Richardson, John Gordon (Flight Lieutenant)

Killed in Action 1940-November-17

Flight Lieutenant John Gordon Richardson RCAF

Birth Date: 1915

Born:

Parents: Son of Albert John and Margaret Richardson, of Saskatoon.

Spouse:

Home: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

10 (BR) Sqn- Squadron

Base

Rank

Flight Lieutenant

Position

Pilot

Service Numbers

C/899

Final Burial
Google MapWoodlawn Cemetery Saskatoon
Block 88 Lot 86 Grave 10500
10 North Atlantic (BR) Squadron, RCAF Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Douglas Digby aircraft 749 was on an anti-submarine patrol on the East Coast when it encountered extremely poor weather conditions and attempted to reach Quebec City. It was discovered that the crew of six only had 5 parachutes, so the two smallest members volunteered to use one parachute. The bomber ran out of fuel and was abandoned near East Lake (Lac de l'Est), Quebec, pilot Flight Lieutenant GF Clay (RCAF) and Flight Lieutenant JG Richardson (RCAF), making the double jump, fell into the lake and were drowned when they went through the ice, pilot Flying Officer JHU LeBlanc (RCAF), Leading Aircraftman EJ Benoit (RCAF), Leading Aircraftman HE Howard (RCAF) and AC1 E Johnson (RCAF) came down in the Quebec woods in winter (CL Annis). However Flying Officer LeBlanc had landed on the edge of a logging camp and was soon able to send a telegram detailing the area where the survivors should be. Within days searchers found Leading Aircraftman Benoit and AC1 Johnson, but the remains of aero engine mechanic Leading Aircraftman HE Howard (RCAF) were not discovered until 1944. It appeared he had traveled a long way from where he landed to where he was found. The bomber came down just over the border in Maine, USA (R Sneddon).

Accident Card - Douglas Digby Mk. I serial:749

This accident involved 1 aircraft on 1940-November-17. Douglas Digby s/n 749.

This accident involved 6 people. Benoit EJ, Clay GF, Howard HE, Johnson E, Leblanc JHU, Richardson JG

This accident had 3 fatalities. Flight Lieutenant John Gordon Richardson RCAF Killed in Action service no:C/899 Digby 749, Flight Lieutenant Gilbert Frederick Clay RCAF Killed in Action service no:C/1126 Digby 749, Leading Aircraftman Hollis Eugene Howard RCAF Killed in Action service no:1065 Digby 749

Unit Desciption

10 (BR) Sqn ()

Battle honours

The Second World War

NORTH-WEST ATLANTIC, 1940-1945.

Lineage

Authorized as No.10 (Torpedo Bomber) Squadron’ 1 April 1938.Footnote1

Redesignated 'No.10 (Bomber) Squadron' 28 August 1939.Footnote2

Redesignated 'No.10 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron' 1 September 1939.Footnote3

Disbanded 13 August 1945.Footnote4

Notes:

No lineal connection with '10 Experimental Squadron', of 1967-70. See 10 Experimental Squadron.

Operational history

The Second World War

The squadron flew on anti-submarine operations on the Atlantic Coast under 'Eastern Air Command'.Footnote5

Footnotes

Footnote 1

GO 48/38. Authorized but not formed (AFGO 19/39)

Footnote 2

AFGO 41/39

Footnote 3

AFGO 57/39\

Footnote 4

Secret Organization Order 279, 4 August 1945, file S.17-10-1 (DOE), Kardex 181.009 (D5432)

Footnote 5

AFGO 25/40; Statement and Organization Charts for the Home and Overseas War and BCATP Organization, 15 April 1942, file S.8202, Kardex 181.002 (D421); Memorandum, Notes for CAS, Appendix A, 12 September 1939, Document Collection 77/543

Government of Canada