LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Norman Worsley RICHARDSON DFC
Service No: 404522
Born: Mossman QLD, 15 November 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 13 September 1940
Unit: No. 12 Squadron (RAF), RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 3 March 1942 (Citation Title: No. 12 Squadron (RAF))
Died: Air Operations: (No. 12 Squadron Wellington aircraft Z8495), Germany, 6 May 1942, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Rheinberg War Cemetery, Kamp-Lintfort, Nordrhein-Westfal, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Worsley and Elsie Margaret Richardson, of South Johnstone, Queensland, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Innisfail North QLD
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
DFC Citation: On 12 February 1942 Pilot Officer Richardson was detailed to participate in an attack on the German battle cruisers passing through the Straits of Dover. In spite of extremely adverse weather conditions Pilot Officer Richardson displaying great perseverance, finally located the objective off the Belgian coast. Whilst manoeuvring to attack the Gneisnau in the face of a terrific barrage, Pilot Officer Richardson was wounded in the arm by a fragment of shell. In spite of this he continued to press home his attack and diving to 400 feet, released his bombs which were observed to fall just in front of the cruiser. Although the aircraft was again hit by ack-ack fire, Pilot Officer Richardson flew his aircraft safely back to base. (London Gazette 3/3/1942, P1012)
Wellington Z8495 took off from RAF Binbrook at 2204 hours in the night of 5 May 1942 to bomb Stuttgart, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. A 1948 report by a Missing Research & Enquiry team stated “The aircraft crashed near Reuth presumably as a result of enemy aircraft. Olzheimj and Reuth are situated 8 and 10 kms respectively north east of Prum, which is about 80 kms south west of Koblenz. All the crew members were killed.”
The crew members of Z8495 were:
Pilot Officer Alan George Hersey (109016) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Sergeant Thomas Freer MacGregor-King (407178) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Herbert John Ody (921915) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Norman Worsley Richardson DFC (404522) (Pilot)
Sergeant Edward Frederick Webb (644998) (RAF) (Air Gunner)
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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/55/163