Richard Hamilton Carrick: Monday 2nd April 1917
Richard enlisted as Private 5402 in the I of C OTC in August 1915, before obtaining a commission in Jan 1916 when with the Machine Gun Corps. He went on to become a 2nd Lieutenant with the 9th Battalion (Service), Devonshire Regt., serving through France and Flanders with Expeditionary Force and was killed in action, aged 19, leading his men forward at Escoust on the 2nd April 1917. He is buried in HAC Cemetery Ecoust-St Mein. His also commemorated in Vol III of the De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour, and Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919
Richard was born on 22nd June 1897. and was Baptised on the 17th July 1897 at St. Andrew’s, Croydon. His father and mother are listed as Richard and May Carrick. It appears Richard was May’s only child. In 1901 the family lived in Egmont Road, Sutton. May (daughter of Thomas Winter) has been widowed, as her husband is described as “late”. She is appears as the Head of the Household despite living with her brother in law, James who was a printer & publisher. By 1911 Mary is living in Cheam, and is described as a Milliner and an employer, implying she ran a business. Richard is listed as a School Boy. He was a pupil of Merchant Taylor’s School. By the start of the war, it appears that the family was living at 13 Frewin Road.
Richard’s Medal Index Card shows that his British War Medal and Victory Medals were sent to his mother, Mrs Carrick, at 13 Frewin Road, Wandsworth Common, SW18, in what appears to be 1922.