HICKS, Clifford Waldrun

NAME                    HICKS          Clifford Waldrun
RANK                    Flight Lieutenant          26912                                                                                                                                      83 Group   143 Wing   2nd Tactical Air Force                                                                  SQUADRON         RCAF No. 440 “Beaver” City of Ottawa
                              “he who protects the Saguenay”
                              Martragny Airfield in France
                              Squadron Markings 18                                                                                                            Born                       May 9, 1922 - London - Township of London - County of Middlesex - Ontario                    Residence             Crediton - Ontario                                                                                                                    Died                        August 8, 1944           22 years   3 months
Cemetery              Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery - Cintheaux - Calvados - France
                              XII H 1
Wife                       Mrs.  Agnes Forbes Hicks - Winnipeg                                                                                      Son                        Master David Hicks - Winnipeg  (born 7 weeks after his father died)
Parents                  Mrs. Loretta Hicks - Centralia.                                                                                          Brothers                 Mr. Stanley Hicks - Crediton                                                                                                Sisters                   Miss Dorothy Hicks - Credition                                                                                                                                    Mrs. Mildred Creech - St. Thomas

Clifford was born on May 9, 1922 in London. He took his public schooling in Exeter at SS No. 1 Stephen Township 1928-35 and he had five years of schooling at Exeter High School 1935-41 . As he grew up he enjoyed track and field and played hockey, baseball, basketball, and he enjoyed swimming. He and his family attended Zion United Church. He then worked on the family farm for a short period prior to his enlistment.

Canada / United States

On June 5, 1941 Clifford went to London and enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force and received the rank of Aircraftsman 2. At this time Clifford stood 5' 9" tall and weighed 169 pounds. He had a medium complexion with brown eyes and brown hair. He was assigned to No. 4 a Manning Depot in St Hubert - Quebec and stayed there until July 27 when he was posted to No. 3 Initial Training School in Victoriaville - Quebec. He he had an average of 82% and placed 36 in a class of 151. He received the rank of Leading Aircraftsman while posted here. On September 24 his next posting took him to No. 21 Elementary Flying Training School in Chatham - New Brunswick. He stayed here until November 22 and at this time he was posted to No. 9 Service Flying Training School in Summerside - Prince Edward Island. While here his average was 71% and he placed 29 in a class of 58 and he was here until the spring of 1942. He received the rank of Sergeant while stationed here. He was also promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer 2.                                                                                                              On April 19, 1942 he was posted to Rockcliffe and attached to RCAF No. 132 Fighter Squadron which was in training to fly air defence operations with the RCAF Western Command. In early June he was posted to RCAF Western Command and attached to No 132 Squadron based at Tofino - British Columbia. On June 24 to "X" Wing and attached to RCAF No. 11 Squadron based at Kodiak - Alaska and flew the Curtis Kittyhawk. They flew missions to protect American military installations and they took part in missions against the Japanese held islands in the Aleutians. While in Alaska he received the rank of Flight Sergeant. At the end of October until May 2 1943 he was on detachment duty.  On December 9, 1942 he was given the rank of Flying Officer.                        He received the rank of Flying Officer on June 9, 1943. On July 12 while in Kodiak - Alaska  to squadron moved to Amitcka - Alaska  and on August 7 the squadron was posted to "X" Wing. Following his detachment duty it was August 1943 when 111 Squadron returned to Patricia Bay - British Columbia. However, at the end of the year No. 111 Squadron was being redeployed to the European Theatre.                                                                                  The whole squadron on January 6, 1944 was posted to "Y" Depot in Halifax - Nova Scotia and on January 20 was assigned to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre in the UK. That same day the squadron embarked from Halifax on the SS Pasteur and a week later in Liverpool he disembarked and a day later the squadron reported to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre in Bournemouth. They then travelled by train to Ayr - Scotland on February 12, 1944 and here they were given a new squadron number and began their training in a new aircraft. On June 13 he was given the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

In the Field

Then on June 27 RCAF No 440 Squadron arrived in France as part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force - 83 Group -        143 Wing at Lanthheuil - France                                                                                                                          From March 1944, Flight Lieutenant Hicks had been flying operations against the Germans in France and
Germany and this squadron took a leading role in the D-Day landings and near the end of June 1944, the
squadron was then posted to Normandy. His duties included bombing German supply columns, buzz bomb bases and communications centres along with enemy held strong points near Caen.
On August 8th, Flight Lieutenant Hicks led his Flight of 5 aircraft in an attack with 500 pound bombs. The
objective was a rail tunnel at Lassard located near Mozldon. They attacked from fifty feet and the bombs
had delayed fuses. They bombed the mouth of the tunnel or saw the bombs skid inside. While performing
this mission Typhoon MKIb MN 313 was hit by enemy flak, was on fire with pieces coming off of the aircraft. He
tried to pull his aircraft out of the dive but it crashed near the village of Claire in Normandy. During this mission, Flight Lieutenant Hicks and his squadron would have been carrying either 500 or 1,000 pound bombs and flying at 8,000 feet. About 15 miles from the target they would begin a shallow dive at about 25/30 degrees building up speed and would then release their bombs from a very low height. It is felt that as he approached the target he was hit by enemy fire.
The month of August 1944 was the month when any effective German resistance was finally cracked and
broken after 2 months of vicious fighting.

While serving with the RCAF Western Command in British Columbia 111 Squadron was presented with a Thunderbird totem and Flight Lieutenant Hicks was the keeper of this item. the name Thunderbird never became official but Flight Lieutenant Hicks had a Thunderbird on his flight jacket. The location of the Thunderbird totem had never been located and it is possible it was in the cockpit of Flight Lieutenant Hick's Typhoon.

Mrs Agnes Hicks who was the wife of Flight Lieutenant Hicks and Mrs. Loretta Hicks his mother both received the Memorial Cross in June of 1945 and in May of 1945 his wife received the 1930-45 Star, the Aircrew Europe Star, the Defence and War Medals along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.

Clifford is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaques of Exeter High School and Zion United Church. He is honoured and remembered on the Exeter - Ontario Cenotaph and on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial. His name is in the Books of Remembrance in the Centre Block of the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa.