255:. Edward Brittain visited him in hospital, and then wrote to his sister, Vera, about his condition: "It is not known yet whether Victor will die or not, but his left eye was removed in France and the specialist who saw him thinks it is almost certain that the sight of the right eye has gone too... The bullet – probably from a machine-gun – went in just behind the left eye and went very slightly upwards but not I'm afraid enough to clear the right eye; the bullet is not yet out though very close to the right edge of the temple; it is expected that it will work through of its own accord... We are told that he may remain in his present condition for a week. I don't think he will die suddenly but of course the brain must be injured and it depends upon how bad the injury is. I am inclined to think it would be better that he should die; I would far rather die myself than lose all that we have most dearly loved, but I think we hardly bargained for this. Sight is really a more precious gift than life."
196:, described the mood of the school as "appalling jingoism". Nevinson complained that because he did not share this patriotism, he was "kicked, hounded, caned, flogged, hair-brushed, morning, noon and night. The more I suffered, the less I cared. The longer I stayed, the harder I grew." The headmaster told them on Speech Day that "If a man can't serve his country he's better dead".
261:
Edward
Brittain went to visit Richardson and on 7 May he said to his sister: "He was told last Wednesday that he will probably never see again, but he is marvellously cheerful.... He is perfectly sensible in every way and I don't think there is the very least doubt that he will live. He said that the
235:
Richardson admitted that the situation would change when he had to take part in the fighting; "I have so far come across nothing more gruesome than a few very dead
Frenchman in No Man's Land, so cannot give you very thrilling descriptions. The thing one appreciates in the life here more than anything
231:
amused themselves at our expense for about half-an-hour, but without doing any damage. Whizz-Bangs – about which one has heard so much – are perfectly harmless in a trench, as the trajectory is so flat that it is nearly impossible for them to land in a trench. There is practically no rifle or machine
269:
Vera arrived in London on 28 May 1917 and she spent the next ten days at
Richardson's bedside. Those close to Victor at the time felt that Vera intended to marry Victor, and devote her life to caring for him. As Bishop and Bostridge point out, "His mental faculties appeared to be in no way impaired.
247:
on 9 April 1917. It was later reported that he "was leading his platoon was hit in the arm but took his coat off had the wound bandaged and went on; it was at the 2nd German line that he got the bullet through his head and the
Colonel himself gave him morphia because he was in pain." His commanding
239:
In
January 1917, Richardson was sent to the 3rd Army School. Edward Brittain pointed out that he "has the courtesy title of Captain while he is there and has to wear Captain's badges; it is a most curious thing and I have never heard of an instance of it before." The following month, he was back on
270:
On 8 June, however, there was a sudden change in his condition. In the middle of the night he experienced a miniature explosion in the head, and subsequently became very distressed and disoriented. By the time his family reached the hospital Victor had become delirious."
226:
and was sent to the
Western Front. He wrote to Vera Brittain on 31 October, describing life in the front-line trenches; "It was very quiet and without much excitement. We did not get any heavy shells at all till the last day when a couple of
248:
officer wrote to his parents; "You have good reason to be proud of him... he did his best and it was a good best too. I have sent his name in for the
Military Cross and I have no doubt that he will get it."
602:
240:
the front-line. He told Vera
Brittain that he expected to be involved in the planned major offensive that would end the war and hoped that he would "not come down at the last fence."
258:
Vera
Brittain decided to return home after the death of Geoffrey Thurlow (a close friend of Edward who she befriended also) and the serious injuries suffered by Richardson.
597:
278:
592:
582:
577:
216:
173:, who became a close friend and confidante, particularly after the death of Roland Leighton. He is most remembered as "Tar" or "Tah" from Vera Brittain's
607:
262:
last few days had been rather bitter. He hasn't given up hope himself about his sight." At about this time Victor was visited by an officer from the
521:
587:
203:. Soon after the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, Richardson abandoned his studies to join the army and was commissioned as a
285:(this was the church attended by the Richardson family), and the Hove War Memorial, which is situated in the Hove public library foyer.
