Acting Bombardier Hubert James RICKETTS (1893-1916).

Service # 2/1664, Acting Bombardier, New Zealand Field Artillery, 5th Field Company, New Zealand Expeditionary Forces (NZEF).

Served Samoa (1914);  Egypt & Gallipoli (1915); & France & Belgium (1916).

Born 22 November 1893 - at Nelson, South Island, New Zealand.

Son of John & Elizabeth Ricketts - of Nelson.

Hubert Ricketts enlisted for war service - in August 1914 - at Nelson.

At enlistment he was posted as a Driver with the New Zealand Field Artillery (NZFA) - in the Samoa Advance Party.

In August 1914 Driver Ricketts left New Zealand - with the Samoa Advance Party NZEF -  for Samoa. He returned to New Zealand in March 1915.

Driver Ricketts embarked, again, from New Zealand - with the 5th Reinforcements NZEF - aboard HMNZT "Maunganui"  or T25 "Tahiti"  or T26 "Aparima". He disembarked, from his transport ship from New Zealand, at Suez, Egypt - 5 weeks later.

Driver Ricketts served at Egypt & Gallipoli 1915.

Driver Ricketts would, at the end of 1915, embark for war service - at France.

On 4 October 1916 Acting Bomdardier Hubert J. Ricketts was killed - in the field, at the Somme, France - when he volunteered to go out - into the battlefield - and bring back some wounded men who were lying in a bomb crater.

At his death Acting Bomdardier Hubert J. Ricketts was 22 years of age.

Acting Bomdardier Hubert J. Ricketts is buried at Flatiron Copse Cemetery, Marmetz, Somme, France.

Acting Bomdardier Hubert J. Ricketts is remembered at his hometown in New Zealand - on the Nelson ANZAC Memorial Park Cenotaph (1914-1918) - at Nelson City, South Island, New Zealand.

For Acting Bomdardier Hubert J. Ricketts's full military record refer to New Zealand Online Cenotaph : www.aucklandmuseum.com

Photo Credit : Auckland War Memorial Museum (Auckland, New Zealand).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jenifer Everett