Departures of note

In 1946, Iliff David Richardson founded a Connecticut company to sell a single-shot shotgun inspired by the improvised weapons of Philippine guerrillas. It was a simple slamfire design, but American buyers had plentiful alternatives, and the venture sold poorly.

Richardson had served as executive officer of PT-34 before its destruction in the Philippines in 1942. An attempt to escape to Australia in an outrigger ended in a storm; he survived a long swim and returned to resistance work. Drawing on his experience as an amateur radio operator, he helped connect guerrilla groups on Leyte and Samar and passed intelligence on Japanese shipping.

He became Ruperto Kangleon’s chief of staff and later held commissions in both the US Navy and US Army. Ira Wolfert turned his wartime account into a book published in 1945, which was adapted into a film starring Tyrone Power in 1950. After the war, Richardson settled in Houston, worked in business and insurance, and advised films.