Gunner John (Jack) Hickman
9th Divisional Ammunition Column, Royal Field Artillery

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