Richard EDWARDS [1909-1941]

Submitted by Admin on Wed, 05/29/2013 - 15:18
Names
Given
Richard
Family
Edwards
Sex
Male
Status
Deceased
Born
Date
(Day & Month are approximate.)
Died
Date
Cause of death
Killed in wartime fighting

I'm looking for photos / sketches / portraits of him for the CPS project's history book.

There a couple of mentions in HKGRO that give dates of relevant appointments:

  • 1936, appointed Police Magistrate
  • 1939, to be First Police Magistrate
A "Second Lieutenant Richard Edwards" was killed on 21 December 1941, fighting the Japanese in Hong Kong. He was a member of the HKVDC, so it seems likely he is the same person, but I'm not 100% sure. See: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2220958/EDWARDS,%20RICHARD

I searched for edwards in

  • the photo search at HKPRO: nothing
  • HK Public Library photo collection: nothing
  • HK Museum of History: nothing

He didin't serve in Legco.

No relevant results for edwards hong kong in the UKNA.

I haven't found any matches in Family Trees.

References:

Photos that show this Person

1930s

Comments

Richard Edwards OXON ( 1909-1941 ) was my Great uncle & as you state was a volunteer in the HKVDC killed  21 Dec 1941 - We're trying to find out more about his life and came across your website- I do not have immediate access to his photo but may be able to request this if you are still looking for one ..Had not realised he was a Hong - Kong Police magistrate in 1936 but this now seems likely..

Let me know if you need further information .

Regards 

Charles G

Thanks Charles, I've added in the extra information above.

I was only looking for the "Magistrate" records above, but HKGRO have several more entries that document his different positions in the Hong Kong civil service: Start at http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkgro/index.jsp, search for Richard Edwards, and ignore the results before 1930.

Thanks for the offer of help locating a photo. I'll check and contact you by email if it is still required.

Regards, David

Henry Ching writes:

Richard Edwards was a Cadet, appointed on 21st July, 1933.  In 1941 he was Chief Assistant to the Secretary for Chinese Affairs. He was one of 12 Cadets who joined the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps. A 2/Lt in No.1 Company, he was in command of the carriers (No.3 Platoon) and was killed in action on 21st December near the Tai Tam cross-roads.

I have uploaded a caricature of Edwards published in Shanghai in 1939.

Edwards was the son of Mr Richard Edwards M.B.E. and his wife of 7 Priory Road Edgbaston Birmingham. 

He was engaged to Eveline (Eve) Hay Davies only daughter of Mr and Mrs Eric Davies of "Ty Dewi", 216 Hungjao Road (Hongqiao Road), Shanghai in January 1937.  They were married in Singapore on 24 September 1937. They had been due to marry in Shanghai, but the Sino-Japanese war made that impossible. 

They had a son in 1938 in Hong Kong. In 1940, his wife went to Australia and gave birth to a daughter on 26 November 1940 in Sydney.

(The above information is from engagement, wedding and birth announcments in the North China Herald). 

Richard Edwards Hong Kong NCH 390111 .png
Richard Edwards Hong Kong NCH 390111 .png, by Sapajou

2/Lt R.Edwards is mentioned in a number of places in Philip Cracknell's book Battle for Hong Kong published 2019. 

cheers,

Mike