Ajax Veterans Street Dedication: Devineridge Avenue

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Street Name: Devineridge Avenue
Name of Veteran: Richard Victor Devine 1912-1963
Rank: signalman
Ship Served: HMS Exeter
Date of Service on Ship: Jan.11, 1939 to April 12, 1940.
Year of Visit/Dedication: n/a
Veteran or Family Visit: n/a
Veteran of the Battle of the River Plate: Yes
Died at Battle: No

Richard Victor Devine was born in Liverpool, U.K. to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Devine in 1912. At the age of fifteen he joined the Royal Navy and began a lengthy career. His first ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth was involved in the Spanish War and also in the Palestine/Israel conflict in the 1930s.

Richard joined HMS Exeter on January 11, 1939. He assisted the Chilean earthquake survivors in Concepcion and was involved in the famous Battle of the River Plate on December 13, 1939. During the Battle, HMS Exeter suffered the majority of damage and lost 61 men in total. Richard was saved from flying shrapnel by a penny that he had in his pocket during the encounter with the Graf Spee. He later gave this penny to his brother Wally to bring him good luck.

After leaving HMS Exeter in early 1940 Richard and several more of the Exeter crew joined a new ship, HMS Kenya. They had quite a difficult time as they were involved in the Malta and Russian convoys as well as being in the Crete skirmish.

Both Richard and his brother Wally survived the war. Richard immigrated to Australia and died in 1963, he was buried at sea. 1

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