Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Richardson, Rodney Calvert. Late 3/3837 Private, 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment.

Rodney Calvert Richardson was born on the 15 July 1935 in Warragul, Victoria. The son of Eric Calvert Richardson, a storeman, and Amy Gertrude Belcher. Growing up in Warragul, Rodney was working as a farm labourer when he enlisted into the army on the 15th January 1952, aged 17 years and 6 months.

Initially enlisting for a term of 6 years, Rodney would train at Puckapunyal before being assigned to the 2 Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (RAR). Transferred to 1 RAR in February 1953, Private Richardson would qualify as a Class II Cook. Transferred again to the Australian Army Catering Corps, he would soon be posted to the 14th National Service Training Battalion at Puckapunyal. On the 5 March 1953, the 2 RAR departed for Korea. Left behind in Australia, Rodney would write to the Minister of the Army, begging to be allowed to serve overseas with his old battalion. Asking to be a cook or infantryman with his old battalion, he writes: "I have been in the army for 14 months and I did my training with this battalion, in fact I joined up with them and made a lot of lifelong friends, and when they left, I felt I had let them down… I want to get over there and do my bit with them." However, this offer of service was declined by the army, as Rodney was ineligible for service in Korea as he was below the minimum age required for operational service. In addition, the army also informed him that there was no shortage of cooks in Korea. This did not deter him, as once he reached the minimum age required for service, he would write again asking to be sent to Korea. This time the application was successful, and Rodney was sent overseas as part of the British Commonwealth Forces Korea. Landing in Japan in late March 1953, he would serve as a cook attached to the HQ 28th British Commonwealth Infantry Brigade until November 1954. He would then be transferred to 1 RAR, which was involved in training and border patrols. Returning to Australia in July 1955, he would train as an army driver.

Now qualified as a driver, Rodney would be sent to Malaya during the Malayan Emergency with 1 RAR for operations against communist terrorists, between October 1959-61. This would involve patrolling the jungles among the Thai-Malaya borders. On his return home, Rodney would continue to serve until his engagement expiry and subsequent discharge on the 21 February 1964. Following this he was transferred to the reserves for 3 years. In total, Rodney had served12 years and 38 days with the army, of which 3 years and 151 days had been overseas.