30:
511:
567:
252:
157:, East Sussex as the elder son of dental surgeon Frank Victor Richardson and his wife, Emily Caroline. He was educated at
169:. They were described by Leighton's mother as the "Three Musketeers". Edward later introduced Richardson to his sister,
612:
200:
223:
189:
497:
572:
335:
211:
on 5 October 1914. While training in
Horsham in January 1915, he caught meningitis and was sent to a hospital in
282:
251:
Richardson was sent back to London where he received specialist treatment at No. 2 London General Hospital in
236:
else is the truly charming spirit of good fellowship and freedom from pettiness that prevails everywhere."
461:
244:
208:
232:
gun fire and what there is appears to be unaimed – fixed rifles and swinging traverses for the most."
562:
557:
441:
421:
401:
446:
426:
406:
298:
139:
541:
281:. He is also remembered, along with Roland Leighton and Edward Brittain, on the war memorial at
266:
charity for blinded servicemen, and voiced his intention to learn Braille and enter the church.
507:
318:
263:
204:
193:
158:
101:
273:
Richardson died of a ruptured cerebral abscess on 9 June 1917. His posthumous award of the
17:
166:
162:
78:
183:
Letters from a Lost Generation. First World War Letters of Vera Brittain and Four Friends
501:
307:
274:
121:
90:
363:
551:
293:
170:
134:
306:. Richardson's letters to Vera Brittain were published in a book by Alan Bishop and
344:
330:
228:
126:
130:
302:, based in part on the diary she had kept during the war, later published as
340:
212:
322:
296:
wrote about Richardson in her First World War best-selling 1933 memoir
277:
was gazetted on 15 June. He was buried in his mother's grave, at the
199:
Richardson, whose ambition was to become a doctor, won a place at
154:
59:
384:
382:
380:
133:, best remembered for being immortalised in his friend
222:
In September 1916, Richardson transferred to the 9th
107:
97:
86:
67:
45:
38:
243:Richardson was badly wounded during an attack at
603:British military personnel killed in World War I
181:, and whose correspondence was also featured in
8:
410:(Supplement). 23 October 1914. p. 8531.
137:'s First World War best-selling 1933 memoir
523:British Film Institute: Testament of Youth
35:
450:(Supplement). 15 June 1917. p. 5997.
430:(Supplement). 2 July 1915. p. 6553.
388:
192:(OTC). A fellow schoolboy at Uppingham,
481:
355:
598:British Army personnel of World War I
7:
125:(18 March 1895 – 9 June 1917) was a
583:Military personnel from East Sussex
578:People educated at Uppingham School
31:Vic Richardson (Australian soldier)
25:
593:King's Royal Rifle Corps officers
81:, London, England, United Kingdom
608:Recipients of the Military Cross
29:For the Australian soldier, see
279:Hove Old Shoreham Road Cemetery
588:Royal Sussex Regiment officers
536:Berry, Paul; Bostridge, Mark.
312:Letters from a Lost Generation
215:. He was promoted a temporary
129:officer who served during the
1:
317:Richardson was portrayed by
253:St. Mark's College, Chelsea
201:Emmanuel College, Cambridge
18:Victor Richardson (soldier)
629:
188:The three boys joined the
28:
325:television adaptation of
62:, England, United Kingdom
520:Stewart, Claire (2014),
329:. He was also played by
283:St Barnabas Church, Hove
224:King's Royal Rifle Corps
190:Officers' Training Corps
364:"Spartacus Educational"
153:Richardson was born in
568:Burials in East Sussex
462:"My Brighton and Hove"
538:Vera Brittain: A Life
209:Royal Sussex Regiment
542:Chatto & Windus
503:Paint and Prejudice
87:Cause of death
613:Testament of Youth
498:Nevinson, C. R. W.
447:The London Gazette
427:The London Gazette
407:The London Gazette
336:Testament of Youth
327:Testament of Youth
304:Chronicle of Youth
299:Testament of Youth
179:Chronicle of Youth
175:Testament of Youth
140:Testament of Youth
93:(cerebral abscess)
506:, Teeling Press,
391:, pp. 11–12.
333:in the 2014 film
319:Michael Troughton
219:on 4 July 1915.
