Son of Mrs. Elizabeth Pittman of Sops Island, White Bay, Newfoundland. Private Thomas Ricketts 4020 Killed-in-Action on the same day Sergeant Thomas Ricketts 3102, also of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, earned the Victoria Cross.
SS MISSANABIE
Private Thomas Ricketts 4020 attested 21 October 1917. Embarked St. John’s on SS MISSANABIE 11 December 1917. Embarked for France, 25 May 1918.
On 9 September 1918, en route from Liverpool for New York, SS MISSANABIE torpedoed by German submarine UB-87 when 52 miles S by E ½ E from Daunts Rock, Ireland. 45 lives lost. The ship acted as a troop transport and completed many crossings of the Atlantic carrying Canadian troops to join the war effort.
France
Private Thomas Ricketts joined the Battalion during a quiet time. He would spend a pleasant summer while the Battalion rebuilding its ranks on the Channel coast. They provided a guard detail for headquarters of the British Expeditionary Force and Field Marshall Douglas Haig.
In September 1918 the RNR back up to fighting strength. The German offensive of the spring fizzled, and the Last Hundred Days was in full swing. The RNR back to front line duty joining the 9th (Scottish), commanded by General Hugh Tudor. The Newfoundlanders, with the newly formed 28th Brigade, led by Brigadier-General John “Mad” Jack joined the final Allied push of the war.
Ledeghem
On September 28-29 Private Thomas Ricketts took part in the attack on Keiberg Ridge. Then, in the early morning hours of 14 October 1918, the Battalion was located along the railway bed north of the village of Ledeghem, awaiting another advance. The previous night, sustaining 15 casualties on their way forward to the jump off point under a heavy artillery barrage.
‘D’ and ‘B’ Companies in the lead along the railway track waiting for the assault to begin. At 5:35am, following a 20 minute barrage, the Battalion moved forward on a 1000 yard front. The immediate objective three heavily defended German pillboxes. Sometime during the day, Private Thomas Ricketts killed by machine-gun fire. Perhaps mortally wounded during the actions near the pillboxes, or perhaps afterwards at the crest near De Beurt Farm, another 1000 yards further.
Dadizele New British Cemetery
DADIZELE NEW BRITISH CEMETERY, (now Dadizele), is located 16 Km east of Ieper town centre. On a road leading from the N8 Meenseweg, connecting Ieper to Menen (Menin) via Geluwe. From Ieper town centre the Meenseweg is located via Torhoutstraat and then right onto Basculestraat. Then, Basculestraat ends at a main crossroads, directly over which begins the Meenseweg. Proceed 12 Km along the N8 lies the village of Geluwe.
And, the left hand turning onto the Nieuwestraat (later called Derdelansiersstraat, towards Dadizele). Then, 5 Km along this road lies the village of Dadizele. Finally, the cemetery is located 100 metres after the left hand turning at the junction with Geluwestraat and Beselarestraat. In the village of Dadizele.
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