Percy Leland Richardson (1907 - 1969)

Born 31 Mar 1907 in Chester,Lunenburg county,Nova Scotia

Ancestors

Husband of Alma Gladys (Hardy) Richardson — married 24 Jan 1942 in Lockeport Nova Scotia

Died 19 Aug 1969 at age 62 in Lockeport,Shelburne county,Nova Scotia

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Captain Percy Richardson( 1907-1969) & Mate -Clarence Beck (1921-1976) Saves the life of Lockie M. BeLong (1914-1963) Lockeport NS. Percy Leland Richardson was the son of Oscar Richardson and Susan Freeman. He was married to Alma Gladys Hardy. Percy passed away at 62 years.

Capt. Richardson was the skipper of the schooner "Lucille M" in 1942. That year all the fishermen in Nova Scotia knew that the German U boats were patrolling NS coastline & fishing boats were not safe . However, the men needed to earn a living so nothing could deter them.Capt. P. Richardson had completed 3 trips in the Lucille M that season. The Lucille M was owned by F W Sutherland & sons & was an old 75 foot 54 ton wooden vessel but had been built well & weathered many storms.

The May 1942 trip was when Capt. Richardson & Clarence Beck & crew became our family's personal heroes because they saved our Father's life. I grew up being familiar with their names as they were mentioned very often & how grateful my family were as these brave men returned a father & husband from the brink of death. The Lucille M & her crew were fishing on Brown's Bank & the men in the dories laden with fish were returning to the Lucille M. My father & his mate in the dory were busy navigating along side of the Lucille M . The fishing trawl has many large hooks & some of the hooks caught my father's sweater pulling him into the water . Dad's heavy oil clothes & boots caused him to be dragged deeper into the water. Percy & Clarence decided they would create a chain of men holding onto each other ankles & see if they could get under the boat to see him. The cold Atlantic made it difficult but they persevered & they were able to see Dad wrapped in the trawl but they could not reach him so they pulled on the trawl hoping he would remain wrapped there until they could get his body. Finally ,they were successful! At this time Lockie was dead according to the crew,so they stripped most of his clothing off & proceeded to lay him on a barrel & apply their version of artificial respiration.. They rocked the barrel slightly for some time & finally they saw some life. They wrapped him in a blanket for warmth & then they made the schooner ready for departure. Dad told us he remembers getting one heavy rubber boat off as he sank into the sea & that was his only memory until he woke up. Since there was little communication from the schooners in 1942, families did not know about tragedies at sea until the ships arrived back in port. My mother learned about it after the schooner docked. After this tragedy my father decided he would spend more time "Inshore Fishing" & devote more time to the family's country store in West G.Harbour . The story was reported in the local paper later . Daughter Darlyn B.

The second story & the demise of the Lucille M happened in July 1942 . Darlyn B.

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Sources

• Birth & Death record links-

https://www.novascotiagenealogy.com/ItemView.aspx?ImageFile=1969-5082&Event=death&ID=484676 https://www.novascotiagenealogy.com/ItemView.aspx?ImageFile=1907-70900429&Event=birth&ID=202401