W/O Richard Pedrazzini - 635 Squadron

Warrant Officer Richard Pedrazzini - 635 Squadron

Warrant Officer Richard (Ricardo) Pedrazzini - RAFVR

Warrant Officer Richard Pedrazzini was serving as Navigator aboard Lancaster Mk.III ND 694 coded F2-R during an operation to Russelsheim on January 12/13, 1944. The aircraft departed Downham Market at 2142hrs but crashed in Werbomont, six of the seven man crew were killed including W/O Pedrazinni.

The crew consisted of:

Name	Service	Trade	Hometown	Age
F/O George Henderson	RAFVR	Pilot	Aberdeen, Scotland	28
Sgt Angus Urquhart	RAFVR	Flight Engineer	-	-
W/O Richard Pedrazzini	RAFVR	Navigator	Lambeth, London	30
W/O Alwyn Till	RAAF	Bomb Aimer	Victoria, Australia	23
Sgt John Ross	RAFVR	W/Op/AG	Dartford, Kent	21
F/Sgt John Morgan	RAFVR	Air Gunner	Shirley, Southampton	20
F/Sgt Francis Holledge	RAFVR	Air Gunner	Bickley,Kent	21

W/O Till who parachuted safely from the plane but was found by the Germans and shot on the 21^st August 1944. The crew were buried at Werbomont, where there is a memorial erected to them. They were later re-interred and laid to rest in Hotton War Cemetery.

Crew photo: F/O Henderson, WO/ Pedrazzini, W/O Alan Till, unk., unk., F/Sgt Holledge, unk.

Warrant Officer Richard (Ricardo) Pedrazziniwas born on July 14^th 1914 to Battista and Harriet Pedrazzini of Lambeth, London.The family worked in catering and restaurants in London and Richard spoke perfect French, Italian and German. Despite being discharged from the RAF due to an Italian father, Richard Pedrazzini, like so many other young men of mixed nationality parentage was keen to defend the country that he had been born in and fought to be allowed to fly again. He is remembered by his family as being charismatic and very impulsive, thinking nothing of cycling from London to Devon to visit his cousins on impulse.

Record of Service

Enlisted -17/8/1940

Discharged (Italian parentage) - 4/1/1941

Discharge cancelled - 16/3/1941 (70 days registered as leave)

Postings/Training

1RW 54 Group - 27/9/1940

4 Initial Training Wing - 12/10/1940

Discharged (70 days)

1 R.W.-17.3.1941

1 T.W. Rumati, Bulawayo, S.Rhodesia - 7/7/1941

25 E.F.T.S. - 17/9/1941

Disposal Depot - 15/10/1941

24 CAOS - 7/11/1941

H.E.- 20/3/1942

United Kingdom - 27/4/1942

3 PRC- 28/4/1942

3(O) AFU - 1/6/1942

15OTU - 31/8/1942

Admitted Battle Hospital, Reading (Aircraft crash)-12/9/1942

Discharged- 30/9/1942

Admitted No 2 ACD Hoylake - 3/12/1942

Admitted to Station Hospital, W.Kirby - 6/12/1942

Discharged - 17/12/1942

Transferred to Belmont Rd.Hospital, Liverpool - 17/12/1942

Discharged - 11/1/1943

Admitted to 2ACD Hoylake - 11/1/1943

Attached to EMS Hospital, Liverpool - 21/1/1943

Discharged No 2 ACD Hoylake - 30/4/1943

Units & Squadrons

1663 HCU - 29/8/1943

76 Squadron - 24/11/1943

1652 HCU Marston Moor - 31/1/1944

41 Base-102 Squadron - 8/5/1944

635 Squadron - 8/5/1944

Posted missing-& confirmed Killed in action-13.8.1944

W/O Pedrazzini’s extended stay in hospital was due to septicaemia, he confided to his brother that he regarded himself as a bit of a "Jonah", worrying that he bought bad luck to his crew members due to the amount of flying accidents that he was involved in.. His brother Ernie served in 431 Squadron with the Hagar crew and learnt of his brothers death just before leaving HCU at Dishforth for Croft.


Memorial at Werbomont	Richard's Grave at Hotten

Warrant Officer Pedrazzini was posthumously awarded the 1939-45 Star, The Atlantic Star (Aircrew Europe), Defence Medal and the France & Germany Star. He was also awarded membership in the Caterpillar Club for successfully bailing out of Halifax LK630 while with 76 Squadron.

Caterpillar Club card.

Photo courtesy of Ernie Pedrazinni and Marilyn Ensor, research by Linda Ibrom.