Cecil John Bingham Richer was a Suffolk man who served in the army between the wars, being discharged in 1938. He married in Chelmsford four weeks before the outbreak of the war at which poiint he was recalled to the army. He soon went to France and survived the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940. In May 1944 he went to Italy and he was killed in action there in November 1944. His widow lived in Second Avenue.

Cecil was born on 5th September 1915 in Stoke By Nayland, Suffolk, the third son of Ezekiel Richer (1880-1943) and Mary Elizabeth Richer (nee Alldred or Aldred) (1885-1967). His parents had married at Colchester Register Office on 10th July 1907. At the time his father was a 27 year-old stockman on a farm, living in Langenhoe. His bride, six years his junior, also lived in Langenhoe. At the time of his birth Cecil's father was a cowman on a farm.

Cecil's siblings were Isabel Adine Richer (1907--1925), Vincent Ezekiel Richer (1909-1988), Dorothy Susan Richer (1910-1910), Doris Mary Richer (1911-1975), Norman Aldred Richer (1913-1973), Muriel Emily Richer (1916-1917), and Dennis Browne Richer (1923-2009).

Cecil served in the Essex Regiment in the inter-war period in the Saar, Egypt and Palestine before his discharge in 1938.

Cecil John Bingham RICHER, Lance Serjeant, 2nd Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry

(formerly of the Essex Regiment). Killed in action in Italy. Aged 32

On 5th August 1939 Cecil married Alice Annie Poulton at Baddow Road Congregational Church. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Poulton of Railway Street, Chelmsford.

Weeks later he was recalled to the army prior to the start of the Second World War. He survived evacuation from Dunkirk and returned home before going to fight in Italy during May 1944. There he served as Lance Serjeant 6009571 in the 2nd Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry.

Cecil was killed in action on 22nd November 1944, aged 32. Today lies in Cesena War Cemetery (grave VII, B, 15.). n the Commune of Cesena, in the Province of Forli.  Most of those buried in the cemetery died during the advance from Rimini to Forli and beyond in September-November 1944, an advance across one flooded river after another in atrocious autumn weather.

At the time of his death Cecil's widow was living at 67 Second Avenue in Chelmsford, while his widowed mother was at Brentwood. Three brothers were serving, two abroad.

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