Tags
Alma Street, Belgium, Church Lane, Colonel Waterhouse, Express & Star, Godfrey Ricketts, Heath Town, Major Barnett, Midland Counties Express, South Staffordshire Regiment, trenches, Wednesfield Road
The 22 April 1915 article in the Express & Star, headed “A Non-Manual: Dies from Wounds Received While Trench Digging”, details the story of Private Godfrey Ricketts, of Wednesfield Road in Heath Town. It states that he had been out with a digging party at night and was “hit by a chance shot in the shoulder, the bullet penetrating his body and coming out on the other side.” He died from his wounds the next morning.
Godfrey Whitehead Ricketts was born in 1895, the son of Edward and Alice Ricketts. In the 1901 census, the family were at 135 Alma Street in Heath Town, and Godfrey was listed with his parents, brother Edward and sister Norah. Before the war, according to the Express & Star article, “he was employed as a clerk by Mr F. J. J. Gibbons of Church Lane, Wolverhampton”.
Ricketts enlisted with the 6th Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment (service number 2861) on 5 September 1914. His address on enlistedment was 154 Wednesfield Road, Wolverhampton, and he was listed in the Midland Counties Express on 5 September 1914 as a man “Willing to Join”.
On his death on 14 April 1915, both Major Barnett and Colonel Waterhouse wrote to his parents to express their sympathies. Waterhouse stated that
He died of his wounds received while bravely carrying out his duties in the trenches and he was buried by me in the ground set apart near to the headquarters. I have had a cross and inscription erected. I need not say how deeply I regret his loss.
Ricketts is commemorated at the St. Quentin Cabaret Military Cemetery in Belgium.