Lieutenant-Colonel C.W.P. Richardson
6th Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers

I’m now getting on to rather dangerous ground because we wished to—as I say it’s no good trying to stop Scottish soldiers when they’ve had a drop to drink chasing women. And so the best thing to do is to recognize it and take precaution. And what we wanted to do, and we had the full approval of the general, was to start our own regimental brothel … And then who should step in but the bishop [of Hong Kong] … and he said “no” and that was that.

(Richardson, IWM museum, 5 Aug 1982)

Born on 8 June 1905 in Belfast, Ireland, Charles Walter Philipps Richardson attended Royal Naval Colleges, Osborne and Dartmouth but decided to make a career in the army instead. After transferring to Royal Military College, Sandhurst he was commissioned into the King’s Own Scottish Borderers in 1924. He served with the 2nd Battalion in Hong Kong, India, and Egypt during the late 1920s and 30s before the Second World War.

Following instructional duties, he went to the staff college at Camberley in 1942 but admitted to being “an unorthodox and shattering bad staff officer.” The next year, he was assigned to be second-in-command of the 6th Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers. The unit deployed to Normandy with the 15th Division just after D-Day but commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel C.W.P. Richardson was wounded just one month later. Richardson took over in mid-July.

He led the 6th Battalion until the end of the North West Europe campaign and earned the D.S.O. and Bar: “Despite constant changes among this offrs due to very hy cas, Lt Col Richardson has led and inspired his bn throughout this long period, with such success that its fighting spirit remains as high as ever.” After relinquishing command in February 1946, he became commandant of the tactical wing of the School of Infantry.

He subsequently served in Malaysia against insurgents and commanded a Territorial Army brigade before retiring from the army in 1957.

Richardson died on 11 February 1993.