A member of the congregation at the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue Holland Park killed serving in WW2.
Mayer Henry Richard Namias was born on 29 October 1921, the younger child of Lea Namias (1889-1962) and Mathilda Namias née Diaz (1895-1976). His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1921 in the Wandsworth Registration District, London. His parents were both Turkish and had been born in Greece. His father was an insurance broker and the family lived at 17 Streatham High Road, London, SW16. His sister was Isabella Sylvia Namias (1919-2003).
In January 1935 he was admitted to Westminster School, Little Dean's Yard, London, SW!P 3PF and left there in July 1939. The gives much information about this man.
He joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, service number 64318, where he trained as a pilot and rose to the rank of Leading Aircraftman before being commissioned as a Pilot Officer on 13 April 1941. He was shown as Mayer Henry Richard Namias on the Royal Air Force's General Duties Branch List of Pilot Officers and this was confirmed in the .
On 20 September 1941, as a Flight Lieutenant, aged 19 years, he was serving in No.226 Squadron and was the pilot of a Bristol Blenheim Mk IV aeroplane, serial number Z7310, with markings of MQ-V, that took off from RAF Wattisham, Norfolk, on an anti-shipping patrol. He was shot down by ship's flak in the starboard engine while running in for an attack on a convoy, crashing into the sea 10 miles North West of the Hook of Holland, Netherlands. As he has no known grave he is of the Air Forces Memorial, Cooper's Hill Lane, Englefield Green, Egham, TW20 0LB.
He is shown as 'Flt. Lt. RICHARD M. D. NAMIAS' on the Holland Park Synagogue WW2 memorial attached to the Holland Park Sephardi Synagogue, 8 St James's Gardens, London, W11 and as 'RICHARD MAIR NAMIAS' on both the Bevis Marks war memorial attached to the Bevis Marks Synagogue, Bevis Marks, London, EC3 and the WW1 and WW2 war memorial on the Lauderdale Road Synagogue, Ashworth Road, London, W9.
He is also commemorated on the - incorrectly as aged 20 years, on the - again incorrectly as aged 20 years, on the , on the and on the .
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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