Orders, Decorations and Medals

Three: Acting Squadron Leader A. C. Richardson, Royal Air Force, a ‘tough, hefty man with a large ginger moustache, a forerunner perhaps of the Battle of Britain fashion’

India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1930-31 (F./O. A. C. Richardson, R.A.F.); Defence and War Medals, very fine and better (3) £250-300

Alfred Clayton Richardson, who was born in Salford in September 1903, was appointed to a short service commission as a Pilot Officer in August 1929, and completed his pilot training at No. 4 F.T.S. at Abu Sueir in the Middle East. He subsequently flew operationally on the North West Frontier 1930-31, and was advanced to Flying Officer in February of the latter year. Clearly quite a character, Richardson receives due recognition in a fellow pilot’s memoir, Incidents and Accidents, not least for his collision with a camel:

‘It transpired that Flying Officer Richardson of 27 Squadron had been gliding in to land over the road when a long train of camels, tied nose to tail and led by an Indian merchant, was plodding down the road on its way to Bannu. Keeping his eye on the head of the column, Richardson had apparently failed to appreciate its length and, misjudging his height, had hit the last camel in the line which also happened to be the tallest. The undercarriage of the Wapiti took the head off the unfortunate animal and carried it onto the aerodrome where the Wapiti, literally tripped up by the impact, stood on its nose after bouncing heavily on its wheels.

Richardson was a tough, hefty man with a large ginger moustache, a forerunner perhaps of the Battle of Britain fashion. He was alleged to have unstrapped himself and slid to the ground from his elevated cockpit. Walking round the shattered propeller he found the head of the decapitated camel still impaled in the cross bracing wires of his undercarriage, and wearing that expression of haughty disdain which is the prerogative of all camels. Richardson studied it for a few moments and, according to his air gunner, said, “Grin at me, would you, you bastard.”

Needless to say the owner of the camel was at the station gates within minutes demanding instant compensation, not only for the largest and most valuable in his train, but also for the psychological harm done to the others. The incident created considerable embarrassment and was eventually settled for about 500 rupees, a large proportion of which had to be paid by Richardson who was judged to have been extremely careless and lacking in judgement. Somewhat chastened by this episode, we all added a few feet when crossing the road in future and treated all camels as if they were giraffes.’

Transferred to No. 39 Squadron at Risalpur in early 1933, Richardson returned to the U.K. in March 1934, shortly after which he was placed on the Reserve of Air Force Officers. Called-up on the renewal of hostilities, he was advanced to Flight Lieutenant in September 1940 and to acting Squadron Leader in December 1941, but, for reasons unknown, resigned his commission in December 1943.