Denis Richards

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(10 September 1910 – 25 November 2004) was a British historian. He is famous for his work on the history of the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

, including the three-volume

official history An official history is a work of history which is sponsored, authorised or endorsed by its subject. The term is most commonly used for histories which are produced for a government. The term also applies to commissions from non-state bodies includi ...

of the service during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, which was co-written with Hilary St. George Saunders. Richards came from

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and was educated at Owen's School and

Trinity Hall, Cambridge Trinity Hall (formally The College or Hall of the Holy Trinity in the University of Cambridge, colloquially "Tit Hall" ) is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1350, it is th ...

. In 1931 he graduated from

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

with a double first in history. For the next eight years he was a master at

Manchester Grammar School The Manchester Grammar School (MGS) is a highly Selective school, selective Private_schools_in_the_United_Kingdom, private day school for boys aged 7-18 in Manchester, England, which was founded in 1515 by Hugh Oldham (then Bishop of Exeter). ...

, teaching both history and English. From 1939 to 1941 he taught the same subjects at

Bradfield College Bradfield College is a coeducational public school (independent boarding and day school) for pupils aged 13–18, in the village of Bradfield, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It is noted for its open-air Greek theatre and its trien ...

, near

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...

, as a senior tutor. War service then called him and he joined the RAF. Within a very short time he was ordered to report to the historical section of the

Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force and civil aviation that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the ...

. His staff eventually came to number 40, and he held the position of senior narrator from 1943 to 1947. He began to write the official history of the RAF during World War II when he was the senior narrator. It was eventually published in three volumes in 1953 and 1954. In 1947 he was promoted within the Air Ministry to a principal, a post in which he remained until 1950. Richards published in his lifetime more than a dozen books, half on RAF history. After his time in the RAF, and whilst completing the official history, he became involved with

Morley College Morley College is a specialist adult education and further education college in London, England. The college has three main campuses, one in Waterloo on the South Bank, and two in West London namely in North Kensington and in Chelsea, the ...

in south London. He worked strenuously to raise funds for the rebuilding of the institution. The college benefitted from paintings he commissioned, and many young musicians later to find fame, took part in concerts he staged. He had a number of

hobbies A hobby is considered to be a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure time. Hobbies include collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing sports, or pursuing other ...

, including

snooker Snooker (pronounced , ) is a cue sport played on a rectangular Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables, billiards table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six Billiard table#Pockets 2, pockets: one at each corner and ...

and

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...

. He was heavily involved with Hampstead Golf Club after joining it in 1951. He also engaged in voluntary work, chairing the Women's League for Health and Beauty for 22 years between 1966 and 1988 and also acting as a vice president of the Purcell School of Young Musicians from 1984 until his death. He continued to publish works into his old age, and he was awarded the

in 1990.

References

''The Guardian'' obituary
Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge 1910 births 2004 deaths British historians of World War II Air force historians Officers of the Order of the British Empire Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Writers from London People educated at Dame Alice Owen's School 20th-century British historians British aviation historians Teachers at Manchester Grammar School {{UK-historian-stub