Name
Joseph Rickard
1873
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
18/10/1915
42
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Sapper
2207
Royal Engineers
1st/3rd Kent Field Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War Medal
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HELLES MEMORIAL
Panel 24 to 26 or 325 to 328.
Turkey (including Gallipoli)
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Tring memorials, Pitstone Memorial, Pitstone, Bucks
Pre War
Joseph RicKard was born in Aylesbury on 1873 to George Rickard, a bricklayer, and Ellen (nee Gurney). Joseph had older siblings George (born 1856), Matilda (born 1858), Sarah A (born 1860), Mary Jane (born 1862).
On the 1881 Census the family of parents, Ann (born 1864), William (born 1869) and Joseph were living at Little Aston, Wingrave.
On the 1891 Census Joseph was a lodger with his brother William and his family of wife Selina. Their daughters Ellen and Laura, at Church Street, Wingrave.
On the 1901 Census Joseph, a bricklayer, was living with his father and mother at Winslow Road, Wingrave.
Joseph married Martha Mardell in Wingrave on 28 Nov 1910.
On the 1911 Census Joseph, together with Martha and George Rickard (Joseph’s father) were living in Wingrave, Aylesbury. Joseph and Martha had sons Maurice George (born 11 Dec 1913), Joseph (born 9 Feb 1916 and daughter Lilian Helen (born 30 Sep 1912) .
Wartime Service
Joseph enlisted as a Territorial in the Royal Engineers as Sapper 2207 in 1st/3rd Kent Fortress Company at Gillingham. No Service record was found for him. The Company was part on the 2nd Mounted Division and were sent to Gallipoli in Oct 1915.
The War Diary of his unit records that the majority of 1/3 Kent embarked on the transport ‘Hythe’ in Mudros Bay at 4pm on 28 Oct 1915, bound for Helles. At 8 pm ‘Sarnia’ collided with ‘Hythe’, which sank in 10 minutes. 85 survivors were picked by ‘Sarnia’ but 128 were missing. Joseph was among the missing. His remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £3 and arrears of £1 6s 11d was paid to his widow who also received a pension of 20s 6d. Martha came to ive at 8, Plumtre Cottages, Pitstone, Tring.
Joseph received only the British War Medal as it was deemed that he never entered a War Zone.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
