". The Aerodrome. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  2. ↑ Supplement to the London Gazette, 28 January 1916, Retrieved on 5 August 2010.
  3. ↑ Supplement to the London Gazette, 7 June 1916, Retrieved on 5 August 2010.
  4. 1 2 Pusher Aces of World War 1. p. 71.
  5. ↑ Supplement to the London Gazette, 6 February 1917, Retrieved on 5 August 2010.
  6. ↑ Supplement to the London Gazette, 11 May 1917, Retrieved on 5 August 2010.

References


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.