Thomas Ricketts, VC

Sergeant Thomas Ricketts, VC, is the youngest combatant to have been awarded the Victoria Cross. In World War 1 he was a private in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. On October 14, 1918, most of his platoon was wiped out by a point blank shot from a battery of field guns. Private Ricketts volunteered to go with his commander, Corporal Matthew Brazil, on a flanking attack of the gun battery. Under heavy fire they advanced quickly, but soon ran out of ammunition. Private Ricketts, dashed accross No Man's Land, got some ammunition and then made another furious run back, dodging machine gun fire all the way.

At the time of this portrait Sergent Ricketts was 18 or 19, during his "run", he was 17. While colourizing this picture I realized how much the colour brings out his youth. I was convinced that colourization doesn't decrease my appreciation for black and white pictures from the past. But, brings out the character in the people depicted, and enhances my appreciation for their story.