RICHARD C. RICHARDSON JR.
Pharmacist’s Mate First Class · Plankowner, USS Silversides (SS-236) · Retired Commander
| Born / Died | 24 Aug 1908 / 2 Oct 1992 |
| Service no. | 274-07-39 |
| Commissioning rate | PhM1c (15 Dec 1941) |
| Silversides tenure | 15 Dec 1941 – 10 Jul 1942 |
| Patrols aboard | 1 (5 ships credited, 25,627 t) |
| Other vessels | USS Carmick (DD-493) |
| Service | BIRLS: 15 Mar 1944 (likely his commissioning date) – 3 Jun 1970 |
Prewar (1908–1941)
Richard Richardson Jr. was born on 24 August 1908. The 1920 census finds the family in Pheba, Mississippi, where his father Richard (40) was a doctor. His mother Gussie was 41, and the children were Charlton (11), Richard (12) and Cora (8). His original enlistment date is not known.
On Silversides (Dec 1941 – Jul 1942)
Richardson commissioned aboard *Silversides* on 15 December 1941 as PhM1c and made the boat’s first war patrol under C.C. Burlingame. He left on 10 July 1942, five days before the second patrol sailed and on the same day as Elmer G. Huter, and went to the Naval Hospital at Pearl Harbor for treatment.
| Patrol | Dates | CO | Credited sunk | Credited damaged |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 Apr – 21 Jun 1942 | Burlingame | 5 (25,627 t)¹ | 1 (10,100 t) |
| Total | 5 (25,627 t) | 1 (10,100 t) |
¹ Tonnage as credited in endorsements. Patrol 1 includes a submarine credit that was likely a log or other debris.
Later War (1942–1945)
From Pearl Harbor he went to San Francisco and then to Bremerton, where he joined the commissioning detail of USS Carmick on 8 October 1942. He disappears from the enlisted musters when he is appointed the physician of Carmick.
Postwar (1945–1992)
He retired as a Commander in 1970, the year BIRLS gives for his discharge, and died on 2 October 1992.
Research Notes
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BIRLS: the 1944 start date is probably his commissioning date; BIRLS cuts the enlisted part of his career, as with other mustangs.
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Appointment: the file says “appointed physician of USS Carmick.” The corps and date are not recorded.
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Name: Richard Carey Richardson, per the Find a Grave memorial.
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Open: original enlistment date, OMPF.
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Patrol 3: not applicable; he left before it sailed.
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Source notes (carried over, verbatim):
1920 Census Richard Richardson (40) and Gussie (41). Charlton (11), Richard (12), and Cora (8). Father was a doctor.
BIRLS cuts the enlisted portion of his career, something we have seen with other mustangs. He leaves 5 days before Silversides departed for her second war patrol. Original enlistment date unknown.
Went to USNH Pearl Harbor for treatment from Silversides. Then went to San Francisco where he was transferred to Bremerton for the USS Carmick Commissioning Detail 8 Oct 1942.
Sources: 1920 census; BIRLS; Find a Grave; Silversides muster and ROC; Silversides patrol index 1.