John Richards

Bank: District Bank

Place of work: Southall branch

Died: 29 August 1942

John Edward Richards, known to his family as Teddy, was born on 4 August 1922, the son of Harriett Louise and Frank Branson Richards. His parents lived in the Philippines, where his father was a hemp merchant, and John was educated as a boarder at schools across England, including Trent College in Derbyshire and Malvern College in Worcestershire. He joined the staff of District Bank as a junior at its London office in May 1939. He moved to Southall branch in October 1940. 

Just a month later, in November 1940, Richards left the bank to go on war service, joining the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Flight Sergeant Richards was killed on 29 August 1942, a few weeks after his 20th birthday, when his Lancaster bomber failed to return from an operational flight over Germany. His older brother, Branson, died on active service in Italy fifteen months later.