Wing Commander, RAF
Born: April 7th 1916
Died: October 22nd 1943
Age at Death: 27
Killed on active service, October 22nd 1943
Medals / honours: Distinguished Service Order and Distinguished Flying Cross
Richard was born in Cardiff on 7 April 1916 to Richard Travell England and his wife Gwendoline (née Whitelaw). After leaving the College in 1933 he joined the Royal Artillery Air Force, which maintained a reserve of skilled part-time volunteers who could be deployed effectively in time of war.
When war came England served with 107 Squadron, flying bombing raids. On 9 November 1943 the Air Ministry announced that Acting Wing Commander England, who already had the Distinguished Flying Cross, had been awarded the Distinguished Service Order. The citation praised his ‘inspiring leadership, great courage and exceptional skill’. By the time of this announcement, England had already been dead for 18 days, killed in a raid on Kamperland in the Netherlands. He is buried at the nearby Vlissingen Noorderbegraafplaats.