Sergeant Richard A Bloomfield

Richard Alfred Bloomfield was born in Willesden, Middlesex.

His trade on enlistment was a Shop Assistant and he enlisted into the Regular Army, at Whitehall, on the 27 November 1933, joining The Devonshire Regiment.

It was whilst he was undergoing his training at Depot in Plymouth that his military career nearly ended, before it had begun. “On the 18 February 1934 I was sitting in front of a fire reading, when No 5617994. Pte F Lord placed an empty tin of Metal Polish on the fire. Later the tin exploded, the flame burning my hand and face.” So wrote Richard in a statement looking into the incident which resulted in him having to see the Medical officer, who recorded that he had suffered 1. ‘burns to hand and face’, 2. ‘not severe’. No further action was taken and no Court of Enquiry was deemed necessary.

Upon the completion of his training he was posted to the 2nd Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment on the 30 July 1934. He was appointed as a Drummer on the 24 April 1937. This was all Home Service.

Richard was then posted to the 1st Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment on the 19 November 1937, which was then stationed in India and served there until 19 November 1942.

He was promoted to unpaid Lance Corporal on the 7 October 1941.

Whilst stationed in India he volunteered for Airborne Forces and was posted to the 151 British Parachute Battalion on the 24 November 1941, relinquishing his rank the following day. He carried out his parachute training at the Air Landing School, Chaklala, and was granted parachute pay w.e.f. 24 November 1941.

On the 23 April 1942 he was appointed unpaid provisional Lance Corporal and appointed provisional Corporal whilst performing the duties of Intelligence Corporal. This position was authorised and signed by the Adjutant of the 151 Battalion.

He moved with the Battalion (now numbered 156) to the Middle East on the 20 November 1942. Whilst stationed in the Middle East (18 January to 6 February) he attended the Intelligence Course at M E I T S [Middle East Intelligence Training School] and passed with the qualification Q1. He was promoted to unpaid, acting Corporal, 27 January and then War Substantive Corporal 27 April 1943. He also studied the Syllable Cypher Course in July 1943.

He then moved with the battalion again, this time to Tunisia on 2 August 1943, the same date as he was promoted to Lance Sergeant. The following month he took part in Operation ‘Slapstick’, which was the landings by the 1st Airborne Division, with the 4th Parachute Brigade leading the way, at the port of Taranto in Italy. The campaign there was short lived, about three weeks, but the Division were kept as a ‘reserve’ for nearly two months.

By the time he embarked in North Africa on the 22 November 1943 for the voyage back to the United Kingdom he had been promoted to Sergeant. He disembarked back in the UK on the 10 December 1943.

On the 10 June 1944 he married Elsie, May, Simons at Melton Mowbray.

He was, by September 1944, the Intelligence Section Sergeant and as such flew with the Advance (Pathfinder) Party to DZ ‘X’, near Heelsum in Holland on Sunday, 17 September 1944. This was the 1st Airborne Division’s part in ‘Operation Market-Garden’. The next day he moved up to Ginkel Heath, which was to become DZ ‘Y’ near Ede, to help mark the RV for the 156 Parachute Battalion Main Body.

Richard was officially listed as missing in NWE (North West Europe) on the 25 September 1944 and then as a POW in German hands. The camp he was held in is not recorded and he was released from his captivity on 10 April 1945 and was returned home the following day.

He re-trained as a Clerk in August 1945. His profile photograph was taken in 1945.

He was posted to the Army Air Corps Holding Battalion at Boroughbridge, from where he was discharged from Regular Army Service in December 1945.