Private Richard Sackett
1st Battalion, Queen's Own (Royal West Kent) Regiment
Killed in Action
Date of Birth: 31 October 1889
Place of Birth: Teignmouth, Devon
Date of Death: 4 October 1917 Age 27
Buried: Remembered on Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium; Seafront Memorial and St. James’ Church Memorial Window, Teignmouth, Devon.
Awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal
Private Richard Sackett age 27.
Born in Teignmouth, Devon 31 October 1889 and baptised on 27 November, the son of Alfred, a labourer, and Eliza Sackett. The 1891 showed the family in Martins Lane and by 1901 he was living with his parents at 33 Teign Street and working as a house painter. He was still there in 1911.
Richard married Alice Rendle on 23 January 1916 at Newton Abbot Registry Office.
Queen's Own (Royal West Kent) Regiment
cap badge
Richard enlisted at Newton Abbot in March 1916. He arrived in France on 12 September 1917 and entered the field on 16th.
He was serving with 1st Battalion, Queen's Own (Royal West Kent) Regiment, service number 242237, when he was first posted missing after the battle at Polygon Wood and later confirmed as killed in action on 4 October 1917. His death was not confirmed until April 1918.
Remembered on Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium; Seafront Memorial and St. James’ Church Memorial Window, Teignmouth.
His widow was paid a gratuity of £5.2s.5d in 1919 and awarded a weekly pension of 13s 9d, this would have ceased when she remarried.
The father of Richard applied to receive his medals and death plaque because the widow had remarried; however, these eventually went to the widow. He also wrote to the war office requesting details of where his son was buried because his daughter-in-law had not written to him and had only told him that his son was missing.
“News received by Mrs Sackett of Teign Street that her husband is reported missing. Pte R Sackett of Royal West Kent Regt is son of Mr A Sackett with whom he resides.” 30 November - Teignmouth Post
