Richard Howard Tredwin was born on the 20th August 1909 and his birth registered in Davonport (sub district Tamar) Plymouth, Devon. In 1942 on the 6th of June, Richard married Beryl Alice Berry at the parrish church of St. Gabriel in the city of Plymouth and was a wireless operator with the RAF(became a Flying Officer and Flight Lieutenant D. F. C.). He livied at 21, Edgecombe Park Road, Plymouth. His brother Reginald Herbert Tredwin was a witness. Sadly on the 14th December 1943 aged 24 Beryl died in childbirth. Below is an exstract from a book written by Eric Simms who became a broadcaster and naturalist.

FLIGHT LIEUTENANT RICHARD H. TREDWIN. D. F. C.

In July 1943 Wing Commander Phillip Haynes recently from bomber command to fly on operations. He was a regular officer with previous service on the North-West Frontier and other parts of the world. Phillip Haynes formed an aircrew consisting of Airman E. (Eric) Sims (bomb aimer) Sergeant W. (Bill) Freeman (navigator) Sergeant R. (Bob) bond (wireless operator) Sergeant Kevin (Paddy) O'Meara (rear gunner) Flight Officer R. H. (Dick) Tredwin (mid upper gunner) Flight Lieutenant H. B. (Pip) Phillips Dick Tredwin previously staff instructor at Upper Herford and already had a tour of thirty operations under his belt on short Stirling's - "Queens of the sky" he called them. He now wanted a tour of twenty operations as soon as he could. The plane they were flying was the four Merlin engine Lancaster B111 named "Q-Queenie 2". This faithful aircraft was to serve them well until the 23rd March, when it was borrowed by another aircrew and went missing, one of 73 bombers lost that night. On the 26th April Johnny Neilson (the pilot) took them in 'N-2' to Essen. There wasn't any cloud above the target an armament factory and was accurately marked by the pathfinders. Just as the bombs were released a shudder ran through the Lancaster. Six four pound incendiary bombs struck 'N-2'. They had been dropped by a Lancaster which was above them, that having reached the target early, against orders, flew right into the approaching bomber stream. They should have orbited the target and joined the stream at an angle as it moved towards Essen. Johnny (the pilot) called to each of us but there wasn't any reply from Dick Tredwin. When Eric Simms reached the mid-upper turret it was a totally wrecked. Hydraulic fluid was dripping on to the floor and Dick's helmet and oxygen mask off. He was slumped across the breach blocks of his guns. Eric couldn't reach his head from below and Dick was a well-built man. Whether he was dead or alive Eric couldn't tell but if he was alive he would soon die without oxygen. Johnny the pilot had to take the Lancaster down over the Ruhr while they freed Dick from the wreckage. He was still alive but his face unrecognisable and swollen. A bomb had come thought the canopy of his turret hitting him on the head them wrecking the turret then passing through the floor of the aircraft leaving a gaping hole. Another incendiary had cut its way through the armour plate tricell chute which only one second before had held a photoflash with the explosive power of a 250 lbs bomb. The other incendiary were lodged in the petrol tanks and had cut the main spar, leaving the rivets to take the stress of the waving wing. Fortunately none of the bombs had ignited; not having fallen far enough for the strikers to overcome their creep springs and fire the detonators. It was a long and desperate flight back to Wickenby where ambulance and fire tenders were standing by. Johnny landed the aircraft with great skill, but it survival was a tribute to the aircraft workers of Britain. Dick now had to survive a road journey to the R.A.F. hospital at Runceby, as there were no medical facilities on the squadron to deal with injuries as severe as these. After a long convalescence he return to Wichenby, and later Dick married the WAAF sergeant Valerie Powell who was also on the station. He sadly died of cancer in 1973.

Sergeant Valerie Powell

The only daughter of Mr. And Mrs. F. H. Powell, of Wade Court, Havant, has been mentioned in dispatches for meritorious work and devotion to duty in bomber command. Prior to volunteering for service in the WAAF in 1942, she was employed in the borough Treasurer's Department ay Portsmouth and is a former pupil of Purbrook Park County Grammar School.