Richard James David Carrick (1918-1944)

Second World War Roll of Honour

Richard James David Carrick was born in Wells, Somerset on 9 March 1918. He was the son of David Robertson Carrick, a chemistry teacher at Darlington Secondary School, and Catherine Amy (nee Hill) of 25 Vane Terrace, Darlington, County Durham. Richard was educated at Darlington Grammar School before matriculating at Downing College in 1936 studying Medicine. He represented the College in Football and Cricket and presented a paper on cancer, “Five to One Against”, to the Medical Society in Michaelmas 1938.

Richard was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps on 22 May 1943 and was attached to the 3rd Battalion, Monmouthshire Regiment. On 13 June 1944, the battalion embarked at Newhaven and landed at Courcelles in Normandy the following day. By 4 August, the battalion was established with their Division on the Bas Perier Ridge where they faced the Germans on three sides of their positions and had been ordered to hold their ground. The following day, the Germans began shelling their positions, followed by a strong tank and infantry assault. By the time the advancing Germans were driven off, the battalion had been reduced to half its fighting strength.

On 6 August 1944, the battalion was being relieved by the 1st Battalion, Norfolk Regiment, who were also at half their strength, when heavy enemy shelling began. With a further enemy attack considered imminent, the commanding officer of the 3rd Monmouth ordered that both battalions would remain in their positions. The attack began just fifteen minutes later. Just before nightfall, after very heavy fighting, the German army withdrew having failed to take the Monmouths’ position. The day's fighting had cost the composite battalion one hundred and sixty men from a total strength of five hundred and fifty men.

Captain Carrick was killed in action while attending to the wounded during the fighting on 6 August 1944, aged 26. He is buried at Tilly-sur-Seulles War Cemetery and commemorated on the war memorial at St Cuthbert’s Church, Darlington.