On this day

[daftandbarmy]

Whoa....


On this day in 1918, Private Thomas Ricketts of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment was alone and had his 28-pound Lewis Machine Gun on his shoulder when he came across a German machine gun position.

He fired from the hip until his ammunition was exhausted. He then sprinted back 100 meters to friendly lines to get more ammunition before returning and destroying the German trench line with accurate machine gun fire.

Single-handed he captured four artillery pieces, four machine guns and eight prisoners. At age 17 this action earned him the Victoria Cross.

In 1919 he returned to Newfoundland and started high school.

 

[OldSolduer]

Whoa....


On this day in 1918, Private Thomas Ricketts of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment was alone and had his 28-pound Lewis Machine Gun on his shoulder when he came across a German machine gun position.

He fired from the hip until his ammunition was exhausted. He then sprinted back 100 meters to friendly lines to get more ammunition before returning and destroying the German trench line with accurate machine gun fire.

Single-handed he captured four artillery pieces, four machine guns and eight prisoners. At age 17 this action earned him the Victoria Cross.

In 1919 he returned to Newfoundland and started high school.


View attachment 66822

Can you imagine? WOW!!!!

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Can you imagine? WOW!!!!

I’ll bet high school was kinda of…boring after all that.

 

[OldSolduer]

I’ll bet high school was kinda of…boring after all that.

Well, I bet he was the cool kid in school. Like Spiderman would be.

 

[dimsum]

I’ll bet high school was kinda of…boring after all that.

History class would have been interesting. He'd get 100% on the "WWI" unit.

 

[kkwd]

Another soldier named Thomas Ricketts was killed in action on October 14th, the same day Thomas Ricketts earned his VC. They were both from White Bay. Here are the service records of both.
Thomas Ricketts
Thomas Ricketts

 

[daftandbarmy]

Another soldier named Thomas Ricketts was killed in action on October 14th, the same day Thomas Ricketts earned his VC. They were both from White Bay. Here are the service records of both.
Thomas Ricketts
Thomas Ricketts

 

[SeaKingTacco]

History class would have been interesting. He'd get 100% on the "WWI" unit.

Except, then it was just called “the war”…

 

[Blackadder1916]

I remember going into Mr. Ricketts' drugstore on a few occasions with my grandfather, who was a friend of his. By then (would have been early 1960s) his premises were a bit ramshackle (or that's what my memory is); long since torn down, there is now a memorial at the site. I don't recall being aware back then of his fame, but what 5 or 6 year old would. He was just a quiet, pleasant, old man who didn't mind a couple of rugrats (my brother and me) rummaging about his store while he chatted with my grandfather - he probably gave us some candy.

Funny how memory is - I'm older now than both my grandfather and Mr. Ricketts were back then, but they will always seem older than I ever will get.

 

[kkwd]

I remember going into Mr. Ricketts' drugstore on a few occasions with my grandfather, who was a friend of his. By then (would have been early 1960s) his premises were a bit ramshackle (or that's what my memory is); long since torn down, there is now a memorial at the site. I don't recall being aware back then of his fame, but what 5 or 6 year old would. He was just a quiet, pleasant, old man who didn't mind a couple of rugrats (my brother and me) rummaging about his store while he chatted with my grandfather - he probably gave us some candy.

Funny how memory is - I'm older now than both my grandfather and Mr. Ricketts were back then, but they will always seem older than I ever will get.

The old stone memorial has been replaced by a more informative one. A nice wall now blocks the view of Harry Summer's garage.