Photo: James Pasby
3317 Private
R.S. Richardson
Durham Light Infantry
20th January 1916
Ralph Snaith Richardson committed suicide.
The Daily Gazette for Middlesbrough 21/01/1916 reports:-
Stockton's Soldier's Death
Found shot at Langley Railway Crossing
A sad tragedy occurred near Durham City last night. A private in the 9th D.L.I. (national reserve) named Ralph Snaith Richardson (48) was engaged in guarding Lamgley railway Viaduct and was last seen about 8 oclock when he said to a comrade (Lee) that he was going to turn in.
A quarter of an hour later Lee visited the soldiers' quarters at the rear of North Brancepeth Terrace and found deceased lying on his back and his carbine between his legs with the muzzle pointing towards his head.
On examination he found that a bullet had passed through the roof his mouth, out through the bridge of his nose and entered the roof of the building.
The dead body was removed to Meadowfield Mortuary pending an inquest.
Pte. Richardson had lived with his nephew, Geo. W. Flannigan at 8 Bolsover Street Stockton.
Ralph Snaith Richardson is not remembered on a local War Memorial.
He is remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 9
