Richard Pape

Richard Bernard Pape MM (1916 - 19 June 1995) was a British Second World War escapee, autobiographer and novelist.

Richard Bernard Pape was born in Roundhay, Yorkshire in 1916.[1]

His first book, Boldness Be My Friend, was an account of his Second World War adventures, as a navigator in a Short Stirling bomber that was shot down close to the German/Dutch border, captures and escapes.[1]

The book was brought to Anthony Blond's London literary agency in 1952 by Vanora McIndoe, the daughter of Sir Archibald McIndoe, from Pape who was hospitalised at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, and having plastic surgery, following a drunken motorcycle accident on the Isle of Man. After being read and approved by Blond's colleague Isabel Colegate, the book was published by Paul Elek, who gave a £600 advance.[1]

In June 1965, he returned his Military Medal to the Queen in protest at The Beatles having been awarded the MBE. He was quoted as saying :"The Beatles' MBE reeks of mawkish, bizarre effrontery to our wartime endeavours." (The Glasgow Herald, June 22 1965).

Selected publications

  • Boldness Be My Friend 1953
  • Sequel to Boldness 1959
  • Fortune Is My Enemy 1960
  • No Time to Die 1962

References

  1. 1 2 3 Blond, Anthony (11 July 1995). "Obituary: Richard Pape". The Independent. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.