HICKS, Donald Elliott
NAME HICKS Donald Elliott
RANK Flight Lieutenant 22450 Group 4 Bomber Command
SQUADRON RAF No. 76
“resolute”
Holme-on-Spalding Airfield in Yorkshire
Squadron Markings MP T Born February 2, 1915 - Centralia - Township of Stephen - County of Huron Residence Exeter - Ontario Died November 3, 1943 27 years 9 months
Cemetery Rheinburg War Cemetery - Eheinburg – Kamphintfont - Nordhein-Westfal - Germany
3 H 1
Parents Mr. Andrew and Ethel Hicks - Centralia Brother Mr. Lorne Hicks - Centralia Sisters Mrs. Ketheleen McAuley - Chateauguay - Quebec Miss Helen Hicks - Vancouver - British Columbia Mrs. Margaret Henry - Harriston - Ontario
Donald was born on February 2, 1915 in Centralia and played hockey, rugby, baseball and did horseback riding as he grew up. Growing up he had scarlet fever and appendicitis. He attended Centralia Public School 1921-27 and took 2 1/2 years at Exeter High School 1927-30. He then went to Guelph to the Ontario Agriculture College 1937-39. His family was United and would have attended Centralia United Church. He was employed with Canada Packers and was an egg buyer, was a bookeeper, a poultry grader, a buttermaker and an office clerk. He had been in the militia with the 1st Hussars in 1940.
Canada
On September 14, 1940, he went to London and enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force with the rank of Aircraftsman 2. He stood 5 foot 10 inches and weighed 150 pounds. He had a fair complexion with hazel eyes and light brown hair. He was sent tp Toronto to No. 1 Manning Depot and three weeks later was posted to RCAF Station Debert in Nova Scotia. A week before Christmas it was back to Toronto to No. 1 Equipment Depot. In the middle of January 1941 he went to No. 1 Initial Training School in Toronto where he stayed until February 22. He received the rank of Leading Aircraftsman at this time.At that time he was posted to No. 12 Elementary Flying Training School in Goderich - Ontario where he had an average of 74% and placed 8 in a class of 27. In the last week of April he was back at No. 1 Manning Depot in Toronto. His next posting in the spring on May 3 sent him east to No. 9 Service Flying Training School in Summerside - Prince Edward Island. Here he obtained a 70% average a nd placed 33 in a class of 53. While here he received the rank of Sergeant. He then went to Trenton where he took a instructors course. In the early autumn on October 4 it was to No. 16 Service Flying Training School in Hagersville. While here he obtained the rank of Flight Sergeant. It was then back to Trenton where he was an instructor from the beginning of 1942 until travelling to the east coast in preparation for going overseas in February of 1943. While he was an instructor he received the rank of Warrant Officer 2 and then Pilot Officer on January 18, 1943
Overseas On February 2, 1943 Flight Sergeant Hicks volunteered for the RAF Training Pool. He embarked from Halifax on Febrary 2 and disembarked in the United Kingdom on February 13 and then reported to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre in Bournemouth. His first posting overseas was on March 9 to RAF No. 14 Pilots Advanced Flying Unit at RAF Dallachy - Scotland. He then went to RAF No. 19 Operational Training Unit where he received the rank of Flying Officer. He was based at RAF Kinloss - Scotland. His next posting took him to RAF No. 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit based at RAF Rufforth - North Yorkshire. His training was now complete. In the Field On August 13 he was posted to RAF 76 Squadron based at RAF Holme-on-Spalding-Moor in North Yorkshire. By the time of his November 3 mission Flying Officer Hicks had 11 missions under his belt. The objective of this particular mission was Dusseldorf because of the oil production facilities there and in the late afternoon of November 3rd, Halifax
LK 948 lifted off the runway at 17:03 hours. Flight Lieutenant Hicks and his crew were shot down over Germany by a German night fighter piloted by Lt. Willhelm Hensdler and the aircraft broke in two before it crashed near Rheydt at 19:47 hours. Flight Lieutenant Hicks suffered fatal injuries to his upper body. The enemy pilot was flying a Bf 110 Messerscmidt and his home base was Venlo and was with 4 Flugzeugfuher 4. Njg1. When he attacked the aircraft of Flying Officer Hicks they were at a height of 20,000 feet. The Commanding Officer of the squadron wrote that Flight Lieutenant Hicks was one of his best men and
that he possessed a fine sense of duty and courage.
On this raid to Dusseldorf 589 aircraft left their bases and their efforts produced much damage to the war
industry of that city.
Flying Officer Hicks was originally buried on November 6, 1943 in the City Cemetery of Munchen-Gladbach.
In the month of August 1944 his mother Ethel received the Memorial Cross. And then in the month of September 1946 the family received the 1939-45 Star, the Aircrew Europe Star, the Defence Medal and War Medal plus the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal plus clasp.
Flying Officer Hicks is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque oif Exeter High School and on the Exeter Cenotaph. He is also remembered at the royal Canadian Air force Bomber Command Museum and in the Books of Remembrance located in the Centre Block of the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa. As well he is honoured and remembered in the Canadian Virtual War Memorial. He is als honoured and remembered on a memorial located at the site of his former airfield at Holme-on-Spalding-Moor and on the stained glass windows of All Saints Church near his former airfield.
