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Hickson, Donald Douglas (Warrant Officer 1st Class)

Prisoner of War 1942-October-11

Birth Date: 1921-June-07 (age 21)

Born: Wheatley Ontario

son of Webster Hickson and Ivy Myrtle Lamarsh

husband of Alice Annie Wharram

Home: Wheatley Ontario

Enlistment: Windsor Ontario

Enlistment Date: 1940-12-20

Service
RCAF
Unit
203 (R) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Occidens Oriensque East and west
Rank
Warrant Officer 1st Class
Marshal
Air Chief MarshalA/C/M
Air MarshalA/M
Air Vice MarshalA/V/M
Air CommodoreA/C
Group CaptainG/C
Wing CommanderW/C
Squadron LeaderS/L
Flight LieutenantF/L
Flying OfficerF/O
Pilot OfficerP/O
Warrant Officer 1st ClassWO1
Warrant Officer 2nd ClassWO2
Flight SergeantFS
SergeantSGT
CorporalCPL
Senior AircraftmanSAC
Leading AircraftmanLAC
Aircraftman 1st ClassAC1
Aircraftman 2nd ClassAC2
Position
Service Numbers
R/83129
PoW: 5975

Maryland Mk. II AH 280

Reconnaissance 1942-October-11 to 1942-October-11

203 (R) Sqn (RAF) Heraklion Crete

Shipping search, north of Crete.

1942-October-11 Maryland AH280 was hit by enemy flak as it circled a convoy while sending out signals for a striking force to home in on. They ditched off the southwest corner of Crete. Escaping the sinking aircraft the crew of four drifted in a two 1-man dinghies for eighteen hours before being picked up by a Dornier flying boat from the 7th Seenotstaffel. A Bristol Beaufighter flying out of Malta had directed the German flying boat to the rafts. In 2000, Hickson was contacted by the German pilot that saved them and many details of the rescue were exchanged.

The following crew members also failed to return:

  • Lieutenant FJ Bergh, pilot, SAAF
  • Sergeant W Mitchell, RAF

Operations Record Book Operations Record Book 203 Squadron

stationed in Bournemouth (3 PRC?)

1941-June-02 No.1 Manning Pool RCAF Toronto. He had spent Christmas at his home in Wheatley. Trained through the BCATP in Canada, graduated and was shipped overseas 1942-January-23. He did his Operational training in the UK with the RAF No. 1 and 2 Squadron located at Honington in Suffolk, England.

1941-January-16 Mr. and Mrs. Don Hickson of the RCAF London had spent a week with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Wharram in Wheatley.

1941-July-10 Leading Aircraftman Hickson along with his wife spent a weekend with relatives in the Wheatley area.

1941-August-07 Sergeant and Mrs Hickson left for Pennfield NB for further training. [LAC?] Hickson and wife were stationed at RCAF-Fingal spending a weekend at his home there. 18/09/41 (date uncertain) were stationed at RCAF Trenton and was home on a short leave.

1941-October-23 Sergeant Hickson recently stationed in New Brunswick and his wife where visiting relatives in the community for a couple of weeks. Sergeant Hickson was reported at RCAF-Picton and spent a weekend at his home.

In June of 1942 Donald was the Navigator in one of twelve Hudson III's was being ferried from Horsham St. Faith near Norwich, Norfolk, England to Cairo, Egypt (air field LG 224 Frank Dutil, RCAF). (Something in the range of 3500 miles), done in four legs Horsham to Portreath, Portreath to Gibralter, Gibralter to Merssa Matrun and finally Mersa Matrun to Cairo West. Sergeant Hickson's was the only plane to complete the journey.