205:second lieutenant
194:C. R. W. Nevinson
118:Victor Richardson
115:
114:
40:Victor Richardson
16:(Redirected from
620:
573:People from Hove
533:
532:
530:
516:
485:
479:
473:
472:
470:
468:
458:
452:
451:
438:
432:
431:
418:
412:
411:
398:
392:
386:
375:
374:
372:
370:
360:
159:Uppingham School
124:
102:Uppingham School
74:
55:
53:
36:
21:
628:
627:
623:
622:
621:
619:
618:
617:
548:
547:
528:
526:
519:
514:
496:
493:
488:
480:
476:
466:
464:
460:
459:
455:
440:
439:
435:
420:
419:
415:
400:
399:
395:
387:
378:
368:
366:
362:
361:
357:
353:
291:
289:Cultural legacy
167:Roland Leighton
163:Edward Brittain
149:
120:
111:British soldier
82:
76:
72:
63:
57:
51:
49:
41:
34:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
626:
624:
616:
615:
610:
605:
600:
595:
590:
585:
580:
575:
570:
565:
560:
550:
549:
546:
545:
534:
517:
513:978-1406743500
512:
492:
489:
487:
486:
474:
453:
433:
413:
393:
376:
354:
352:
349:
339:, produced by
308:Mark Bostridge
290:
287:
275:Military Cross
148:
145:
113:
112:
109:
105:
104:
99:
95:
94:
91:Died of wounds
88:
84:
83:
77:
75:(aged 22)
69:
65:
64:
58:
47:
43:
42:
39:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
625:
614:
611:
609:
606:
604:
601:
599:
596:
594:
591:
589:
586:
584:
581:
579:
576:
574:
571:
569:
566:
564:
561:
559:
556:
555:
553:
543:
539:
535:
525:
524:
518:
515:
509:
505:
504:
499:
495:
494:
490:
483:
478:
475:
463:
457:
454:
449:
448:
443:
437:
434:
429:
428:
423:
417:
414:
409:
408:
403:
397:
394:
390:
389:Nevinson 2007
385:
383:
381:
377:
365:
359:
356:
350:
348:
346:
342:
338:
337:
332:
328:
324:
320:
315:
313:
309:
305:
301:
300:
295:
294:Vera Brittain
288:
286:
284:
280:
276:
271:
267:
265:
259:
256:
254:
249:
246:
241:
237:
233:
230:
225:
220:
218:
214:
210:
206:
202:
197:
195:
191:
186:
184:
180:
176:
172:
171:Vera Brittain
168:
164:
161:where he met
160:
156:
151:
147:Life and work
146:
144:
142:
141:
136:
135:Vera Brittain
132:
128:
123:
119:
110:
106:
103:
100:
96:
92:
89:
85:
80:
70:
66:
61:
56:18 March 1895
48:
44:
37:
32:
27:
19:
537:
527:, retrieved
522:
502:
482:Stewart 2014
477:
465:. Retrieved
456:
445:
436:
425:
416:
405:
396:
367:. Retrieved
358:
345:Heyday Films
334:
331:Colin Morgan
326:
321:in the 1979
316:
311:
303:
297:
292:
272:
268:
264:St Dunstan's
260:
257:
250:
242:
238:
234:
221:
198:
187:
182:
178:
174:
152:
150:
138:
127:British Army
117:
116:
73:(1917-06-09)
26:
563:1917 deaths
558:1895 births
529:3 September
442:"No. 30135"
422:"No. 29125"
402:"No. 28949"
71:9 June 1917
552:Categories
467:6 November
369:6 November
351:References
217:lieutenant
108:Occupation
52:1895-03-18
500:(2007) ,
341:BBC Films
207:with the
131:Great War
98:Education
544:, 1995).
310:called
213:Brighton
491:Sources
79:Chelsea
510:
245:Arras
531:2014
508:ISBN
469:2014
371:2014
343:and
323:BBC2
229:5.9s
177:and
165:and
155:Hove
68:Died
60:Hove
46:Born
314:.
554::
444:.
424:.
404:.
379:^
347:.
185:.
143:.
122:MC
540:(
484:.
471:.
373:.
54:)
50:(
33:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.