Philip Hugh Whitby Hicks
Encyclopedia
Philip Hugh Whitby Hicks CBE
, DSO
, MC
(25 September 1895–8 October 1967) was an officer in the British Army
during both world wars.
He was commissioned in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in 1914, during the First World War, and fought on the Western Front
. In the Second World War he was commander of the 1st Airlanding Brigade of the 1st Airborne Division. He commanded the brigade in the Mediterranean and more notably during the Battle of Arnhem
.
After the war he retired from the army and worked for the International Refugee Organization
and the National Playing Fields Association
before his death in 1967.
, Warwickshire
. The son of Dr Philip Hicks and the writer Beatrice Whitby, he was educated at Winchester College
in Hampshire
.
army number 15075, and was commissioned a second lieutenant
in the 1/7th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, on 23 October 1914. The 1/7th Battalion was part of the 143rd Brigade of the 48th (South Midland) Division
, which took part in the battle of the Somme 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 on 13 November 1916, 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 citation stated: "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during a daylight raid. He commanded his party in a most skilful manner, and was largely responsible for its success. About 50 of the enemy were killed, several of whom were shot by him with his revolver, and two prisoners taken. His conduct was splendid." On 8 November 1918 Hicks was again mentioned in despatches.
in January 1922. He served in British India between November 1924 and January 1926. The following year, on 19 November 1927, he married Patty Fanshaw, 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
and Alderney
district between April 1933 and March 1936, when he was promoted to major
. In January 1937 Hicks returned to the 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, which was now back in the United Kingdom and based at Tidworth
. He remained with the 2nd Battalion until January 1939, when he transferred to the 1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, which was serving in Faizabad
at the time.
, for which Hicks was awarded a Distinguished Service Order
.
In 1942 1943, Hicks was given command of an airborne
formation, the 1st Airlanding Brigade, and in 1943 was promoted to brigadier
. During Operation Ladbroke
– part of the Allied invasion of Sicily
– Hicks's glider landed in the sea 1 miles (1.6 km) 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
on the night of 17–18 September, the divisional commander Major-General Roy Urquhart
was reported missing and Brigadier Hicks assumed command of the 1st Airborne Division during a crucial period. On 23 March 1945, he became a Commander of the Military Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
.
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
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(25 September 1895–8 October 1967) was an officer in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during both world wars.
He was commissioned in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in 1914, during the First World War, and fought on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
. In the Second World War he was commander of the 1st Airlanding Brigade of the 1st Airborne Division. He commanded the brigade in the Mediterranean and more notably during the Battle of Arnhem
Battle of Arnhem
The Battle of Arnhem was a famous Second World War military engagement fought in and around the Dutch towns of Arnhem, Oosterbeek, Wolfheze, Driel and the surrounding countryside from 17–26 September 1944....
.
After the war he retired from the army and worked for the International Refugee Organization
International Refugee Organization
The International Refugee Organization was founded on April 20, 1946 to deal with the massive refugee problem created by World War II. A Preparatory Commission began operations fourteen months previously. It was a United Nations specialized agency and took over many of the functions of the earlier...
and the National Playing Fields Association
National Playing Fields Association
The National Playing Fields Association , from 2007 rebranded as Fields in Trust , was founded in 1925 and granted a Royal Charter in 1933...
before his death in 1967.
Early life
Philip Hugh Whitby Hicks was born on 25 September 1895 in WarwickWarwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
. The son of Dr Philip Hicks and the writer Beatrice Whitby, he was educated at Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
.
First World War
Philip Hicks was a member of the Territorial ForceTerritorial Force
The Territorial Force was the volunteer reserve component of the British Army from 1908 to 1920, when it became the Territorial Army.-Origins:...
army number 15075, and was commissioned a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the 1/7th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, on 23 October 1914. The 1/7th Battalion was part of the 143rd Brigade of the 48th (South Midland) Division
48th (South Midland) Division
The British 48th Division was a Territorial Force division. Originally called the 'South Midland Division', it was redesignated as the 48th Division in 1915.- 1914 - 1918 :...
