Ralph Francis Richardson was born in in Kelvington, SK, the son of Norman L. and Jean D. Richardson. He was working as a truck driver in Strafford, ON, when he enlisted in the Canadian Army on 22 July 1940. He was initially trained as an infantryman and posted to the Highland Light Infantry of Canada. Lance Corporal Richardson arrived in England in July 1941 with the HLI.
In February 1942, he transferred to the Royal Canadian Engineers and was posted to 1 Construction Company and reverted to the rank of Sapper. He was trained and qualified as a Carpenter ‘s Helper Group ‘C’. By November he was qualified as a Carpenter Group ‘C’ and posted to the 1st Field Park Company.
He arrived in Italy in November 1943 and was posted to 1 Equipment & Mechanical Section. He and a fellow sapper was badly injured in a dispute over vino bianco with two Italian men in April 1944. A Board of Inquiry was convened and no disciplinary action was recommended. After three weeks recovering in hospital, was posted to the 4th Field Company in June.
Ralph was killed on 18 September 1944 in the closing days of the Gothic Line battle. He, along with Sappers Gervais and Chute were eating breakfast in an abandoned church when and RAF Kittyhawk dropped its bombs short of its intended target. Sapper Richardson is buried in the Coriano Ridge Commonwealth War Cemetery.
