Person    | Male  Born 27/1/1920  Died 9/10/1943

Sub-Lieutenant (A) Kenneth William Richter

Categories: Armed Forces

Countries: Scotland

War dead, WW2 i

Commemorated on a memorial as having died in WW2.

Sub-Lieutenant (A) Kenneth William Richter

Kenneth William Richter was born on 27 January 1920, the eldest of the four children of William Richter (1890-1934) and Harriet Martha Richter née Axon (1891-1970). His birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1920 in the Lewisham registration district, London.

His three siblings were: Robert John Richter (1921-1993); Marie Eileen Richter (1924-2004) and Alan Joseph Richter (1926-1987).

In the 1939 England and Wales Register he was shown as a bank clerk living with his widowed mother at 26 Westbury Road, Penge, Kent (now Greater London).

He was appointed as a Temporary Sub-Lieutenant (A) in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on 26 September 1942

He was a Telegraphist Sub Lieutenant (Fleet Air Arm) in No.845 Squadron that was flying from HMS Chaser, an American-built Attacker-class escort carrier. On 17 July 1943 this ship suffered serious damage when an explosion occurred in the boiler room; there were no serious injuries but the ship required dockyard assistance to effect repairs. There was no room in any of the Clyde yards so HMS Chaser took passage to Rosyth for repairs in the Naval Dockyard which took three months. Meanwhile, his squadron transferred to HMS Sparrowhawk, the name given to RNAS Hatston, a Royal Naval Air Station, one mile to the north west of Kirkwall on the island of Mainland, Orkney, Scotland.

On 9 October 1943, aged 23 years, he was aboard one of his squadron's Grumman TBF-1 Avenger aeroplanes when it collided with a Supermarine Seafire aeroplane of No.801 Squadron and spun into the sea 2 miles northwest of the Old Man of Hoy, Orkney, during a fighter evasion training exercise. He, along with Sub-Lieutenant Peter Charles Alfred Heath (1921-1943) and Petty Officer Airman Gavin Rough (1918-1943), were all reported as drowned at sea. 

As he has no known grave he is commemorated on Bay 4, Panel 7, of the Fleet Air Arm war memorial, Marine Parade West, junction with Richmond Road, Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire, England. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website.

Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Sub-Lieutenant (A) Kenneth William Richter

Commemorated ati

Penge war memorial

The WW2 civilian list identifies 14 people who worked in civil defence and wh...

Read More

Other Subjects

E. J. Titcomb

E. J. Titcomb

Employed at the Holloway bus/tram garage - Pemberton Gardens. Served and was killed in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Major Francis Harvey

Major Francis Harvey

Soldier. Born Francis John William Harvey in Upper Sydenham. Kent. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at the height of the Battle of Jutland. Although wounded by shellfi...

Person, Armed Forces, Denmark

1 memorial
J. W. Otton, DCM

J. W. Otton, DCM

Employed at the Holloway bus/tram garage - Pemberton Gardens. Served and was killed in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
G. Case

G. Case

J. Lyons & Co. Ltd. staff member who died in WW2.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial
C. E. Cooksey

C. E. Cooksey

Employed at the Streatham bus garage. Served and was killed in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial

Previously viewed

Ken Campbell

Ken Campbell

IG10, Baldwin's Hill, 40, Swiss Cottage

The location of the plaque is difficult to photograph because of a large hedge in front of the house. It can just be seen under the eaves...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Captain Edward Alfred Shaw

Captain Edward Alfred Shaw

Edward Alfred Shaw was born on 16 May 1892 in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, the eldest of the ten children of the Reverend Edward Domett Shaw (1860-1937) and Agnes Shaw née Gilbey (1867-1944)....

Person, Armed Forces, France

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Ian Rank-Broadley

Ian Rank-Broadley

Sculptor. Born in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. Personally selected by both Prince William and Prince Harry to create the memorial statue of Diana. He had previously depicted, the Queen, Prince Philip,...

Person, Sculpture

1 memorial