Pilot Officer Brian Alfred Carter Richards was born in 1922 and was from Sittingbourne, Kent.

He flew Stirling bombers with 7 Squadron. Pilot Officer Richards and his crew was lost on a mission to Bremen on 30 June 1942. They took of from their base Oakington at 23.50, in Stirling N3706 MG-S.

The crew consisted of:
F/S M G Bailey RCAF
P/O B A C Richards

Sgt R H Kelly

Sgt H A T Watson RNZAF
Sgt A J Hamlyn

Sgt S A Morison

Sgt L J Keatley

Sgt D A W Peachey

7 Sqn RAF

The Operational Records Book of 7 Squadron for this night says about the N3706: "Missing on Operations. Apparently ditched 50 miles off Cromer - Search by our aircraft on June 30 failed to find survivors". Although 7 squadron thought the plane ditched 50 miles off the English coast, the crew might have been the last bomber brought down by Lt Löwa of 11./NJG2, northwest of the island of Vlieland (an other source states Borkum Island). A diary of one of his staffel members mentions that he and his wireless operator, Fw Möller, were missing this night and suspected a collision. The next day a tire of a British bomber was found in close proximity of a tank of a Me110, the type of plane flown by Lt Löwa, again indicating a collision. Both Lt Löwa (21) and Fw Möller (24) were killed.

F/S Bailey, Sgt Keatley and Sgt Peachey survived and were taken prisoner. Sgt Hamlyn was first buried at Rottumeroog Island. After the war he was reburied at Oldebroek General Cemetery, The Netherlands. Sgt Morison is buried at Sage War Cemetery, Germany. Sgt Watson and Sgt Kelly are still missing and are commemorated at the Runnymede Memorial.

Pilot Officer Richards is buried in Uithuizermeeden.

(picture by Wim Bastiaanse)

Uithuizermeeden, The Netherlands

See also:
Sgt R H Kelly

Sgt H A T Watson RNZAF
Sgt A J Hamlyn

Sgt S A Morison

Sources and acknowledgements:
Mr. Dave Cheetham
Errol W. Martyn, For Your Tomorrow, Vol.I, Volplane Press: Christchurch 1998
Jansen, Ab A., Wespennest Leeuwarden, Vol. I, Baarn: Hollandia 1976
7 Squadron Association

RAF Squadron crest © Crown Copyright is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office

Directions to Uithuizermeeden General Cemetery

If you have any suggestions, comments or additional information, please contact me.

This website is dedicated to the men and women who died and/or are buried in The Netherlands during World War II.

 

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