Richard Sandford Explained

Richard Sandford
Birth Date:11 May 1891
Birth Place:Cathedral Close, Exeter, Devon
Death Place:Eston Hospital, Yorkshire
Placeofburial:Eston Cemetery
Allegiance:United Kingdom
Branch:Royal Navy
Serviceyears:1904–1918
Rank:Lieutenant
Commands:HMS C3
HMS G11
Battles:First World War
Awards:Victoria Cross
Relations:Brigadier Daniel Sandford (brother)

Richard Douglas Sandford, VC (11 May 1891 – 23 November 1918) was a Royal Navy officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was a son of the Venerable Ernest Grey Sandford, Archdeacon of Exeter; his great-grandfather was Daniel Sandford, the Bishop of Edinburgh, and his brother was Brigadier Daniel Sandford.

Richard Sandford attended Clifton College whence he joined the Royal Navy. At 26 years old, he was a lieutenant commanding a submarine, HMS C3 in the Royal Navy during the First World War when he took part in the Zeebrugge Raid and won the Victoria Cross. The citation read:

Sandford died of typhoid fever at Eston Hospital, North Yorkshire, 12 days after the signing of the Armistice, and the day after his last command, HMS G11, had been wrecked on rocks off Howick, Northumberland; his Victoria Cross is displayed at the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.

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