 Complete the following phrase:  On 27 August 1940, Richards joined the Second Australian Imperial Force AIF, and was allotted the AIF service number NX70273. He was appointed Regimental Medical Officer of the a href215th20Field20Regiment2028Australia29215th Field Regimenta, an artillery unit of the ill-fated 8th Division, on 18 November 1940, and embarked for Singapore with his unit on 29 July 1941. During the 