This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you agree to accept cookies.
If you enjoy this siteplease consider making a donation.
Site Home
WW2 Home
Add Stories
WW2 Search
Library
Help & FAQs
WW2 Features
Airfields
Allied Army
Allied Air Forces
Allied Navy
Axis Forces
Home Front
Battles
Prisoners of War
Allied Ships
Women at War
Those Who Served
Day-by-Day
Library
The Great War
Submissions
Add Stories
Time Capsule
TWMP on Facebook
Childrens Bookshop
FAQ's
Help & FAQs
Glossary
Volunteering
Contact us
News
Bookshop
About
248983Reginald Jack Richardson
Royal Air Force
So proud of our grandfather Reginald Richardson who, sadly, passed away in April 2018. The following are exerts from a book he once started writing and our father's words from the funeral.At the age of 18 he was the first to join the newly-formed local Air Training Corps and also part-time studied aerial navigation. As a result when he was called-up he was able to join the RAF. After three weeks of training at the Air Crew Reception Centre he was required to have a Night Vision test.
September 17th 1941 The End of a dream. The Officer closes the book and quietly says 'I am sorry to inform you that you are partially colour-blind', I ask how this condition affects my training, his reply is like a dagger thrust straight to my heart, 'I have to recommend to your Training Officer that you be removed from any further training for Air-crew duties'. I am completely devastated.
After retraining as ground crew he was upgraded to Aircraftsman First Class and posted to East Kirkby as instrument repairer. It was a pretty arduous time as they worked all hours to keep the Lancaster bombers flying. The following incident perhaps best describes a certain aspect of Dad’s character, determination.
31at of August 1944. Have today completed my first year of Service! August has equaled the Squadrons July record of operations, with the loss of only 3 aircraft. I have suffered the indignation of a reprimand from a visiting Sergeant from Workshops, this individual pays a visit to the Flights `once in a blue moon’, usually when the sun is at its zenith. He has seen me assisting Armourers manoeuvring a loaded bomb-trolley into position under a bomb-bay, called me to one-side and informed me it was not part of my remit to assist other trades and if I have time on my hands it is an indication that I am neglecting my own duties! Ignorant Bigot! he has no idea of working practices here on the Flights, here we all work towards the same end, `keep them flying’, we are all suffering sleep deprivation, Armourers worse than most, their work is heavy and subject to sudden changes, many are prime examples of Somnambulism, some have been removed from duty for their own safety, (as well as ours) accidents have been on the increase, fortunately none fatal, but chance of disaster is ever present with the large amount of High Explosive lying around the Dispersals!!. Demarcation of duties is not practicable, I have to accept the Sergeant's reprimand, without comment, but it will have no bearing on my future actions! I complete my assistance to the Armourers, return to the Flight hut and report my confrontation with Sergeant to my Corporal.
One thing that has aggrieved him over the years is the overwhelming impression that it was only the fighter pilots that won the war for Britain and that people have not necessarily forgotten the men of Bomber Command, but have largely uncelebrated their contribution. Within Bomber Command, attention is often focused on air crew, while the ground crew, who kept the aircraft flying in dangerous and arduous circumstances, are overlooked.
Related Content:
Can you help us to add to our records?
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.
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.
The free section of the Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers. We have been helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by recording and preserving recollections, documents, photographs and small items.
The website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources and we currently have a huge backlog of submissions.
If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small to help with the costs of keeping the site running.
Hosted by:
Copyright MCMXCIX - MMXXIV
- All Rights Reserved
We do not permit the use of any content from this website for the training of LLMs or for use in Generative AI, it also may not be scraped for the purpose of creating other websites.