Here is an archive and summary of Richards life – often in his own words – on a printable A4 format here: Richard LifePDF
I collected his colourful life stories during many memorable visits to Maise House, Bexhill, where he and Kitty retired to in 1985. Some I have on tape, which one day I hope to transcribe and edit.
I’ve been meaning to do this for years – make an electronic record of his life – so all the growing family can see and share the story. At the time of Richards death I made a file for all the family, photocopies of original documents I had inherited from Richard. I lost the file, thought I’d lent it out and never got it back but a year ago, it came back to me. (Other stuff of Richards has gone missing over time and circumstance – the medal and documentation from the Emperor of Japan was stolen from my Binden Road home in London).
I started this web scanning on the 100th anniversary of the end of Great War (as we call it) 1915-18. Not only a fitting backdrop to this story but also in doing so I find another anniversary, I am writing almost to the day 80 years since Richards long distance flight from Ishmalia to Darwin, 8th November 1938.
At the bottom of each page is a link to the next section of Richards life and each section listed below here.
Rachel
November 11th 2018
Meanwhile Jack Waterfall has awoken Richard’s life with the Heligoland 59 project.
……….
Birth and brothers RK Family
1923-35 Cranwell and early Air Force life – Baghdad 30 Squadron
RK 1936 Japan teaching the Japanese how to fly
Long Distance Flight LRDU Ismmalia to Darwin / Lost in the Bush
1939 Married Dorothy
1939 Heligoland and Wilhelmshaven
1940 Middle East to Capture
1942-1945 Stalag luft III Prisioner of War
1945-47After the War
47 to 59 Rhodesia and South Africa
1985 Raising the Wellington from Loch Ness
Mallorca to Maise House and obituary
Web resources:
RAF web
Kalikellett 