In his history of Glenwood and the Argyles [1], Jackson Ricker paid tribute to the men from those communities who went overseas to fight during the Great War, 1914–1918. Among them were his sons Andrew Jackson, who returned, and James Allison, who did not.

Fig. 1. James Allison Ricker (left) and Andrew Jackson Ricker, 1917. (P1990-105pf, ATCHA)

After the war ended, Jackson Ricker recorded his sons’ military experiences in an untitled book of Ricker family genealogical records [2]:

1. “Believing that future generations will be interested in any matter relating to the greatest event in modern history, namely the Great War Aug. 4th 1914 to November 11th 1918, which during its progress involved nearly all of the great nations of the world and many of the lesser nations : And believing that a record should be kept in every family of service rendered Canada and our Great British Empire in their fight for Freedom and Liberty by any member or connection of such family : And having no doubt that Rickers of future generations will appreciate any record showing the part performed by our people in the war, I have caused to be written herein by my son Andrew Jackson a brief account of his own war service and that of his brother James Allison who served through the war till near the close he was killed in action in France. Needless it is for me to record that I am proud of my sons and of their record. And while we all felt keenly the loss of our dear son and will feel this until the close of life, yet we have much consolation in knowing that he was a true and loyal Soldier of the King of Kings and that he died the death of a hero.
   

2. “All effort to locate his grave has been unavailing although his brother made careful search of the grounds where he fell and where many a comrade was hastily buried and also sought information from the burial officers.
   

3. “We are denied the sad privilege of seeing his last resting place but he lies ‘neath a friendly soil and we trust kind nature will plant flowers upon his grave and in the morning the larks of whose singing he wrote us will sing sweet songs above him in the sky.
   

4. “Sleep on Dear Boy in your Soldier’s grave––there will come the resurrection and the Roll Call and reunion in the Sweet bye and bye.
   

5. “Jackson Ricker
   

6. “April 25th 1920”
   

Andrew Ricker then wrote about his brother.

1. “Private James Allison Ricker enlisted in November, 1915, in the 112th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. He trained in Yarmouth with that battalion until May, 1916, when they were mobilized at Windsor, N.S. While in Yarmouth he was taken sick with pneumonia, and was for a time in the Yarmouth Hospital. In Windsor he had measles, and was sent to the Old Kings College, which was used for a hospital. The battalion sailed from Halifax in July, 1916, on the transport Olympic reaching Liverpool, England, after an uneventful voyage.
   

2. “In Bramshott Camp the 112th Battalion was broken up, and Private Ricker was sent to the 26th Reserve Battalion in that camp. In March 1917 he went to France and joined the Royal Canadian Regiment. He was with them until June, 1917, when he was slightly wounded in the leg by a shell splinter, near Vimy Ridge.
   

3. “When wounded, Private Ricker was returned to England, and was for a few weeks in hospital at Hampton Court, near Leominster, Herefordshire. From there he went to the Convalescent Camp at Epsom, and was then sent to the 26th Reserve Battalion. After leaving Epsom he had furlough, in which he visited his cousin, Corporal Roland Doane, at Ashford, and his brother Andrew at Shornecliffe Camp.
   

4. “In November 1917 Private Ricker returned to the Royal Canadian Regiment in France, in the vicinity of Lens, and from that time until July 1918 the battalion was either engaged in trench warfare, or on rest behind the lines. In July they moved south to Wailly, and there carried on their fighting for a month. In August all of the Canadian Corps was engaged in a great advance east of Amiens, which commenced on August 8, and in which the Canadians, besides making a greater advance than any of the Allied troops had made before, captured over 10,000 prisoners and many guns. Immediately after this advance, the 3rd Canadian Division, which included the Royal Canadian Regiment, went to Arras, and on the 26th of August started the great battle which resulted in the breaking of the famous Hindenburg Line.
   

5. “In the fighting near Monchy-le-Preux on that date, the Royal Canadian Regiment had made good progress, and had just taken a position when the Germans counter-attacked. Private Ricker, while firing from a very exposed position, was instantly killed by a German rifle bullet. In spite of many attempts to locate his grave, it is not known where he was buried.”
   

