Singleton Powell Richards

[HughAHalliday]

For Clive Richards, who left me no contact information by which I could reply directly. Could you supply some biographical information on him by which I might flesh out the following entries (particularly the interwar AFC entry) ?

RICHARDS, Singleton Powell, F/O - Air Force Cross - awarded 1 January 1934 in New Year Honours List; reported in Aeroplane of 3 January 1934. Invested with award by the King, Buckingham Palace, 27 February 1934. Aeroplane of 8 March 1933 reported intended departure from Cairo (31 March 1933) of a flight by five Fairey Gordons of No.6 (Bomber) Squadron to tiur the Rhodesias and Nyasaland; he was one of those so engaged.


RICHARDS, Singleton Powell, A/W/C, AFC (27112, Royal Air Force) - RAF Station Andrews Field - Officer, Order of the British Empire - awarded as per London Gazette dated 14 June 1945. Public Record Officer Air 2/9056 (courtesy of Steve Brew) has citation.

"This officer is in command of the station and has shown tremendous energy and enthusiasm in forming it into an efficient operational unit. Prior to this appointment Wing Commander Richards served for two years as a flying instructor, followed by 18 months duties in night fighting. Thereafter he became Station Commander at Warmwell, Northolt and Biggin Hill. He was at the last-mentioned station during the invasion period and the flying bomb attack on London, which he faced with energy and great efficiency."

[malcolm_raf]

Hi Hugh

Interssting citation as 'Biggin on the Bump' does not list him as a Station Commander at Biggin Hill, the CO during the period referred to in the citation was Gp Capt H L Maxwell.

Malcolm

[Resmoroh]

Is it possible that (heaven forbid!) the Citation has it wrong?
Is it possible he was OC Flying (or Ops as it was known in later years) and not Staish?
HTH
Peter Davies

[Stephen Billyeald]

Hugh - did you manage to get any further information about Singleton Powell Richards - especially his AFC citation?
Wing Commander Richards was father-in-law of a friend of mine and this friend is also trying to find out more about his father-in-law's AFC.

[Lyffe]

Stephen,

As a blood relative your friend's wife can obtain her father's service record from the RAF. Details as to how to proceed can be found at http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/raf.html. Note she will have to provide a Certificate of kinship (which can be found on the link) and there's a fee of £30.

Brian

[Stephen Billyeald]

Brian

Thanks. I shall pass that info to my friend

Stephen