Brigadier Philip Hugh Whitby Hicks, (25 September 1895 – 8 October 1967) was an officer of the British Army during both the

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and Second World Wars. Hicks was commissioned as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in 1914, during the First World War, and fought on the

Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers *Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...

. In the Second World War he was commander of the

1st Airlanding Brigade The 1st Airlanding Brigade was an airborne infantry brigade of the British Army during the Second World War and the only glider infantry formation assigned to the 1st Airborne Division, serving alongside the 1st Parachute Brigade and 4th Par ...

, of the 1st Airborne Division. He commanded the brigade in the Mediterranean theatre during

Operation Ladbroke Operation Ladbroke was a glider landing by British airborne troops during the Second World War near Syracuse, Sicily, that began on 9 July 1943 as part of Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily. The first Allied mission using ...

, part of the Allied invasion of Sicily, in July 1943, as well as during the Battle of Arnhem, part of

Operation Market Garden Operation Market Garden was an Allies of World War II, Allied military operation during the World War II, Second World War fought in the Netherlands from 17 to 27 September 1944. Its objective was to create a Salient (military), salient into G ...

, in September 1944. After the Second World War, Hicks retired from the British Army and worked for the International Refugee Organization and the National Playing Fields Association before his death in 1967.

Early life

Hicks was born on 25 September 1895 in Warwick, Warwickshire. The son of Dr Philip Hicks and the writer

Beatrice Whitby Beatrice Jeanie Whitby (Several sources have "Janie" instead of "Jeanie".) (1855, Ottery Saint Mary, Devon, UK – 20 January 1931) was an English author of novels and short stories. Biography Beatrice Whitby's father was a physician, Dr. Charle ...

, he was educated at Winchester College in Hampshire.

First World War

Hicks was a member of the Territorial Force army number 15075, and was commissioned a

into the 1/7th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, on 23 October 1914. The 1/7th Battalion was serving with the 1/5th, 1/6th and 1/8th battalions as part of the 143rd (1/1st Warwickshire) Brigade, part of the

48th (South Midland) Division The 48th (South Midland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army. Part of the Territorial Force (TF) and raised in 1908, the division was originally called the South Midland Division, and was redesignated as the 48th (South Midland ...

, which took part in the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...

in 1916 and the third Battle of Ypres in 1917. Hicks was granted a regular army commission on 23 June 1916. Hicks was

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

on 13 November, while serving with the 7th Battalion. In May 1918, Hicks transferred to the 1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, which was part of the 10th Brigade of the 4th Division. While serving with the 4th Division he was awarded a Military Cross in 1918, during the

Hundred Days Offensive The Hundred Days Offensive (8 August to 11 November 1918) was a series of massive Allies of World War I, Allied offensives that ended the First World War. Beginning with the Battle of Amiens (1918), Battle of Amiens (8–12 August) on the Wester ...

in the final months of the war. The citation stated: On 8 November 1918, Hicks was again mentioned in despatches.

Between the wars

Hicks remained in the army after the First World War and was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in January 1922. He served in British India from November 1924 to January 1926. The following year, on 19 November 1927, he married Patty Fanshawe, the daughter of Brigadier Lionel Arthur Fanshawe. They had two children, a son and a daughter. In November 1924 Hicks became the aide-de-camp to the district commander at Karachi until January 1926. In March 1931, he returned to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, joining the 2nd Battalion at Khartoum. His next appointment was as the staff captain to the

Guernsey Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency. It is the second largest of the Channel Islands ...

and

Alderney Alderney (; french: Aurigny ; Auregnais: ) is the northernmost of the inhabited Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. It is long and wide. The island's area is , making it the third-largest ...

district between April 1933 and March 1936, when he was promoted to

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

. In January 1937 Hicks returned to the 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, which was now back in the United Kingdom and based at Tidworth Camp. He remained with the 2nd Battalion until January 1939, when he transferred again to the 1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, which was serving in Faizabad at the time.

Second World War

At the start of the Second World War, Hicks was still a major, but was promoted to

acting Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor or actress who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode. Acting involves a broad r ...

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

in May 1940 and commander of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, which from February 1940 was serving in the 144th Brigade of the

48th (South Midland) Infantry Division The 48th (South Midland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army. Part of the Territorial Force (TF) and raised in 1908, the division was originally called the South Midland Division, and was redesignated as the 48th (South Midland ...

. The battalion played a prominent part in the Battle of Dunkirk, part of the

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

, for which Hicks was awarded a Distinguished Service Order. King George VI Visits An Airborne Division H36728

In 1942, Hicks was given command of an

airborne Airborne or Airborn may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Airborne'' (1962 film), a 1962 American film directed by James Landis * ''Airborne'' (1993 film), a comedy–drama film * ''Airborne'' (1998 film), an action film sta ...

formation, the

, part of the 1st Airborne Division, and in 1943 was promoted to brigadier. During

– part of the Allied invasion of Sicily – Hicks's glider landed in the sea offshore. Hicks and the other men on board decided to swim ashore. Once there he gathered a force together and prepared to attack a coastal artillery battery. For his actions in Sicily Hicks was awarded a second Distinguished Service Order. The citation stated: "Brigadier Hicks commanded and led the 1st Airlanding Brigade in its moonlight attack at Syracuse on the night 9–10 July 1943. His own glider landed in the sea. He and his party swam ashore and took part in the fighting against enemy coast defences. Throughout the entire operation Brigadier Hicks showed the highest qualities of leadership, courage and devotion to duty." During the Battle of Arnhem, part of

, on the night of 17–18 September, the commander of the 1st Airborne Division, Major-General Roy Urquhart, was reported missing and Brigadier Hicks assumed command of the 1st Airborne Division during a crucial period.Tugwell, p.258 After the battle was over, Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery wrote in a letter to the Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS), Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke, that, "There is no doubt Hicks did extremely well at Arnhem, but there is also no doubt that it has been too much for him and he is not now fit to fight again in battle in this war." Montgomery went on to recommend that Hicks be considered for command of an area in England or overseas. He was succeeded in command of the brigade by Brigadier

Roger Bower Lieutenant General Sir Roger Herbert Bower, (13 February 1903 – 9 January 1990) was a senior British Army officer who served in the Second World War and later became General officer commanding (GOC) Malaya Command from 1956 to 1957. Militar ...

. On 23 March 1945, Hicks was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Later life

In May 1948 Hicks retired from the army and became a regional commissioner for the International Refugee Organization in Germany between 1948 and 1952. He followed this by being on the board of the National Playing Fields Association in London, between 1955 and 1961. Hicks died on 8 October 1967 at Hartley Wintney in Hampshire.

References

Bibliography

*Tugwell, Maurice (1971). ''Airborne to Battle: A History of Airborne Warfare, 1918–1971''. London, United Kingdom: Kimber. .

External links

1st British Airborne Division officers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hicks, Pip People educated at Winchester College Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers officers Companions of the Distinguished Service Order British Army personnel of World War I British Army brigadiers of World War II Commanders of the Order of the British Empire People from Warwick 1895 births 1967 deaths Military personnel from Warwickshire