William Thomas Rickard

On the night of 11 October 1855, a small party from the paddle gunvessel HMS Weser crossed the Spit of Arabat into the shallow waters of the Sivash on one of the most hazardous raids of the Crimean War. Their objective was a large Russian supply of corn and forage stacked near the Salghir River for transmission toward Sebastopol. Commander John Edmund Commerell had called for volunteers for the operation, and Quartermaster William Thomas Rickard was the first to step forward, followed by Able Seaman George Milestone and two other members of the party. Contemporary accounts record that the stores amounted to about 400 tons.

After hauling their small boat some 200 to 300 yards across the Spit of Arabat, the men launched it into the Sivash. Mate Neale Lillingston and another sailor remained with the boat while Commerell, Rickard and Milestone continued inland. Guided by a hand compass, the three crossed roughly two and a half miles of difficult ground and forded the Kara-su and Salghir rivers before reaching the stores near a guard house and a village occupied by mounted Cossacks. At dawn they succeeded in setting the dry corn and forage alight. The flames immediately revealed their position, and Russian troops began a determined pursuit under heavy musketry fire.

As the three men struggled back across the thick mud bordering the Sivash, Milestone collapsed from exhaustion and became trapped. The Russians were firing from only thirty or forty yards away. Although himself exhausted, Rickard turned back and remained with the fallen seaman, helping to free him and get him toward the waiting boat while Lillingston and his companion provided covering fire. The three eventually reached the boat and escaped. Lookouts aboard Weser later reported that the Russian stores had been destroyed. Commander Commerell's contemporary report singled Rickard out for his conduct in remaining behind to assist his exhausted shipmate under close enemy fire.

Rickard had been born at Stoke Damerel, near Devonport, on 10 February 1828 and entered the Royal Navy at an early age. During the Crimean War he served in HMS Arethusa and later became Quartermaster of HMS Weser. Historical accounts record his participation in several engagements during the campaign, including Alma and Inkerman, before Weser took part in operations connected with Sebastopol and subsequently in the Sea of Azov.

For his courage during the Sivash expedition, Rickard was awarded the Victoria Cross. His name appeared in the first great Crimean War list of Victoria Cross recipients published in the London Gazette on 24 February 1857. The official entry specifically recorded that, while under heavy musketry fire, he remained behind to assist George Milestone after the seaman had fallen.

A later detailed historical account states that Rickard was probably invested with his Victoria Cross aboard HMS Weser by Commerell's successor, Commodore Johnstone, sometime in 1857. Specialist research into overseas Victoria Cross investitures independently records Rickard's presentation as having taken place aboard Weser. In the absence of a located contemporary presentation record identifying the officer and exact date, however, the Johnstone detail should remain qualified rather than stated as certain.

Rickard's distinctions from the Crimean War also included the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, the Crimea Medal with three named clasps, Inkermann, Sebastopol and Azoff, the Turkish Crimea Medal, and appointment as a Chevalier, or Knight, 5th Class, of the French Légion d'honneur. The French award is securely documented in the London Gazette of 4 August 1856, where William Rickard, Quartermaster of Weser, appears among the Knights, 5th Class. His surviving honours are therefore represented by the named medal clasps themselves; those clasps do not authorize three silver rosettes on the Crimea Medal ribbon.

Rickard remained in HMS Weser after Commerell's departure. He later regained the rate of Quartermaster and was paid off to HMS Impregnable in June 1859. His final ship was the screw line-of-battle ship HMS Donegal, where he served as Captain of the Forecastle. He subsequently entered Her Majesty's Coastguard.

His Coastguard career eventually became as distinguished as his naval service. He served as a Boatman at Robin Hood's Bay and was associated with HMS Cornwallis, Dauntless, Wivern, Invincible and Audacious. He was promoted to Commissioned Boatman in 1867, Chief Boatman in 1869, and in 1873 became Chief Officer of Coastguards on the Isle of Wight. HM Coastguard records that he retired in 1883 after nearly forty years of service.

Rickard had married Rebecca Whitingham of Kingsbridge in June 1860, and the couple had four sons and two daughters. They lived at Arethusa Cottage, Smallbrook, Ryde, named after the frigate in which Rickard had served during the Crimean War. In retirement he worked as boatman to the Ryde Rowing Club.

His retirement and his Greenwich Hospital pension must be treated as separate events. Rickard retired from Coastguard service in 1883. He already received his Victoria Cross pension of £10 a year, and from 1888 he received an additional £25 annually from the Greenwich Hospital Pension for Coast Guard Chief Officers. The Greenwich Hospital award therefore should not be described as accompanying his retirement in 1883.

William Thomas Rickard died at the Royal Infirmary in Ryde on 21 February 1905, aged 77, and was buried in the Town Cemetery at Ryde. His funeral was attended by Coastguards and sailors, reflecting the regard in which the veteran was held. His Victoria Cross and medal group later entered the Lord Ashcroft Collection.

"Accompanied his Commander, Lieutenant Commerell, of the 'Weser,' to the Crimean shore of the Sivash, and, whilst under a heavy fire of musketry, remained to assist George Milestone, who had fallen."

Despatch from Admiral Lord Lyons, 6 November 1855. Published in the London Gazette, 24 February 1857.