Major Richard Allen
Maj Richard ALLEN was killed on the 2nd June
1994, when the Chinook that was transporting Richard and fellow members
of the Northern Ireland intelligence community crashed on the Mull of
Kintyre. He was 34 years of age.
He
completed his course at the R.M.A. Sandhurst in 1983, having been to
London University where he specialized in international relations. He was
sponsored by the Regiment spending his summers serving with the 1st
Battalion in Osnabruck. On
joining the Battalion he was posted to 12 Platoon ‘D’ Company. He led
the Platoon to South Armagh on his first operational tour to Northern
Ireland, and also on exercise in Canada. Returning from Canada he was
posted to Battalion H.Q. as the training officer where he organized
several highly successful training cadres. In 1985 he was part of number 4 Guard at the Presentation of new
Colours Parade in
Canterbury, the guard being commanded by Maj S W J SAUNDERS. During the
Battalions tour to Cyprus in 1985 he was part of the small team
permanently based at Dhekalia providing essential continuity during the
Battalions rotation between Sovereign Base area and the UN line. Returning from Cyprus the Battalion immediately started
training for a Northern Ireland resident tour. During this period he was
promoted to Captain, and became the Battalions operations officer. After
this he was posted to to NIAT as an instructor. After two years in that post he was
accepted for a two-year attachment to the 1st/2nd
Ghurkha Rifles where he commanded a Rifle Company both in Hong Kong and
Church Crookam. His next move was to
Australia in 1991 where he attended the staff collage at Queenscliff. He
was then posted to the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment
where he commanded ‘A’ Company in Cyprus. Under his command ‘A’
Company 1st WFR won the champion company compition, and the
cricket team won the league. His last posting was as the G2 in HQNI
where his promising career was cut short so tragically.