Transferred to RAF 203 Squadron he completed 24 reconnaissance missions and observer/navigator flying in Martin Maryland II's over the Mediterranean Sea. On his last mission flown on 11 October, 1942 their plane was hit by enemy flak as they circled a convoy while they were sending out signals for a striking force to home in on. They ditched off the southwest corner of Crete. Escaping the sinking aircraft the crew of four drifted in a two 1-man dinghies for eighteen hours before being picked up by a Dornier flying boat from the 7th Seenotstaffel. A Bristol Beaufighter flying out of Malta had directed the German flying boat to the rafts. In 2000, Donald was contacted by the German pilot that saved them and many details of the rescue were exchanged.

After being rescued Donald was transferred to four different hospitals for treatment of wounds suffered in the ditching. After his recovery he was transferred to Stalag XVIIIA, Stalag Luft 1, Stalag VI and Stalag Luft IV, at Heydekrug, Poland.

In 1945 Donald became one of some 80,000 POW's that were marched westward across Poland, Czechoslovakia and Germany, Known by many names such as "The Black March", generally just "The March". Donald left Stalg Luft VI by ship in July of 1944. When they docked in Swindermunde, Prussia, Germany; 900 POW's were trapped in the hold of the freighter during an Allied air raid. From there over 9,000 POW's were forced marched for sixty-five days without winter clothing or food into Germany to Stalg Luft XI-B. After about a week, the forced march resumed until Donald escaped at Barnstead, Germany on 15 April, 1945 along with 12 other POW's. The 13 escapes successfully reached the Allied lines (British Army 11th Armoured Division. He and other escapees commandeered a German bus and drove to Celle, Lower Saxony, Germany, got deloused and hitched a ride on a DC3 aircraft the next day. The plane landed in Brussels after losing an engine. The next day Donald got a ride as the tail-gunner in a Stirling bomberto Ford, England arriving 20 April, 1945. Upon arrival in England he was reunited with his brother Joe Hickson RAF 420 Squadron he was a tail gunner on a Halifax bomber.

Donald shipped out to Canada in May 1945 on the S.S. Isle de France. Upon his return to Canada he was reunited with his wife Alice Annie (nee Wharram) and his daughter Carol Anne who was born while he was overses. Other children included William Donald and Robert Douglas.

Hickson became pilot Officer J/96011 Bulk of information from Pilot Officer Donald Hickson son Bob., KCFA.

Britain Source MI-9 post POW interview

General Gathering Our Heros - Donald Douglas Hickson

Find-A-Grave.com Finadagrave.com

Home
Google MapWheatley Ontario
Burial
Google MapBelleville Cemetery

Maryland AH 280

Male Head

Warrant Officer 1st Class Charlesworth, William James (RCAF)

Prisoner of War
1942-October-11
Woodland Cemetery, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Warrant Officer 1st Class Hickson, Donald Douglas (RCAF)

Prisoner of War
1942-October-11
Belleville Cemetery, Belleville, Ontario, Canada

Martin Maryland

(RAF Photo)(Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page)
Martin 167 Maryland. Flown by RCAF aircrew serving with the RAF.

The Martin Model 167 Maryland was an American-designed light bomber that first flew in 1939. It saw action in World War II with France and the United Kingdom.

Many of the aircraft were shipped to Egypt and Malta in time for the 1941 fighting there. The RAF used the aircraft mainly for photo-reconnaissance operations in North and East Africa, it being faster than the Bristol Blenheim. A Maryland bomber photographed the Italian fleet before and after the Battle of Taranto on 11 November 1940. The pilot, Adrian Warburton, scored his five confirmed kills with the Maryland's forward-firing guns.

Three Maryland Mk.Is were transferred to the British Fleet Air Arm and were mainly used for target towing duties.. On 22 May 1941, a Maryland of 771 Naval Air Squadron based at Hatston in the Orkney Islands, reported that the German battleship Bismarck had left Bergen, confirming that she was breaking out into the Atlantic. Wikipedia

YouTube Maryland Bomber

Wkikpedia Wikipedia Maryland Bomber

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

last update: 2021-10-20 13:36:21

Maryland Mk. II AH 280

PPRAF RoundelY
ditched near Crete October 11 1942

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