, which took part in the battle of the Somme 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 on 13 November 1916, 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
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
in 1918, during the Hundred Days Offensive
Hundred Days Offensive
The Hundred Days Offensive was the final period of the First World War, during which the Allies launched a series of offensives against the Central Powers on the Western Front from 8 August to 11 November 1918, beginning with the Battle of Amiens. The offensive forced the German armies to retreat...
. The citation stated: "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during a daylight raid. He commanded his party in a most skilful manner, and was largely responsible for its success. About 50 of the enemy were killed, several of whom were shot by him with his revolver, and two prisoners taken. His conduct was splendid." 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 captainCaptain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
in January 1922. He served in British India between November 1924 and January 1926. The following year, on 19 November 1927, he married Patty Fanshaw, 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
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
until January 1926. In March 1931, he returned to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, joining the 2nd Battalion at Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
. His next appointment was as the Staff Captain to the Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
and Alderney
Alderney
Alderney is the most northerly of the Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. It is long and wide. The area is , making it the third-largest island of the Channel Islands, and the second largest in the Bailiwick...
district between April 1933 and March 1936, when he was promoted to major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
. In January 1937 Hicks returned to the 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, which was now back in the United Kingdom and based at Tidworth
Tidworth
Tidworth is a town in south-east Wiltshire, England with a growing civilian population. Situated at the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain, it is approximately 10 miles west of Andover, 12 miles south of Marlborough, 24 miles south of Swindon, 15 miles north by north-east of Salisbury and 6 miles east...
. He remained with the 2nd Battalion until January 1939, when he transferred to the 1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, which was serving in Faizabad
Faizabad
City of Faizabad , previous capital of Awadh, is the headquarters of Faizabad District and a municipal board in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, situated on the banks of river Ghaghra . Faizabad has a twin city of Ayodhya, which is considered to be the birthplace of Rama...
at the time.
Second World War
At the start of the Second World War Hicks was still a major, but was promoted to acting Lieutenant-Colonel in May 1940, commander of the 2nd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment in the 144th Brigade of the 48th (South Midland) Division. The battalion played a prominent part in the Battle of DunkirkBattle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
, for which Hicks was awarded a Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
.
In 1942 1943, Hicks was given command of an airborne
Airborne forces
Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
formation, the 1st Airlanding Brigade, and in 1943 was promoted to brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
. During Operation Ladbroke
Operation Ladbroke
Operation Ladbroke was a glider landing of British airborne forces near Syracuse, Sicily, that began on 9 July 1943 as part of the Allied invasion of Sicily. The first Allied mission using large numbers of the aircraft, the operation was carried out from Tunisia by the 1st Airlanding...
– part of the Allied invasion of Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
– Hicks's glider landed in the sea 1 miles (1.6 km) 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
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
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
Battle of Arnhem
The Battle of Arnhem was a famous Second World War military engagement fought in and around the Dutch towns of Arnhem, Oosterbeek, Wolfheze, Driel and the surrounding countryside from 17–26 September 1944....
on the night of 17–18 September, the divisional commander Major-General Roy Urquhart
Roy Urquhart
Major General Robert "Roy" Elliott Urquhart, CB, DSO was a British military officer. He became prominent for his role commanding the British 1st Airborne Division during Operation Market Garden.-Early career:...
was reported missing and Brigadier Hicks assumed command of the 1st Airborne Division during a crucial period. On 23 March 1945, he became a Commander of the Military Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
.
Later life
In May 1948 Hicks retired from the army and became a Regional Commissioner for the International Refugee OrganizationInternational Refugee Organization
The International Refugee Organization was founded on April 20, 1946 to deal with the massive refugee problem created by World War II. A Preparatory Commission began operations fourteen months previously. It was a United Nations specialized agency and took over many of the functions of the earlier...
in Germany between 1948 and 1952. He followed this by being on the board of the National Playing Fields Association
National Playing Fields Association
The National Playing Fields Association , from 2007 rebranded as Fields in Trust , was founded in 1925 and granted a Royal Charter in 1933...
in London, between 1955 and 1961. Hicks died on 8 October 1967 at Hartley Wintney
Hartley Wintney
Hartley Wintney is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Hampshire.-Location and character:Hartley Wintney is in the Hart district of North-East Hampshire...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
.