Lieutenant Richard W Briscoe

Richard William Briscoe was born on 14 May 1915 at 310 Park Street, Haydock (Newton in Makerfield) Lancashire. The son of William and Jane Briscoe (née Brown)

He enlisted into the army before the war joining the Royal Army Service Corps and was assigned the Service Number T/45403. He rose through the ranks, remaining with the RASC, until he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the RASC on 30th October 1943 and assigned the Service number 299603. On the 24 March 1944 he transferred to the Glider Pilot Regiment as a Lieutenant.

He flew to Arnhem on the 17 September 1944 piloting Glider Chalk 269, carrying members of the 7th Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers. During the battle he was wounded and became a prisoner of war. The Glider Pilot’s Padre, Captain G A F Pare, saw Briscoe at some stage after he was wounded and recorded that he was suffering ‘a wound to the mouth’ but was otherwise OK.

This is confirmed in the German Medical cards amongst his POW records where his wound is described as ‘verletzung im geslicht’ – injury in the face. Those cards record that he was first treated at the POW hospital at Obermasfeld before being sent to Stalag IXC on 15th October 1944. He was then transferred to Oflag IX A/H on 8 December 1944.

According to his Death Certificate he ‘Died of wounds whilst a prisoner of war in Germany’ on or about 10 April 1945 and was first buried in the temporary American Military Cemetery at Eisenach. This cemetery was only in use for a couple of weeks and his body was then moved to the American Military Cemetery at Margraten where he was buried in plot GGG-227. On the 1 May 1947 his body was transferred to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery at Overloon where he was buried in plot IV. A. 13.

On the CWGC web site it gives his age incorrectly as 27 (he was then aged 29) and names his wife as Emma Briscoe. of Floriana. Malta. G.C.

It is true that on 12 June 1937, whilst serving as a driver with 32 Company, RASC  in Malta, he married an Emma Bartolo at the Cathedral Church of St John, Valletta. At this time he gave his age correctly as 22.

However, less than four years later, on 14 March 1941, now back in the UK and a Sergeant, serving with 28th Motor Coach Company, RASC, then based at Grantham, he married 19 year old Spinster, Lily Beatrice Smith. She was an Aircraftswoman with the Woman’s Auxiliary Air Force also based at Grantham. The marriage took place at Grantham Registry Office.

At this time Briscoe gave his age incorrectly as 24 and described himself as a Bachelor.

Now an Officer, and just prior to joining the Glider Pilot Regiment, Briscoe married Mary Vivian Blackburn at Salisbury Register Office on 2nd February 1944. At this time but he was still serving with the RASC,  then stationed at Winterborne Gunner. Mary Blackburn was a 21 year old Canadian, from Windsor, Ontario serving as a Private in the Army and employed as a Shorthand Typist. Once again Briscoe declared himself as a Bachelor and gave his age, incorrectly, as 27

This was a bigamous marriage and the Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser of Saturday 21 October 1944 stated “When Richard William Briscoe (29), an Army Officer ,was called to answer a charge of bigamously marrying Mary Vivian Blackburn during the life of his wife Lily Beatrice (Smith) it was stated that the accused had been wounded at Arnhem and had been taken prisoner. Mr Leslie, accused’s counsel, asked for the case to be adjourned sine die.

The Judge: I cannot adjourn it sine die. A bill of indictment has been returned by the Grand Jury and. as a Judge of this Assize  I have no right to adjourn it sine die. I shall adjourn the case until the next Wiltshire Assize and see what the position is then.”

A year later, on Friday 19 October 1945, the Wiltshire Daily Press and Bristol Mirror reported: ”When the name of an Airborne officer, Richard William Briscoe (29), was called at the Wiltshire Assizes at Devizes to answer a charge of bigamy at Salisbury. It was stated that he had died of wounds in a prisoner of war camp, he having been captured at Arnhem. The case was struck out.”

As Briscoe was indicted for bigamously marrying Mary Blackburn during the life of Lily Smith it is clear that the authorities were aware of this second marriage and they must have been satisfied that there were no irregularities concerned with that marriage. It must therefore be assumed that his marriage to Emma Bartolo had ended, either by divorce or upon her death.