Talk:Frank Richards (British Army soldier)

"The men who ruled India"
The 2-volume work "The men who ruled India" was in fact written by Philip Mason under the pen-name of Philip Woodruff 137.158.116.125 14:28, 12 July 2007 (UTC)

Name issue
I don't know how to do this, but if someone who does reads this in the future, I would recommend moving the page to Frank Richards, which is how he is generally known (including in the ODNB). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 163.1.128.102 (talk) 09:54, 9 September 2009 (UTC)

Date of death
He is stated as died in 1961 but it says he was interviewed in 1964, which is incorrect? Owain meurig (talk) 17:50, 26 May 2012 (UTC)
 * His death is recorded in the GRO Death Register for Q3 1961. His interview was seen by many in 1964 when The Great War (documentary) was broadcast. Keith H99 (talk) 13:22, 20 November 2017 (UTC)
 * Wrong sign-off Keith H99 (talk) 13:22, 20 November 2017 (UTC)
 * Ditto Keith H99 (talk) 13:24, 20 November 2017 (UTC)

Army Service
What has been written appears to have been taken from various places, and with no verification against source documents.

He enlisted in April 1901, and had signed up for twelve years service, of which the original breakout was seven years with the Colours as a full-time soldier, and the remaining five years with the Army Reserve. When Service Pay was introduced in Spring 1904, the soldiers were incentivised to agree to these terms, and to serve an extra year with the Colours, which clearly happened in his case. On page 195 of "Old Soldier Sahib", he refers to the introduction of service pay, and returning to study for a certificate of education, in order to qualify for a higher pay rate.

If you bother to read the book, he was, by definition, obliged to serve in the Army Reserve until April 1912. It is simply not possible that he 'he extended his reserve service for a further four years until 1912'. Richards clearly states, on page 309 of "Old Soldier Sahib"

'In 1912 I extended my service for a further four years on the Reserve'

Keith H99 (talk) 13:20, 20 November 2017 (UTC)


 * The lazy manner in which the article has been written implies he was in a bar when war was declared. It is implied this was the Boer War, but it was in fact the First World War, and this is how "Old Soldiers Never Die" starts. Keith H99 (talk) 13:39, 20 November 2017 (UTC)