Richard Lawrence Jett

Richard Lawrence Jett

*No plaque located*

*The List of Liberty Row Names indicates the possible original location of the plaque*

*No soldier photograph found in the following book: Doyle, A. C., Haulsee, W. M., Howe, F. G. Soldiers of the Great War. Washington, DC: Soldiers Record Publishing Company, 1920.

Birth: 2/15/1885, Jett, Kentucky [a small farming community bearing his family's name]

Address: Duckers, Kentucky [sister's address], and 218 Lennox Building, Cleveland, Ohio

Demographics: Captain Richard Lawrence Jett, M.D., was born in Jett, Kentucky, where his family owned and worked a farm. His parents and some grandparents were also born in Kentucky, and at least one ancestor fought in the Revolutionary War. His father registered for the draft in the Civil War. His parents both died by the time he was 25 years old. He attended Jefferson Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA. He may have served in the Serbian military prior to WWI. In 1907, Dr. Jett was working at Babies' Dispensary and Hospital in Cleveland, OH. In 1910 he was a physician and surgeon in general practice in Cleveland. According to the 1915 City Directory, his address [?professional office or residence] was 218 Lennox Building, Cleveland, OH [photo at left]. The same year, Dr. Jett applied for a passport for the stated purpose of doing hospital work in Germany, England, France, Italy, Serbia, Montenegro, Switzerland and Austria. 

Appearance: see photos at left

Draft Date/Enlistment Date/Rank: draft and enlistment not applicable; rank Captain

Service Number: no service number found

Deployment: deployment records not found

Action: Dr. Jett served as a Captain attached to the British Army, as part of  the 102nd Field Ambulance unit of the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC). The 102nd Field Ambulance unit was a mobile frontline medical team, which was not an ambulance vehicle per se, but, rather, consisted of groups of medical officers positioned along a casualty triage and evacuation chain. April 13, 1918, the day Captain Richard Lawrence Jett, M.D. was killed in action, was the 5th brutal day of the devastating Battle of the Lys in which the medical corps faced tens of thousands of casualties. He may have also served with the British 36th "Ulster" Division.