In an unknown hand:

1. “It was later verified that he was buried in a British Cemetery on the Arras–Béthune Road.”
   

Andrew continued by describing his own experiences.

1. “Gunner Andrew Jackson Ricker enlisted in December 1916 in the Ammunition Column, Canadian Field Artillery, which was training at that time in the Citadel at Halifax. … He sailed from Halifax on April 10, 1917, on the transport Carpathia, and after passage of eleven days landed in Liverpool, England. In November 1917 Gunner Ricker left England and joined the 32nd Battery, Canadian Field Artillery, at Vlamertinghe, near Ypres, in Belgium. … There, in February, 1918, Gunner Ricker was sent to the 4th Divisional French Mortars, and was with them in the fighting around Lens and Arras … .He was in the great advance near Amiens on August 8. … On the 2nd of November he was at the capture of Valenciennes, and was billeted in that city when the Armistice was signed on Nov. 11. … On May 31st he sailed for Halifax, from Liverpool, on the transport Adriatic. He landed at Halifax on Sunday, June 8th, 1919, and the same day received his honourable discharge from military service.”
   

Later Jackson Ricker added this postscript.

1. “Written Sept. 27th, 1925
   

2. “After the foregoing sketch of the service in the Great War and the death of Private James Allison Ricker was written, we received letters from the Department of National Defence informing us that the report of his being instantly killed was not correct. Later and correct information relates that he was wounded at Monchy-le-Preux on Aug. 26th, taken prisoner by the Germans and carried to Férin, France, where he died Aug. 27th and was buried there.
   

3. “Until the past summer officers of the Imperial War Graves Commission, London, England, were not able to locate his grave. But a late communication informs us that it has been found and his body has been removed and reburied in Grave No. 25, Row “A”, Plot 31, Cabaret–Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez, France. And a stone memorial has been placed over his grave, giving his name and regimental particulars.”
   

Fig. 2. Cabaret–Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez, France. (By Osioni, Wikimedia Commons, in the public domain)

1. “On Sunday, Nov. 18th, 1923 there was unveiled in the Glenwood [United Baptist] Church a very beautiful Tablet in memory of our brave son James Allison. The people of this community, led by our Pastor, Lic. B. R. Hamilton, provided this tribute to the memory of a brave Soldier and a worthy member of the Church. The unveiling service was perfectly carried out. Our pastor was assisted by Rev. P. M. Hamilton who like our pastor is a returned soldier. Rev. P. M. Hamilton preached a very suitable sermon. A large gathering of people from this and other localities met at the church. The church was draped with flags. Our daughter Elizabeth unveiled the tablet and my wife placed a lovely wreath beneath it. This too being provided by the people. Helen and Annie our daughters who are away from home sent a fine bouquet. We are all deeply grateful for this act of our friends.
   

2. “Jackson Ricker”
   

Fig. 3. Glenwood United Baptist Church in the 1920s. (P1990-101pf, ATCHA)

References and Notes

   [1] “The Great War, 1914–1918,” pp. 99–103 in: Jackson Ricker, Historical Sketches of Glenwood and the Argyles, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. Truro Printing & Publishing Co., Truro, N.S., 1941. 135 pp.

   [2] See pp. 63–73 in an untitled “Records” book in the MG517 Jackson Ricker Fonds, Series G–Genealogies, Subseries #1–Ricker Family, at the Argyle Township Court House and Archives.

   [3] On 17 May 1916 Enos Parker took the photograph at the top, which is of the “112th and 219th detachments of Yarmouth” on Main Street in Port Maitland near the Ellis House hotel. The occasion must have been a patriotic send-off just before the 112th departed for Windsor on its deployment to France; James Allison Ricker should be standing somewhere in the ranks. My thanks to Ruth Kirk, for permission to display this image of her photograph, and to Wilfred Allan, for telling me about it.

   [4] I thank archivist Peter Crowell, of the Argyle Township Court House and Archives (ATCHA), for providing access to the Jackson Ricker fonds. The photographs labeled ATCHA are copyrighted; please contact the Archives if you wish to obtain copies of them.

   [5] A version of this essay appeared in The Argus, vol. 27, no. 2, Summer 2015, pp. 30–34.