On Chatham Naval Memorial is the name of C/JX 353996 Able Seaman Alan Richardson serving on H.M.S. Boadicea with the Royal Navy who died 13/06/1944.
He was the son of John Robinson Richardson and Elizabeth Ann Richardson and the husband of Edith Richardson, of Washington Station, Co. Durham.
Peter Welsh and Bill Richardson have submitted the following:-
Alan was 33, the son of John Robinson and Elizabeth Ann Richardson (nee Mullier) of Washington Station and husband of Edith Richardson (nee Price).
In the 1901 Census Elizabeth Mullier (17) was living at Coxon’s Row, Usworth with her parents, Joseph (56) and Elizabeth (43) and siblings Joseph (20), James (18), Ada (12), Margaret (4) and Olive May (6m). Father Joseph was a police constable, born in Bishop Auckland while his wife was from Castle Eden. His children had been born at Hebburn, Castle Town (2) and Usworth (3).
The 1911 Census listed John Robinson Richardson (28) and his wife Elizabeth Ann (27) at 3, Elliott Terrace, New Washington. Married 6 years, they had had 3 children but only John (3 months) had survived. John Richardson was born in Usworth, his wife in Castletown and their son in Usworth. He was a colliery horsekeeper for Johnasson & Gordon Co.
In the Durham and Chester le Street Chronicle of 31/07/1942 there was a photograph of Alan Richardson, Royal Navy, of Usworth and Edith Price of Washington Station after their marriage.
In the same newspaper on 30/06/1944, “Official news has been received by Mrs Richardson, 20 Derwent Terrace, that her husband AB Alan Richardson is posted as missing.”
According to Bill Barker, who was 8 in 1944, Alan had a daughter, Carole, born after he was killed. He also had a sister Elsie married to Ned Coomber. They had 2 children, Jean and John, He also had an older brother, John (listed in the 1911 census).
Alan’s grandfather Joseph Mullier ex PC is buried in High Usworth churchyard as are parents John and Elizabeth
Bill remembers Alan moulding sinkers that he used when going fishing 2-3 weeks before his death. “My family and neighbours recall hearing of his death from a Lord Haw Haw broadcast.”
Boadicea was commissioned at Portsmouth on the 2 June 1931 and joined the 4th Destroyer Flotilla. Her pre-war service was in the Mediterranean between 1931 and 1936. Following a refit at Portsmouth in 1936 she re-joined the 4th Destroyer Flotilla until the ‘B’ Class destroyers were replaced with the Tribal Class.
At the outbreak of the Second World War Boadicea was attached to the 19th Destroyer Flotilla based at Dover during which time her role was the escort of troopships. Her earliest major engagement of the war was in support of the evacuation of the 51st Highland Division from Le Havre in June 1940. During this action she was extensively damaged and needed to return to Portsmouth for repair. During 1942 and 1943 she served on convoys to Russia and in support of Operation Torch; the invasion of North Africa.
Boadicea acted as escort for the following Arctic convoys: PQ-15,QP-12, JW-51-A, JW-53, JW-57, JW-58, RA-53, RA-57, RA-58 and RA-59.[2]
Boadicea was sunk on 13 June 1944 while escorting a convoy of merchant ships in convoy EBC-8 from Milford Haven in support of the Normandy invasion. She was possibly struck by an Hs 293 air-to-surface missile launched by a German Do 217; only 12 of her crew survived. However, official British reports attribute the sinking to a torpedo launched by a Ju 88 aircraft which disguised itself in a formation of RAF Beaufighters.
Her wreck lies 16 miles (26 km) south west of the Isle of Portland at 50°28’12?N 02°29’30?W / 50.47°N 2.49167°W / 50.47; -2.49167Coordinates: 50°28’12?N 02°29’30?W / 50.47°N 2.49167°W / 50.47; -2.49167 in 53 metres (174 ft) of water. The bows of the ship are blown off forward of the engine rooms. The stern section is upright and reasonably intact. The wrecksite is designated as a protected place under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.
Alan Richardson is one of the names listed on a hand-written document drawn up by someone at Holy Trinity Church, Washington, at the end of the war and headed “Residents known to have been killed or died in War Service 1939-45.” It appears to be a list of the names to be engraved on the Washington War Memorial.
Alan Richardson is remembered at Usworth on U9.05, at Washington on W96.01 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.
