The Wartime Memories Project - The Second War

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225466 Sgt. Richard Frederick Marshall-Hardy Royal Air Force 202 Sqdn. from:Bradford, Yorkshire My father, Richard Marshall-Hardy was born 1919 in Bradford, Yorkshire. He lived with his parents in London. He joined up in 1939 as wireless operator/aircrew, rank LAC, flying London II flying boats on anti-submarine patrol based between Gibraltar and Malta. He was shot down by two Vichy French Curtiss fighters 40 miles off Casablanca in the Atlantic. Both Canadian pilots were killed, but my Dad and one crew member survived for five hours before being picked up by a Vichy French submarine. He was taken to Casablanca. Then, over several weeks, he was transferred over the High Atlas mountains to a disused Legionnaire Fort near Zagora in the Draa valley. Dad was there for six months before being transferred to Laghouat POW camp in Algeria. He was a POW from September 1940 to November 1942. After liberation of North Africa and repatriation home, dad spent three months in Morecambe hospital and was briefly in the UK (when I was conceived!). Then in January 1944 he was convoyed across the Atlantic to Canada where he learnt to fly, based in Moncton, Bowden, Medicine Hat, Gimli. He remained as an instuctor and returned to UK (Kidlington) in May 1945, with Bomber Command. He flew on the Berlin airlift and continued in the RAF till 1962, reaching the rank of Squadron Leader. I'm very proud of him! Richard Marshall-Hardy Add to this record.  Related Content: No. 202 Squadron Royal Air Force Siege of Malta Can you help us to add to our records? Add a record to our website. The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them Did you or your relatives live through the Second World War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial? Were you or your relative evacuated? Did an air raid affect your area? If so please let us know. Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice. Contact us. Celebrate your own Family History Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Secomd World War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc. Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.

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