Allegiance British Empire Name Lancelot Richardson Service/branch Cavalry; aviation Died April 13, 1917 | Years of service 1914–1917 Awards Military Cross Rank Captain | |
Bois-Carre British Cemetery Thelus, Pas de Calais, France Unit 6th Light Horse Regiment AIF, 25 Squadron | ||
Captain Lancelot Lytton Richardson was an Australian flying ace during World War I. He was credited with seven confirmed aerial victories.
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Early life and service
When Lancelot Lytton Richardson enlisted on 24 September 1914, he completed an Attestation Paper that started his military records. On his attestation, he listed his birthplace as Young, his age as 19, his occupation as "grazier", and his mother, Elizebeth Greedy Richardson, as his next of kin. His mother was not widowed, though there was no mention of Richardson's father. Despite his youth, Lancelot Richardson had been involved in some minor legal trouble in Barraba, New South Wales. Nevertheless, he was accepted for service in a cavalry regiment.
Flying service
Serjeant Richardson was commissioned a Temporary Second Lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps on 28 December 1915. Appointment as a Flying Officer followed, on 16 May 1916. He was assigned to 25 Squadron on 3 June to fly a Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2b pusher. Two weeks later, he and his observer teamed with two other FE.2 crews to drive a Fokker Eindekker down out of control for Richardson's first victory. Nine days later, on 26 June, Richardson had Leslie Court aboard as observer/gunner when they forced another Eindekker to land. On 2 July, Richardson forced an Albatros two-seater reconnaissance plane to land. Then, on 20 July, with Court manning the guns, Richardson teamed with another British aircrew to destroy one Eindekker and drive another down out of control; he was now an ace, but was wounded in the process.
Richardson was promoted to Temporary Captain on 1 January 1917, and returned to combat duty in early 1917 as a flight leader in the same squadron. With William Meggitt manning the guns, Richardson drove a German two-seater out of control on 15 February 1917. On 17 March 1917, he capped his career as an ace by sharing in the destruction of an Albatros D.II. On 11 May 1917, he was awarded the Military Cross. On 13 April 1917, Richardson fell to his death under the guns of Hans Klein of Jasta 4.