James Archer Riccomini
James Archer Riccomini attended Henry Mellish School between 1929 and 1935.
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
He was the son of James Arthur and Kate Riccomini and the brother of Robert and Geoffrey Riccomini. James Ricconini and Joyce Mary Rule were married at Maidstone in 1939.
MILAN WAR CEMETERY V. A. 4
Riccomini joined the Royal Army Service Corps in 1940 where he served with No. 5 Line of Communication Railhead Motor Transport Company. He worked on convoy duty and reconnaissance operations in Palestine and Iraq and with 266 Company in North Africa. After being taken prisoner and then escaping he joined up with the Special Air Service (SAS). Riccomini took part in two operations with the SAS - Operation Galia in 1944 and Operation Tombola in 1945, both in northern Italy.
During an assault on German military headquarters on Operation Tombola, Riccomini led part of a three pronged attack, his target being a German billet at Villa Rossi. Before his team reached it, an attack on one of the other targets began, which alerted the German defences. Riccomini's team rushed into the villa and amidst fierce fighting, he sustained a fatal head wound.
Nottingham Evening Post 23/5/1945 page 1 Deaths:
'Riccomini - In proud and loving memory of Lieut J.A. (Jimmy) 2nd SAS Regt, beloved eldest son of Mr and Mrs J.A. Riccomini, Bower Mount Road, Maidstone, Kent, Killed in action, March 1945 in North Italy.'
James Archer Riccomini
Courtesy of the Daily Mail on line 16/2/2025
James Archer Riccomini's grave
Courtesy of the Daily Mail on line 16/2/2025
Notable Mellish scholar
Hucknall Dispatch 4/4/1997 page 7