Tommy Ricketts, VC: Newfoundland and Labrador war hero and pharmacist

Sergeant T.R. Ricketts, Victoria Cross, D.C.M. Croix de Guerre

Credit: Archives and Special Collections, QEII Library, Memorial University.

Introduction

Tommy Ricketts was the youngest member of the British military to receive the Victoria Cross in the First World War and is certainly one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most celebrated war heroes.¹ A slightly lesser known fact is that, following the war, he trained as a pharmacist and operated a drugstore in St. John’s from 1934 until his death in 1967.² As a graduate of the Memorial University School of Pharmacy, the name and story of Tommy Ricketts did not appear to be particularly well known among today’s generation of pharmacy students and practitioners, and so I decided it would be worthwhile to learn more about the life and exploits of this pharmacist and war hero. In doing so, I hope to offer a portrait of a man who had a significant impact on both Newfoundland and Labrador’s military and health care history.

Early life and military service

Thomas R. “Tommy” Ricketts was born on April 15, 1901, in Middle Arm, White Bay, in the Colony of Newfoundland, apparently a “village of 4 families.”^1,3 Like many of his generation, he was filled with a patriotic desire to serve “King and Country” with the outbreak of the First World War. Following in the footsteps of his older brother, Tommy signed up for duty with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment on September 2, 1916, and was given the regimental number 3102.¹ As was often the case, the 15-year-old Ricketts “told officials he was the required 18.”⁴

Ricketts departed Newfoundland for Europe in January of 1917; he trained in Scotland for several months before being sent to France that June. He suffered a bullet wound to the leg in November 1917 and was sent to England to recuperate.¹ Following his convalescence, Ricketts was returned to active duty in April 1918.¹

The actions for which Tommy would ultimately be known occurred on October 14, 1918, in Ledegem, Belgium.¹ British forces were attempting to advance; however, by 11:30 in the morning, they were held back “by persistent and well directed fire at practically point blank range from a German battery.”⁵ According to the official record,

Ricketts immediately volunteered to go forward with his section commander and a Lewis gun to outflank the battery. Advancing by short rushes under heavy fire from enemy machine guns and a hostile battery, their ammunition was exhausted when they were still three hundred yards from the battery. . . . Ricketts immediately realizing the situation, doubled back a hundred yards under heavy machine gun fire, procured further ammunition, dashed back to the Lewis gun, and by very accurate fire drove the enemy and gun teams into a farm.³

As a result of Ricketts’ actions, British forces were able to advance, taking “four field guns, four machine guns and eight prisoners.”⁵ His actions were said to have “undoubtedly saved many lives.”³

For his actions of October 1918, Tommy was awarded with the Croix de Guerre from the French government.³ However, his generally better known honor came on January 19, 1919, when he was presented the Victoria Cross by King George V.⁵ The award is notable as “[Britain’s] highest award for gallantry” to be “awarded only in exceptional circumstances.”⁶ From there began a life of glory that Tommy spent most of his time trying to avoid.

After the War

Three months after his winning of the Victoria Cross, Tommy was promoted to sergeant and set out to return to Newfoundland. It has frequently been noted that as his ship approached the shore of St. John’s, then-journalist Joseph R. Smallwood rowed out “to have a chat with the war hero.”⁷ Rather than returning to Middle Arm, arrangements were made for Tommy to complete high school at Bishop Feild College. Upon completion of “the Grade XI standard,” he became one of the first students of the Memorial University College in 1925.⁸ Accounts vary regarding his time at Memorial; however, it is generally agreed that he moved on to a “pharmacy apprenticeship at [the] T. McMurdo & Co.” drugstore.¹ This eventually led to the opening of his own drugstore at “the corner of Water and Job streets” in 1934.^2,7 A year prior, he married Edna Edwards of St. John’s; they would eventually have 2 children.¹

A life of service

In the years he operated his pharmacy, Tommy was described as “a very private person,” but also “a kind-hearted man who enjoyed chatting with customers.”^7,9 A dedicated pharmacist, he contributed to the profession by taking on apprentices himself, such as his final apprentice, Brian Healy. Mr. Healy describes the pharmacy world of Tommy’s day as being quite different from contemporary practice, with pharmacists often being the first point of care for injured patients who could not afford the services of a physician (B. Healy, oral communication, January 19, 2016). Mr. Healy has been quoted in The Telegram, stating,

From colicky babies, to children with their cuts and their bruises, and to older people with their arthritic joints . . . his very gentle care was the first stop for many to recovery. To quote one of his customers, who after Mr. Ricketts had dressed his wounds looked over to him and said, “My God, Tommy, from beggars to kings, you serves [sic] us all.”²

It is interesting to note that the nondispensing activities performed by Sgt. Ricketts and other pharmacists of his generation seem analogous to the full scope of practice that today’s pharmacists are gradually developing.

Tommy Ricketts’ wartime heroics made him something of a celebrity in St. John’s. As previously noted, he preferred to keep his privacy and avoided the spotlight. One of the more memorable instances of this was his apparent refusal to meet with then Princess Elizabeth on a visit to St. John’s.¹ The future queen apparently parked outside Ricketts’ drugstore until he reluctantly emerged for a brief meeting.

As can be expected, Tommy did not enjoy talking about the war. Another former apprentice of his, Neil Curtis, is quoted as saying, “he liked talking about old cars. But every time I brought up how he won the VC, he’d just walk away.”⁷ Ricketts’ son noted that Tommy “kept [his] medals in a drawer,” and cannot recall “his ever wearing them.”²

Tommy Ricketts passed away on February 10, 1967; he apparently died on the job, “[collapsing] on the floor of his shop.”¹⁰ He was given a state funeral, which was attended by numerous dignitaries, including the premier and lieutenant-governor.¹¹ A parkette monument was placed at the site of his pharmacy some years later.²

Memorials

The main monument to the life of Tommy Ricketts is the above-mentioned one at the site of his drugstore on the corner of Water and Job Streets in St. John’s (Figure 1).¹² In 2007, the monument was restored and rededicated in an initiative spearheaded by the Johnson Family Foundation.⁷ The current version of the monument includes a picture of the boy soldier, along with photographs of his 2 main medals.² In addition, Ricketts Road in St. John’s was apparently named in Tommy’s honour.¹³

Figure 1.

The St. John’s memorial to Tommy Ricketts

Today

It is clear that Tommy Ricketts was a hero of Newfoundland and Labrador, a staple of downtown St. John’s and a prominent member of the pharmacy community. When this essay was first written, it seemed that the legacy of Tommy Ricketts was not particularly well known among the current generation of pharmacists. I had written this article with the intent of encouraging a Tommy Ricketts memorial within the Memorial University of Newfoundland School of Pharmacy. I am pleased to report that in 2019, the School of Pharmacy established the Thomas (Tommy) Ricketts Award in Pharmacy Education, which provides financial assistance for experiential learning for pharmacy students. I had the honour of attending the award’s inaugural presentation on January 17, 2019 (the approximate 100-year anniversary of Sgt. Ricketts receiving the Victoria Cross).¹⁴ The award, along with the other memorials, will help ensure that the legacy of Tommy Ricketts is remembered by the pharmacists of today and of generations to come. ■

Biography

Christopher Grant is an alumnus of the Memorial University of Newfoundland School of Pharmacy and practised as a community pharmacist in the St. John’s area. He is currently completing his internal medicine residency at Memorial and will be beginning a fellowship in general internal medicine in July 2021.