REGINALD CYRIL RICHES
Images courtesy of Raymond Riches (son)
Born: 24th June 1908, Haverhill, Suffolk.
Died: 23rd September 1945; age: 37. Died in a road accident – as a passenger in a lorry that skidded on a bend and crashed into a large tree.
Residence: 43, Kensington Road, Ipswich.
Occupation: an Assistant Pork Butcher – Foster’s Pork Butchers, Norwich Road, Ipswich.
Rank: Private/Driver; Service Number: T/5834233.
Regiment: Royal Army Service Corps.
Grave Reference:
6.E.6.
Schleswig-Holstein,
Germany.
A family note – Raymond Riches:
“In 1945 dad was buried in the local Rendsburgh cemetery. (left photo)
Kiel was/is a very large sea port, and thus had a large naval cemetery, in 1947 the British War graves Commission took over a large vacant part of that, and re-interned various scattered British graves into one main plot, including dad (2nd right photo)”
Relatives Notified & Address: Son of William Alefounder Langley Riches & Minnie Riches; husband of Violet Florence Riches.
CENSUS
1911 72, Withersfield Road, Haverhill, Suffolk.
Reginald was 2 years old and living with his parents & siblings.
William Alefounder Langley Riches, 30, a Butcher – Foster’s Pork Butchers – Norwich Road, Ipswich, Pulham St. Mary, Norfolk.
Minnie Riches (nee Basham), 28, born Haverhill, Suffolk.
William Frank Riches, 4, born Haverhill.
Kathleen May Riches, 9 months, born Haverhill.
Reginald’s father, William Alefounder Langley Riches died 1944, at 2, Gatacre Road, Ipswich.
On the 3rd December 1930, at St. Matthew’s Church, Ipswich, Reginald married Violet Florence Calvesbert, born 1909, Ipswich – died September 1948, Ipswich. They had 2 sons:
Cyril William Riches, born January 1932, Ipswich.
Raymond T. Riches, born 1936, Ipswich.
ENGLAND & WALES REGISTER 1939.
Reginald was a Pork Butcher’s Assistant. He and Violet were living with their 2 sons at their family home – 43, Kensington Road, Ipswich.
Probate to Violet Florence Riches – widow.
In 1948, a road accident killed Reginald’s wife, Florence – when a car mounted the pavement hitting Florence and her friend. Cyril and Raymond went to live with their Granma whilst the details and paperwork were sorted. The boys then went to live with Florence’s sister, Ellen Elizabeth Rowe and her family at 44, Boyton Road. Ipswich.
A family note – Raymond Riches – 2017:
“I was only 3 yrs old when the war started and dad signed up in the Suffolk Regiment, I am 80 now, but my memory is good, relations wonder how it is that I remember so much for my age. So here goes, 9 years of memories of my dad.
First he worked for Fosters Pork Butchers, on Norwich Rd as did his dad my granddad. He was a general help and assistant in the shop and also drove the delivery van.
Just before joining up he borrowed the van one W/End and took us all to Clacton for the day, we sat on cushions on the floor, whilst grans sat in deckchairs.
After training at Bury St. Eds barracks he was posted to guard Ipswich Airport, as my aunt lived just round the corner in Boyton Rd, we one day saw him on guard duty at the gate. Later he was sent to a large house in Anglesea Rd with just 3 others, to guard the Hospital. My older brother had very bad asthma and regularly had to attend hospital. So we often saw him there, as I said there were only 4 of them who had to cook etc and look after themselves.
One week when the food lorry brought their weekly delivery there was half a pig. Don`t jump the gun with wild ideas, but the others talked him into bringing home a large lump to make some Brawn (Pork Cheese) which he did, and we were not short of meat for a week or two.
He then disappeared south and a month or two after D-Day he was over there delivering all sorts of goods when needed. Now in the R.A.O.C.
In August 1945 just after war ended, mum took us on holiday to country relatives near Norwich.
One night about 3 am we were woken with him banging on the door. He was home on demob leave and as his travel warrant was only for Ipswich, he had hiked all 40 + miles to see us.
That was the last time that I saw him, as after he went back to Germany, he died. He was passenger that day and the lorry skidded on a bend and into a large tree, and that was that.
The padre sent mum a nice letter with the funeral photos,(there were others I do not have) and we never received all his personnel items, only his pocket watch which I still have, complete with shrapnel dents, received when the conveys were shot up and they all dived in the ditches for cover.
Mum was killed in a road accident, (car mounted pavement and hit mum and a friend) in 1948, so Granma looked after us 2 for a month whilst things/details were sorted, and my brother and I went to live with mums sister in Boyton Rd. Ipswich.”
Raymond Riches (son)
Reginald on a barge, taken after war had ended on the German coast at Nordsebad Busum
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