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Friday 22.05.2015 thedistrictpost.co.uk
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Horsham’s war heroes remembered at last phil dennett
News Editor
Overlooked war heroes like flyer Richard Rivaz will at last be honoured on Horsham’s war memorial because of research by a military historian. Richard will be among 40 new names to be added to the World War II memorial plaques in the Carfax in the autumn. Patriotic Richard left the security of an art and physical education teaching job at Collyers College in Horsham to volunteer as an air gunner. Having escaped with his life during war in several close calls he tragically died at only 37 in a non-combat accident. India-born Richard had already survived the 1941ditching of a Whitley plane on water that caused the death of his pilot. He beat the huge odds pilots faced to finish his tour with 102 Squadron and rose through the ranks to Squadron Leader. Richard, who was sometimes tail gunner to flying ace Leonard Cheshire, was killed soon after peace was declared. In October 1945 The RAF Liberator in which he was a passenger caught fire and failed to get into the air on take-off from Melsbroek airfield. The plane crashed at the end of the runway and 31 people, mostly troops returning home, died, including Richard. He is buried in Brussels Town Cemetery. Years of careful research by military historian Gary Cooper, from Horsham, on World War Two for a
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new book revealed the omission of the servicemen. Another Horsham hero to be honoured is Captain Patrick Talbot Scott Sadler, of the Royal Armoured Corps Dragoons who won the Military Cross in North West Europe and lived off Ashley Road, Horsham. He was killed by a shell in May 1945 at Achim Germany at only 35 years old and is buried in Becklingen War Cemetery, Germany. A spokeswoman for Horsham District Council said: “After 70 years of being absent, the council is now honoured to announce that those who died in service to their country will be added to the memorial in time for the Remembrance Day commemorations in November this year.” As World War II ended in 1945, Horsham put up a small plaque in front of the War Memorial saying “Also in memory of those who gave their lives in World War II 1939-1945”, but no individual names of those killed in the conflict were included. The memorial was originally created in 1921 for World War One. In 1992, when the War Memorial was moved to its present location, names of those who were known to have died during World War II were added, but many names were not known. Meticulous research from historian Gary Cooper meant the town added the missing names from World War I and now, for the 70th anniversary of the Second World War, the district council is adding the latest list of names. The council says it intends to start the work on the named plaques in September, after the Victory in Japan Day celebrations.
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