Captain Lancelot Lytton Richardson (18 October 1895 – 13 April 1917) was an Australian flying ace during World War I. He was credited with seven confirmed aerial victories before his death in action on 13 April 1917.

Early life and service

Lancelot Lytton Richardson was born on 18 October 1895, to Elizabeth Greedy Parkman and George Richardson. Three towns claim to be his birthplace: Young, New South Wales, Grenfell,Findagrave website https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56183375/lancelot-lytton-richardson Retrieved 12 November 2017. and Bereen Barraba.Shores, et al, p. 320. Richardson attended North Shore Church of England Grammar School, where he was active in sports. He was captain of both the football and boxing teams, as well as the stroke oar at crew. When Lancelot Lytton Richardson enlisted in the 6th Light Horse Regiment on 24 September 1914, he completed an Attestation Paper that started his military records. On his attestation, he listed his birthplace as Young, New South Wales, Australia, 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.

Flying service

Serjeant Richardson was commissioned a Temporary Second Lieutenant in the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

on 28 December 1915. Appointment as a Flying Officer followed, on 16 May 1916. He was assigned to No. 25 Squadron RFC on 3 June to fly a

Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2 Between 1911 and 1914, the Royal Aircraft Factory used the F.E.2 (Farman Experimental 2) designation for three quite different aircraft that shared only a common "Farman" pusher biplane layout. The third "F.E.2" type was operated as a day and n ...

b pusher. Two weeks later, he and his observer teamed with two other FE.2 crews to drive a

Fokker Eindekker The Fokker ''Eindecker'' fighters were a series of German World War I monoplane single-seat fighter aircraft designed by Netherlands, Dutch engineer Anthony Fokker.Boyne 1988 Developed in April 1915, the first ''Eindecker'' ("Monoplane") was the f ...

down out of control for Richardson's first victory. Nine days later, on 26 June, Richardson had

Leslie Court Second Lieutenant Leslie Simpson Court (1897 – 10 December 1918) was a British World War I flying ace. He was credited with eight aerial victories, gained while serving as an observer/gunner in No. 25 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps.Guttman & Demps ...

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.Guttman, Dempsey, p. 71. Royal Aircraft Factory FE2b

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 Flight Lieutenant William Geoffrey Meggitt (8 April 1894 – 28 January 1927) was a British World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories. World War I Meggitt was commissioned as a second lieutenant (on probation) in the 3rd Battal ...

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 The Albatros D.II was a German fighter aircraft used during World War I. After a successful combat career in the early '' Jagdstaffeln'', it was gradually superseded by the Albatros D.III. Design and development Albatros designers Robert Thelen ...

. On 11 May 1917, he was awarded the Military Cross.''Supplement to the London Gazette'', 11 May 1917
Retrieved on 5 August 2010. On 13 April 1917, Richardson fell to his death under the guns of

Hans Klein Hans Klein (17 January 1891 – 18 November 1944) was a German World War I fighter ace credited with 22 aerial victories. During World War II he held the position of Geschwaderkommodore of the JG 53 "Pik As" fighter ''Geschwader'' (wing). Early ...

Jasta 4 Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 4, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 4, was a "hunting group" (i.e., fighter squadron) of the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. The unit would score 192 confirmed victories; ...

Endnotes

References

* * Australian World War I flying aces Royal Flying Corps officers Recipients of the Military Cross British military personnel killed in World War I Aviators killed by being shot down British Army personnel of World War I 1917 deaths 1895 births People from Young, New South Wales Australian military personnel killed in World War I {{wwi-air