Flight of Gladiator II N5697 and Pilot Officer W P Richards on 1940-05-21
On 1940-05-21, Pilot W P Richards (Pilot Officer, RAF) with servicenumber 77340 flew a Gladiator II with serial N5697 for this duty: Patrol. His mission was not completed. Circumstances of the aircraft loss: Crashed near Torskenfjord. This aircraft was a part of squadron no. 263. The location for the map is Torskenfjord, Norway. Circumstances at the end of this mission for Richards: he was killed. He is commemorated at: Harstad Cemetery, Norway.
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From the link:
Gloster Gladiator Sifjord, Senja Troms
263 Squadron RAF code N5697 P/O Walter Philip Richards (KIA) 21.05 1940
263 Squadron RAF code N5693 P/O Randolph Stuart Mills (WIA) 21.05 1940
Fairey Swordfish Sifjord, Senja Troms
818 Sqdn. code P4216 S/Lt J A Welply (WIA) S/Lt G P Simpson (WIA) H H Simpson (WIA)
The two Gladiators took off from HMS "Furious" guided by a Fairey Swordfish, to fly to Bardufoss. The planes got lost in the snow and fog.
All three planes crashed into the mountain Høystakktind between Sifjord and Osterfjord. The Swordfish crew survived the crash, and were rescued. The wounded P/O Mills was also rescued and shipped back to England. P/O Richards (24) died in this crash, he rests at Harstad Cemetery
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