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.
