Driver Richard Entwistle Ashton served with 63 (Airborne) Composite Company, Royal Army Service Corps. He took part in the Battle of Arnhem, during Op Market Garden. He died on 19 September 1944, aged 29 years old. He is now buried at Oosterbeek War Cemetery, Grave 4.C.16. 

Driver Richard E Ashton 161755 crash from ‘Green On’ book by Arie-Jan Heesp page 103/4. This quote was kindly researched by Elaine Ashton (NOK)

“The first casualty of the Keevil re-supply was 299 Sqn Stirling flying in the lead: Stirling EF319 with fuselage code 5G-‘N’. Hit by flak and ground fire this aircraft crashed at about 15.45 hrs (16.45 NL-time) opposite restaurant ‘Rust Wat’ at the Kemperbergerweg, Schaarbergen, north of Arnhem. The crew of EF 319  consisted:

Wing Cmdr Peter Davis, DSO, pilot

Flt Lt ‘Bobby’ Lovegrove, 2^nd Pilot

Flt Lt Fred Mason, navigator

Sgt Jack Auld, Flt Eng.

Flt Lt Jack Francis, wireless operator and Flt Lt Bob Chalk, rear gunner.

The air dispatchers from 63^rd AB Div. Composite Coy, RASC were Driver Richard Ashton and Driver Showell.

An additional passenger was RAF Flt Lt Cecil Wingfield, a ‘boffin’ from RAF Boscombe Down AA & EE (Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment) who went along to ‘test some secret equipment’”