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.

Continue reading →