London District Cage
Arresting Officer

Douglas Richards	Douglas's Uniform badges	9th February 2020 Aged 91

The above photo and the information contained on this page
were graciously provided by Douglas Richards.

• Douglas Richards was born 1st March 1928 in Grange Town, Cardiff, South Wales.
• 2nd January 1941 and again in 1943 Douglas was caught up in air raid upon Cardiff. He even recalled that in 1943 he was in the cinema watching "Strike Up the Band" featuring Judy Garland when the "Incoming air-raid" notice was given. Leaving the cinema, Douglas was caught in the blast from a bomb which unbeknown to him perforated his ear drums.

• At the age of 17 years Douglas joined the Welsh Guards in 1945
• He undertook his initial training at Caterham Surrey and it whilst at this training that the damage to his ears became apparent.
• In 1946 Douglas was regmentally employed to the War Crimes Investigation Unit based at the London District Cage in Kensington Palace Gardens - houses 4, 6 and 8 and (Number 2 was the Russian Embassy)

Photograph of No 8 and 8a Kensington Palace Gardens taken in 1938 by the "German Section of the Foreign Office, Hayes" during their search for suitable premises to requisition for "special purposes" after the outbreak of the war.

Lt Colonel A.P.Scotland was in charge of the LDC

• Douglas always carried a side arm and received specialist training
• Douglas was the officer sent to Island Farm to arrest Gerd von Rundstedt in May 1946. Douglas told me that Rundstedt spoke excellent English and hated Nazism.

For further reading about the London District Cage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Cage