Kenneth L. Richards                                                                              Updated: 22 MAR 2022

Airman: o888264.htm Surname: Richards Init: K L Rank: F/Sgt Service: RAF Sqdn: 218

P_link: p120.htm Plane: STI R9190 Operation: Minelaying Crash_site: Sælgrunden at Siø

Crash_d: d111042 Buried_d: o888 C_link: o888.htm At_Next: POW

Den 11. oktober 1942 kl. 23.47 nødlandede STI R9190 omkring her ved Sælgrunden ud for Rudkøbing. 

Under forsøg på at nå den udløste gummibåd druknede Sgt (Air Bomber) Joseph Curle, måske som følge af de svære kvæstelser han havde fået i forbindelse med luftkampen. Fem besætningsmedlemmer blev senere opsamlet af et dansk redningshold, og de fire, Sgt (Pilot) F.W.N. Hill, Sgt (Wireless Operator) H.F.H. Frost,
Sgt (Observer) J.T. Harkin og Sgt (Flight Engineer) J. Gardner, blev indlagt på Rudkøbing sygehus, medens den femte, Sgt (Rear Gunner) J.P.J. White blev indsat i
arresten.
Det sidste besætningsmedlem, F/Sgt (Mid Upper Gunner) K.L. Richards var sprunget med faldskærm og var landet på Tåsinge. Om morgenen den 12. oktober blev
White og Richards afhentet af tyskerne og bragt til Odense, hvor de her den 14. oktober overværede begravelsen af 2 allierede flyvere (Sgt. Curle fra STI R9190 og
Sgt. Moore fra HAL DT520) (Kilde: FT 85-76-7)

De 6 overlevende blev sendt til Oberursel til forhør og derfra videre til Stalag Luft I Barth, Stalag Luft VI Heydekrug og Stalag Luft IV Gross Tychow. (Kilde: AOD)
Se også Tyske krigsfangelejre. 7 flyvere.

On 11 October 1942 at 23.47 hours STI R9190 made a forced landing about here at Sælgrunden off Rudkøbing.

During attempts to get the released dinghy Sgt (Air Bomber) Joseph Curle drowned, maybe due to the heavy injuries he had suffered in connection with the aerial
battle. 5 crew members were later picked up by a Danish rescue team. 4 of them, Sgt (Pilot) F.W.N. Hill, Sgt (Wireless Operator) H.F.H. Frost, Sgt (Observer)
J.T. Harkin and Sgt (Flight Engineer) J. Gardner, were taken to Rudkøbing Hospital, while the 5th, Sgt (Rear Gunner) J.P.J. White, was imprisoned. The last crew
member F/Sgt (Mid Upper Gunner) K.L. Richards had bailed out and landed on Tåsinge. In the morning of 12 October White and Richards were fetched by the
Germans and taken to Odense. On the 14 October they attended the burial of 2 allied airmen here (Sgt Curle from STI R9190 and Sgt Moore from HAL DT520).
(Source: FT 85-76-7)

The 6 survivors were taken to Dulag Luft Oberursel for interrogation, and then to Stalag Luft I Barth, Stalag Luft VI Heydekrug and Stalag Luft IV Gross Tychow.
(Source: AOD) See also German POW-Camps.

Stirling I R9190 HA-E took off from RAF Downham Market at 18:20 on 11 OCT 1942. (Source: Aircrew Remembered has this.) p120MACR has more.
No. 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron RAF - Wikipedia * History of No 218 Squadron RAF * Short Stirling. 7 airmen.