We have been contacted by the Rotary Club of Grangemouth in Scotland to advise our Club of their remembrance of Sgt Robert Ricketts, originally from Mascot, but who was killed when his Spitfire crashed during World War 2.
Dr Tom McMorrow writes:I write on behalf of the President of Grangemouth Rotary Club, of Central Scotland. The purpose of writing is to bring to your attention an event of some significance in the eyes of Grangemouth people: in WW2, many Australians, as you know, made their way to Britain to help save this country when it was under Nazi attack.
One of those Australians was Sgt Robert Joseph Prior Ricketts of Mascot, NSW. Sergeant Ricketts trained as a Spitfire pilot, of 58 Operational Training Unit, here at RAF Grangemouth, in the middle of WW2. He was about to be sent to a frontline Squadron but his Spitfire got into difficulties over the aerodrome and he was fatally injured in the resultant crash. Sgt Ricketts was just 19. His death occurred on 10th June 1943.
He was the son of Frederick Ernest Ricketts and Mrs Florence Ricketts. He had a brother but we do not know identifying details of his sibling.
I am writing to let you know that yesterday, on the 80th anniversary of the boy’s death, Grangemouth Rotary Club and the Air Cadets (aged 12-18) of 1333 (Grangemouth Spitfire) Squadron, planted young flowers on his War Grave. On Armistice Sunday, the Air Cadets will attend his graveside again and place a cross there (as they do for the 71 Spitfire pilots of Australia and other nations) every year.
This year was a special one for Sgt Ricketts whose Commonwealth War Grave is well tended by the CWG Commission, by we local people, and by the young Air Cadets.
We do not know whether young Sgt Ricketts has surviving kin in Mascot but we do want you to know that his final resting-place is cared for here, 80 years on.
With kindest regards, and with the best wishes of our Club President, Alison Meikle,
We have not been able to identify any of Sgt Ricketts Next of Kin but brought this to the attention of the RSL and RAAF. If any member has further knowledge of the Ricketts family, please let Christine or Richard know.
One of those Australians was Sgt Robert Joseph Prior Ricketts of Mascot, NSW. Sergeant Ricketts trained as a Spitfire pilot, of 58 Operational Training Unit, here at RAF Grangemouth, in the middle of WW2. He was about to be sent to a frontline Squadron but his Spitfire got into difficulties over the aerodrome and he was fatally injured in the resultant crash. Sgt Ricketts was just 19. His death occurred on 10th June 1943.
He was the son of Frederick Ernest Ricketts and Mrs Florence Ricketts. He had a brother but we do not know identifying details of his sibling.
I am writing to let you know that yesterday, on the 80th anniversary of the boy’s death, Grangemouth Rotary Club and the Air Cadets (aged 12-18) of 1333 (Grangemouth Spitfire) Squadron, planted young flowers on his War Grave. On Armistice Sunday, the Air Cadets will attend his graveside again and place a cross there (as they do for the 71 Spitfire pilots of Australia and other nations) every year.
This year was a special one for Sgt Ricketts whose Commonwealth War Grave is well tended by the CWG Commission, by we local people, and by the young Air Cadets.
We do not know whether young Sgt Ricketts has surviving kin in Mascot but we do want you to know that his final resting-place is cared for here, 80 years on.
With kindest regards, and with the best wishes of our Club President, Alison Meikle,
We have not been able to identify any of Sgt Ricketts Next of Kin but brought this to the attention of the RSL and RAAF. If any member has further knowledge of the Ricketts family, please let Christine or Richard know.