Gunner John (Jack) Hickman
9th Divisional Ammunition Column, Royal
Field Artillery
![](../../../medals/pix/1914-15.gif)
1914-15 Star
Born in 1891 at Broomhill, Camber, Rye, Sussex. Son
of Henry Hickman. Resident at "Glencoe", Vale,
Guernsey. Ex-Royal Guernsey Militia. Husband of Ada
Mary Palmer.
Jack's father was a Romney Marsh 'looker'
or itinerant shepherd. Jack qualified as a carpenter,
fell in love with the game of golf (Rye Golf Club was
opened near Camber in 1894) and used his skill to establish
himself as a club-maker (1911 Census).
In 1911/12 Jack took a job as an assistant pro at Royal
Guernsey Golf Club at L'Ancresse and boarded with local
fruit-growers Charles and Emily Shipton in the Vale
(the Shiptons lost all three of their children, possibly
to disease and Chas had lost two sisters during his
childhood - perhaps taking in a polite, young stranger
was good for them in some way?
Jack enlisted in the Militia (Artillery
& Engineers), perhaps to widen his circle of friends
or maybe as a patriotic young man whose family lived
near the coast in a vulnerable part of East Sussex.
Whatever the reason, he was more than ready to do his
bit. As you know, Royal Guernsey Artillery & Engineers
served as the 9th DAC and it was the years 1915-1919
that Jack recorded in his 'illicit' diary. Sadly the
1916 copy is missing but I have compensated for that
by researching 9/Div's involvement from Divisional History
(Ewing) and the Official History volumes re:France and
Flanders.
Jack was badly wounded on the Somme in March 1918 and
spent several months in Fusehill War Hospital in Carlisle
before rehabilitation and return to action in October
1918.
Post-war, Jack returned to life as a golf-pro and his
new family on the mainland. He was in charge of Thanet
Golf Club for many years and he even patented a 'Bamfee'
golf wood and irons - I have been privileged to examine
the actual letters and diagrams of patent in the British
Golf Museum in St. Andrews. He also appears on the national
list of golf professionals as being attached to Royal
Guernsey Golf Club until early 1920s but I believe that
to be erroneous. The Thanet course was largely destroyed
in the Second World War and Jack and his family were
moved to Broxbourne in Hertfordshire for the duration
where he worked in munitions near Enfield. He returned
to Kent and golf after the war. He lived until the 1970s.
Ken Wayman
2014