Richard Douglas Sandford
Lieutenant, Royal Navy
- Register No.
- 1106 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Lieutenant all Lieutenants →
- Unit
- Royal Navy (register: HMS C3) all HMS C3 VCs →
- Date of action
- 22–23 April 1918 on this day → all of 1918 →
- Conflict / campaign
- First World War
- London Gazette
- 23rd July, 1918 on this day → all of 1918 →
- Born
- 11th May 1891 at Exmouth, Devon
- Died
- 23rd November, 1918 at Grangetown, Yorkshire
- Memorial / grave
- at Eston cemetery, Yorkshire and at Exeter Cathedral, Devon
- Medal held by
- Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
Digest of citation
On 22nd/23rd April, 1918 at Zeebrugge, Belgium, Lieutenant Sandford, Commandng HM Submarine C3, skilfully placed the vessel between the piles of the viaduct which connected the Mole with a shore, before laying his fuse and abandoning her. He disdained to use the Gyro Steering which would have enabled him and his crew to abandon the submarine as a safe distance, but preferred to make sure that his mission would be successful
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
SANDFORD, Richard Douglas. (reg No. 1106).
Lieutenant. Royal Navy.
London Gazetted on 23rd July, 1918.
VC Medal's Custodian isBritannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.
Born on 11th May 1891 at Exmouth, Devon.
Died on 23rd November, 1918 at Grangetown, Yorkshire.
Memorial on grave at Eston cemetery, Yorkshire and at Exeter Cathedral, Devon.
Digest of Citation reads: On 22nd/23rd April, 1918 at Zeebrugge, Belgium, Lieutenant Sandford, Commandng HM Submarine C3, skilfully placed the vessel between the piles of the viaduct which connected the Mole with a shore, before laying his fuse and abandoning her. He disdained to use the Gyro Steering which would have enabled him and his crew to abandon the submarine as a safe distance, but preferred to make sure that his mission would be successful.
Additional information:. He was born at 15 the Beacon, Exmouth, Devon on the 11th May, 1891 the son of the Venerable Ernest Grey Sandford, Archdeacon of Exeter and his wife Gabriel (née Poole). He was educated at Clifton College from there to train at HMS Britannia in 1904. On 30th August 1913 he was promoted to lieutenant. In February 1914 he transferred to the submarine service. After the Battle of Zeebrugge, where he was severely wounded in the hand and thigh, he spent three months in hospital. On 31st July 1918 he had recovered enough to receive his Victoria Cross from King George V. The rest of his crew were also decorated, Lieutenant John Howell-Price (second in command C3) awarded the DSO, Petty Officer Walter Harner (coxswain), Leading Seaman William Cleave, Engine Room Articifer Allan Roseburgh and Stoker Henry Brindle received the CGM. Unfortunately Lieutenant Sandford died six months later in Cleveland Hospital, Grangetown of typhoid.
Additional information
He was born at 15 the Beacon, Exmouth, Devon on the 11th May, 1891 the son of the Venerable Ernest Grey Sandford, Archdeacon of Exeter and his wife Gabriel (née Poole). He was educated at Clifton College from there to train at HMS Britannia in 1904. On 30th August 1913 he was promoted to lieutenant. In February 1914 he transferred to the submarine service. After the Battle of Zeebrugge, where he was severely wounded in the hand and thigh, he spent three months in hospital. On 31st July 1918 he had recovered enough to receive his Victoria Cross from King George V. The rest of his crew were also decorated, Lieutenant John Howell-Price (second in command C3) awarded the DSO, Petty Officer Walter Harner (coxswain), Leading Seaman William Cleave, Engine Room Articifer Allan Roseburgh and Stoker Henry Brindle received the CGM. Unfortunately Lieutenant Sandford died six months later in Cleveland Hospital, Grangetown of typhoid.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: at Eston cemetery, Yorkshire and at Exeter Cathedral, Devon
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
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