Sixty–two year wait for Service recognition
Mr Richardson was not a fighter or bomber pilot...but his service and contribution was in many ways more vital to the defence of Australia in the dark days of September 1942.

By Andrew Stackpool

WWII veteran LAC Ronald Richardson with his long overdue medals, stands proudly with MP Mrs Kay Elson and WGCDR Ian Rogers.

SIXTY–two years have passed, but the wartime service of a former Air Force member has finally been recognised.

On December 9, a deeply emotional 85-year-old World War II veteran, Leading Aircraftman Ronald Richardson, received his overdue medals. He received the Pacific Star, the War Medal 1939 -1945, the Australia Service Medal 1939-1945 and his Return from Active Service (RAS) Badge. He had waited 62 years for the honour.

His local Member of Parliament, Mrs Kay Elson, presented him his medals at a short ceremony in her electorate office in Queensland. A small squad of six Air Force Cadets from the Beenleigh squadron formed an honour guard.

Wing Commander Ian Rogers from Air Force Headquarters represented Air Force.

Mr Richardson was not a fighter or bomber pilot. He shot down no enemy aircraft, but his service and contribution was in many ways more vital to the defence of Australia in the dark days of September 1942.

On September 18, 1942, the Japanese army crossed the Kokoda Track in the face of opposition from hastily assembled Australian forces and headed south for Port Moresby.

Mr Richardson was a licensed aircraft mechanical engineer with the then Ansett Airlines at Archerfield airfield in Brisbane. Aircraft and aircrews were urgently needed to support the hard-pressed Diggers and high on the list of priorities was qualified flight engineers.

Mr Richardson was quickly enlisted into the RAAF Reserve as a flight engineer.

From then until February 1943, when he was injured, he flew logistic support missions on RAAF and 5th United States Army Air Force transport aircraft, carrying out the famous ‘biscuit bombing’ air drops as well as other “warlike” operations such as troop transport and AME missions over PNG and the Pacific theatres.

At Ward airfield near Port Moresby, he saw enemy action. He was stationed there with 10 DC-3 aircraft and four ground crew to service them and three of the aircraft were strafed.

He also survived a C47 crash and was injured when an aircraft ground-looped.

Then, in February 1943, his services no longer needed, Mr Richardson was demobbed and returned to Ansett.

But the bureaucratic process was bungled; Mr Richardson’s service records noted he had served for one day only.

Mr Richardson says the mix-up occurred when, while enlisted in the RAAF, he and his mates were seconded into the USAAF based at Archerfield.

“There were about 60 of us and, unknown to us, the RAAF kept no records of our employment,” he said.

“We had been employed by Airlines of Australia and then absorbed by ANA (Australian National Airlines) when we were seconded [to Air Force]. It was high pressure and flat tack. We didn’t even know who was in charge. The whole country was in a state of urgency.

“All we knew was we were required to go into Moresby and then into the unknown.”

For 62 years, Mr Richardson fought for recognition. Finally, in May last year Mr Richardson approached Mrs Elson, who went to the Minister at the time. With that approach came many sources to support Mr Richardson. There were autobiographies and squadron histories, as well as his testimony and memories that could be cross-checked for fact.

The evidence was beyond doubt. LAC Richardson had served six months on vital missions in lumbering unarmed and unescorted transport aircraft over some of the most dangerous areas of the bloody Pacific campaign. He was entitled to full recognition and the long overdue ‘gongs’.

“This is an important day for Mr Richardson and his family – when he finally got the recognition he deserves,” Mrs Elson said.

“As a young man, he risked his life to fly in important operations that helped secure our own region.

“As with all veterans, we owe him a great debt of gratitude.”

Mrs Elson said applications are in train to change Mr Richardson’s Air Force Service Record to show his real period of
service.

“I’m still trying to get over the shock of the presentation,” Mr Richardson said. “I was not expecting it. My extended family had been sworn to secrecy and I just expected a small ceremony.

“But for me, the important thing was amendment of my record to show exactly what I had done.”

 

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