Victoria Cross, medal set
Report a Mistake- Object Number 20020208-001
- Event 1914-1919 First World War
- Affiliation --
- Artist / Maker / Manufacturer Hancocks & Co. (Jewellers) Ltd.
- Date Made 1918
- Place of Use Continent - North America, Country - Canada
- Category Communication artifacts
- Sub-category Personal symbol
- Department Arms and Technology
- Museum CWM
- Earliest 1918/01/01
- Latest 1918/12/31
- Inscription (VC): 3102 Pte. T. Ricketts. 1st Bn R. Newfoundland R. (BWM & VM/MGB & MV): 3102 Pte. T. Ricketts R. Newfd. R.
- Materials Silkworm silk, Silver
- Service Component British Expeditionary Force
- Unit Royal Newfoundland Regiment1st Battalion
- Person / Institution Associated monarchy, King George VAssociated Military Personnel, Ricketts , V.C., Sergeant Thomas
- Measurements Length 14.5 cm, Width 9.0 cm
- Caption Thomas RICKETTS, VC, DCM
- Additional Information Ricketts won the Victoria Cross. His citation reads: "For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty on the 14th 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 away 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 realizing 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 for personal safety, Pte. Ricketts secured the further supply of ammunition which directly resulted in these important captures and undoubtedly saved many lives. (He was 17 ½ years old.)"
- Caption Victoria Cross Medal Set, Sergeant Thomas Ricketts, V.C., Royal Newfoundland Regiment
- Additional Information At seventeen, Sergeant Thomas Ricketts, V.C was the youngest Newfoundlander or Canadian ever to be awarded the Victoria Cross. Thomas Ricketts won the Victoria Cross while serving with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment near Ledeghem, Belgium in October 1918. With most of his Lewis gun crew wounded, Ricketts volunteered to run across 100 metres of bullet-swept field to gather more ammunition. Returning across the same killing ground, Ricketts captured several German artillery pieces, machine-guns, and prisoners. Medal set of Thomas Ricketts, V.C. From the left: 1.Victoria Cross. 2.British War Medal 1914-1920. 3.Victory Medal 1914-1919. 4.Croix de Guerre (France)