LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Douglas John RICHARDS
Service No: 403624
Born: Rugeley, England, 28 June 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 February 1941 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 59 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station North Cotes
Died: Air Operations: (No. 59 Squadron Hudson aircraft AM842), Friesian Islands, 30 May 1942, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Sage War Cemetery, Niedersachsen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Hubert Eric and Vera Eveline Richards, of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. LL.B.
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: University of Sydney World War II Roll of Honour, Sydney NSW
At 2300 hours on the night of 29 May 1942 Hudson AM842 and other aircraft from the Squadron took off from North Cotes to strike against an enemy convoy off the Friesian Islands. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was lost and all the crew were members killed.
The crew members of AM842 were:
Sergeant John Howarth (553931) (RAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Wing Commander Robert Henry Niven DFC (37627) (RAF) (Pilot) Unrecovered
Pilot Officer James Joseph Reilly (J/6970) (RCAF) (Wireless Air Gunner) Unrecovered
Flying Officer Douglas John Richards (403624) (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, 163/55/195
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line