There are some grand plans in the works for a national peace park in Conception Bay South to honour the memory of renowned First World War hero Thomas Ricketts.
Ricketts enlisted at age 15 and went on to win the Victoria Cross at just 17 1/2 years old. He went on to become a became a pharmacist in St. John’s after coming home from the war.
He had bought land in C.B.S., but sold it to the Kiwanis Club in 1956, said Clem Drake, co-chairman of the Kiwanis Sgt. Thomas Ricketts memorial peace park development committee and a past Kiwanis president.
“Our intentions are at this point in time to make it a national historic site,” Drake said.
The Kiwanis Club retains ownership of the land for some 60 years and has provided a ballfield, playground and building for community events.
With some research, Drake began to envision an idea for the park that would enhance it and also be a fitting tribute to Ricketts.
“In 2011, I decided I wanted to do the history of the land, where it came from and everything else,” Drake said.
“I said ‘My God, there is a whole story behind this. We should be paying tribute to this gentleman, the youngest combat shoulder. … What a match for us to look at.”
He noted Ricketts was a child when he went to war and the Kiwanis Club’s mission is to “improve the world one child and one community at a time” so it’s an ideal link.
Already, he said the club with — support from other organizations, the provincial and federal governments — has already put in a new playground, a picnic area and upgraded the baseball field, installed pavement, fencing and other safety items and enhanced the walking trails, as well as extensively renovated the club rooms.
Hundreds of thousands have been spent on earlier phases and the next phase is hoped to include a bronze statue of Ricketts, and an amphitheatre and stage that would be the site of educational programming about Ricketts developed by the legion.
Drake said a concept plan is in the works from the Grand Concourse Authority and the committee has asked the federal government for $350,000 to complete Phase 3, which includes the statue and amphitheatre.
A series of panels are ready to be installed in the park.
It’s hoped the peace park could be completed over the summer and be unveiled in time to coincide with 100-year observances of the action for which Ricketts was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Drake said if it all comes together, the committee is hoping to convince Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to attend the unveiling.
Recognized for bravery
Ricketts joined the war in September 2016.
Ricketts’ Victoria Cross was awarded for his brave actions Oct. 14, 1918, in Ledeghem, Belgium.
“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 from the battery,” reads his citation.
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 of personal safety, Pte. Ricketts secured the further supply of ammunition which directly resulted in these important captures and undoubtedly saved many lives.”
Before the war, Ricketts was a fisherman from the outport of Middle Arm, White Bay. His brother George, was killed in action.
Drake said the committee is a jointly chaired with the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 50, but also includes input from the Royal Newfoundland Regiment Advisory Council, the Kelligrews Ecological Enhancement Program, the Conception Bay South Parks Commission, and the Town of Conception Bay South.
He also said the efforts have been supported by a number of volunteers and businesses such as the North Atlantic Orange Stores.
Ricketts died in 1967.
His granddaughter, Ontario activist Catherine Soplet, who has written an open letter to the federal government, including federal Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly in support of the park, remembers him as a quiet man. She as a child when he died.
“Across Canada, I have met Newfoundlanders for whom Thomas Ricketts is a current and living memory,” Soplet said in the letter.
“One of them, a senior I met recently in Ontario became teary-eyed and showed me his scarred hand, as he told me his story. In the back of his 10 Water St. pharmacy, Thomas Ricketts had provided the boy with first aid, sutures and salve for no charge — a life-saving gesture for his poor family in St. John's, in the days before medicare, tetanus vaccinations and routine antibiotics.”
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