50th Northumbrian Division

Lt-Col. R.B. James

/ Matthew K Barrett / Leave a comment

Lieutenant-Colonel R.B. James
5th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment

It was a severe blow to hear from 5 E Yorks that Lt Col R.B., DSO, had been killed by shellfire. No one was with him at the time, but he was killed instantaneously … It would not be fitting here to attempt an expression of what the E Yorks must be feeling, or of their admiration of Col. James.

(HQ 69 Inf Bde Information Bulletin No. 31, 3 Aug 44)

Born in October 1912 in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, Robert Brian James was a commissioned officer in the Essex Regiment since 1932. Before the Second World War, he had served in Palestine and later earned a Distinguished Service Order for bravery during the Anglo-Iraqi War in May 1941. Within two years, he would be awarded a pair of D.S.O. Bars for skillful leadership commanding the 5th East Yorks in North Africa and Sicily.

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Lt-Col. P.H. Richardson

/ Matthew K Barrett / Leave a comment

Lieutenant-Colonel P.H. Richardson
7th Battalion, Green Howards
2/6th Battalion, Queen’s Royal Regiment

For some reason I don’t know why neither B or D boys seem to possess any means of dealing with the tanks though the M10’s did knock out one and I think I got the commander of one myself with a Bren. We suffered quite a few casualties and bit by bit parties got put in the bag … If I had only had tanks myself or more PIATs things might have been different. I could have knocked out three tanks myself if I had only been carrying a PIAT at 30-50 yds range.

(Lt-Col. P.H. Richardson, 10 Aug 1944, war diary appendix)

Born on 23 July 1909 in British, India, Philip Herbert Richardson was a commissioned officer in the Queen’s Royal Regiment since 1930. Following prewar service in China and India, he attended Staff College, Camberley in 1941. Following a posting as brigade major, he served as second-in-command of the 2/5th Battalion, Queen’s Royal Regiment in North Africa, and next transferred to the 6th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry in Sicily.

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