More about Albert Richards

Albert Richards was born in Bognor, Sussex and was married to Mrs Agnes Richards of 124 Seagate, Dundee. He joined the Royal Navy in 1904 and trained as a Stoker. During his service he was drafted to several submarine depot ships including HMS Vulcan whilst she was stationed in the River Tay. At the outbreak of war he joined the old battleship HMS Irresistible and, during 1914, operated in the North Sea and English Channel. In February 1915 she sailed for the Eastern Mediterranean and took part in the attempt to force through the Dardanelles on 18 March and capture Constantinople. The Irresistible was hit by Turkish shore batteries and the struck a mine which flooded both engine rooms. She lost power and drifted into close range of the Turkish guns. Twelve men died in the sinking and the remaining crew were evacuated. An attempt was made by HMS Ocean to tow her clear. This failed and, later, the Ocean stuck a mine and sank. Albert Richards remained in the Eastern Mediterranean based onboard HMS Europa, in Mudros Harbour on the island of Lemnos and served in the Q Ship HMS Redbreast, which masqueraded as a Merchant Ship in order to entice enemy submarines to come close on the surface and be sunk by gunfire. Unfortunately, HMS Redbreast was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine UC-38 in the Aegean Sea off the island of Skyros with 42 fatalities and 1 prisoner of war. Albert Richards is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Southsea Common, Portsmouth.