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Atlantic & East Coast Report
Lest we Forget
By Myles Higgins
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Many courageous soldiers have been proud to call Newfoundland or Labrador their home, both before and after its Confederation with Canada. This is the story of just one of them.
Lest we forget
Thomas (Tommy) Ricketts, V.C. - Recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Born on April 15, 1901 in Middle Arm Newfoundland, Ricketts was underage at the time he enlisted. Ricketts joined the Royal Newfoundland Regiment at the age of 15 years and 4 months. Just two months earlier, the Regiment had been decimated at Beaumont Hamel, during the Battle of the Somme.
After shipping overseas Ricketts was was wounded in the leg at Cambrai, but soon returned to his regiment. The following deed took place October 14, 1918 at Ledeghem, Belgium, for which Ricketts was awarded the Victoria Cross.
No. 3102 Pte. Thomas Ricketts, 1st Battalion, R. Newfoundland R.
For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty on the 14 October 1918, during the advance from Ledeghem, when the attack was temporarily held up by heavy hostile fire and the platoon to which he belonged suffered severe casualties from the fire of a battery at point-blank range.
Pte. Ricketts at once volunteered to go forward with his section commander and a Lewis gun to attempt to outflank the battery. Advancing by short rushes under heavy fire from enemy machine guns with the hostile battery, their ammunition was exhausted when still 300 yards from the battery. The enemy, seeing an opportunity to get their field guns away, began to bring up their gun teams. Pte. Ricketts, at once realising the situation, doubled back 100 yards under the heaviest machine-gun fire, procured further ammunition, and dashed back again to the Lewis gun, and by very accurate fire drove the enemy and the gun teams into a farm.
His platoon then advanced without casualties, and captured the four field guns, four machine guns, and eight prisoners.
A fifth field gun was subsequently intercepted by fire and captured.
By his presence of mind in anticipating the enemy intention and his utter disregard of personal safety, Pte. Ricketts secured the further supply of ammunition which directly resulted in these important captures and undoubtedly saved many lives.
From The London Gazette Issue 31108 January 3, 1919 (Fourth Supplement January 6, 1919 p.309).
For this incident, Ricketts was awarded the Victoria Cross by King George V himself, and promoted to Sergeant.
On the 18th of January 1919 Thomas Ricketts received a message informing him that he was to be invested with the Victoria Cross by King George V on the following day, Sunday, the 19th of January 1919. As he was shortly due to return home to his Country of Newfoundland, the King instructed Ricketts to proceed by train to Sandringham, the Sovereign's country estate in Norfolk, where he would be invested with his VC.
The ceremony took place in the estate's York Cottage where the King, accompanied by Princess Mary and Prince George, chatted with Ricketts for ten minutes before pinning the VC on his uniform coat. He was the youngest living recipient of the Victoria Cross, and was introduced by the King at the investiture as "the youngest VC in My army."
The King would later write in his diary on January 20th, 1919, the following entry: "Yesterday I gave the V.C. to Private Ricketts, Newfoundland Regiment, who is only 17 and a half now, a splendid boy."
Ricketts would go on to receive the British War Medal 1914–1920, the Victory Medal 1914–1919, 1937 GVIR Coronation Medal, 1953 EIIR Coronation Medal and France's Croix de Guerre with Golden Star.
Myles Higgins is freelance columnist, who lives with his wife and a terminally lazy Terrier named "Molson" in the beautiful town of Portugal Cove - St. Philips, His website can be found at: Web Talk - Newfoundland and Labrador. Myles can be reached at: letters@canadafreepress.com
