{"product_id":"87th-punjabis-a-regimental-presentation-stationery-box-1921","title":"87th Punjabis - A Regimental Presentation Stationery Box, 1921","description":"\u003cp\u003e10cm (4in) x 20.3cm (8in) x 17.5cm (6.9in|)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSilver. Presentation stationery box of rectangular form with sectioned interior and curved flip-top lid applied with the regimental badge and battle honours and inscribed ‘Presented to the Officers \/ of the \/ 87th Punjabis \/ by \/ Capt T.C.D. Ricketts’. Maker’s mark of Blackmore \u0026amp; Fletcher, silversmiths of Ramillies Place, Oxford Street, London. Hallmarked: London 1921.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThomas Charles Donald Ricketts OBE, MC (1896-1979) was born into a family of doctors in Kent and was commissioned in 1915 and joined the 82nd Punjabis in India the following year. In 1919 he went with his regiment to Mesopotamia under the British Mandate to establish the state of Iraq. He was subsequently attached to the 87th Punjabis and took part in the suppression of the Great Revolt in Kurdistan for which he was awarded the Military Cross (London Gazette 9.9.1921). In 1921 he took up a place at Trinity College, Cambridge to study forestry. At about this time he joined the Community of the Holy Ghost, a Bedford-based millenarian religious group that believed Bedford was the site of the original Garden of Eden and campaigned to open sealed box of prophecies as dictated by the 19th century domestic servant turned prophetess Joanna Southcot. In 1923 he joined the Indian Forestry service and was posted to Burma where he worked for the next twenty years. When the Japanese invaded in December 1941 Ricketts played a heroic role in leading hundreds of British and Indian refugees on a 300-mile trek to safety for which he was awarded an OBE in 1943.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003eRead more \u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e~section 2~\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0511\/7008\/3014\/files\/Donald-Ricketts-1_480x480.jpg?v=1791887131\" alt=\"\" style=\"float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLondon Gazette 26.1.1943: - ‘Thomas Charles Donald Ricketts MC, Indian Forest Service, Deputy Director of Evacuation (Deputy Conservator of Forests) Burma. During the early stages of the evacuation of Rangoon Mr Ricketts was in charge of the construction of all labour camps and welfare work in these camps. Later when making arrangements at Mohnyin for housing and feeding evacuees, he was ordered, owing to the rapid Japanese advance, to start for India with his able-bodied refugees. Mr Ricketts however, refused to leave behind any refugees in his charge and set out with a large number including women, children and invalids. He led these overland 300 miles and was able to get more than 300 to safety. Mr Ricketts showed courage, determination and devotion to duty.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Armoury St James","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57649885380981,"sku":null,"price":2800.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0511\/7008\/3014\/files\/L1720017.jpg?v=1791886949","url":"https:\/\/armoury.co.uk\/products\/87th-punjabis-a-regimental-presentation-stationery-box-1921","provider":"The Armoury St James's","version":"1.0","type":"link"}