From: Roy Nixon

From: Roy Nixon

Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2011 3:22 PM

To:

Subject: Sgt GP Hickman RAFVR

Hello there,

I wonder if you could possibly help me please, I am trying to find the fate of Sgt Geoffrey Patrick Hickman, RAFVR-748272 who was shot down over France on 20-9-41 and taken POW.

At some time he was at Stalag 344, Lamsdorf, Poland and was given the POW No.9685.

He made an escape bid (maybe from Lamsdorf) but was recaptured and executed by the Gestapo possibly on 1-1-44.

Could you please advise me if anyone could help me please?

Thank you,

Roy Nixon

FROM:

Sgt Charles E McDonald (1316) was pilot of Spitfire R7279 on an escort mission to France when he was shot down 21 August 1941. McDonald baled out and landed a few miles north-west of Lille and was captured that afternoon by a German patrol. After a month in hospital at Lille where his burns were treated, he was taken to Dulag Luft at Oberursel. On 24 September McDonald was sent to Stalag Luft VIIIB (Lamsdorf). In April 1942, McDonald and most of the other RAF prisoners were moved to Stalag Luft III (Sagan). McDonald soon decided that escaping from Sagan was next to impossible and so volunteered to be returned to Lamsdorf in July 1942. Consultation with RSM Sherriff resulted in McDonald being sent on a working party to Gleiwitz as that seemed to be the most promising place to escape from. McDonald duly escaped from his hut at Gleiwitz on the night of 11/12 August 1942, along with P/O Kenneth Chisholm (see below)

Sgt Geoffrey Patrick Hickman RAFVR and Edwin Carter, a Polish Jew known as Nick who was serving with the British Army ...

HICKMAN - GEOFFREY PATRICK ENGLAND – RICHMOND, SURREY.
RAFVR – 748272
KOAS – BETWEEN 20-12-43 TO 1-1-44 – POLAND – AGE 23. UNITS – 609, 152, 92.

P8657 - 1 sortie. W3314 – 5 sorties.

Born 1921.
?-5-37 - Enlisted in RAFVR,
?-12-40 – 609 sqn, Warmwell, SpitfireIa
5-3-41 - 609 sqn, Biggin Hill, Spitfire IIa.
29-4-41 – 152 sqn, A Flt, Portreath, Spitfire IIa
7-5-41 - 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P8278, X Raid with P/O Muller (P7903), 1610-1655hrs.
7-5-41 - 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P8278, Convoy patrol, 2015-20140hrs.
8-5-41 - 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P8209, Convoy patrol, 1340-1515hrs.
9-9-41 - 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P8209, X Raid with F/l IN Bayles (P8240), 1135-1145hrs.
9-5-41 - 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P8209, Convoy patrol, 1230-1350hrs.
11-5-41 - 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P7907, Convoy patrol, 1900-2045hrs.
13-5-41 - 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P7905, X Raid with F/O GJ Cox (P8240), 0925-1010hrs.
13-5-41 - 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P8032, Convoy patrol, 1610-1800hrs.
13-5-41 - 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P7882, Convoy patrol, 1950-2025hrs.
14-5-41 - 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P7882, Convoy patrol, 1000-1040hrs.
14-5-41 - 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P7997, Convoy patrol, 2045-2210hrs.
15-5-41 - 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P7997, Convoy patrol, 1015-1150hrs.
18-5-41 - 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P7882, Convoy patrol, 0905-1045hrs.
20-5-41 - 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P8032, X Raid with Sgt Booker (P7996), 1315- 1445hrs.
20-5-41 - 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P8032, X Raid with P/O K Rowlands (P7996), 1700-1840hrs.
20-5-41 - 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P7906, Night patrol with P/O K Rowlands (P7996), 2225-2335hrs.
21-5-41 - 152 sqn. Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P7906, Convoy patrol with P/O K Rowlands, 0700-0845hrs.
3-7-41 - 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P8278, X Raid with Sgt HS Harrison (P7882), 1000-1105hrs.
3-7-41 - 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P8270, X Raid with Sgt HS Harrison (P7882), 2015-2035hrs.
4-7-41 - 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P8032, Convoy patrol, 0700-0840hrs.
5-7-41 - 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P8032, Night patrol with Sgt HS Harrison (P7882), 2315-0030hrs.

8-7-41
8-7-41
9-7-41
11-7-41 - 92 sqn, Biggin Hill, Spitfire Vb, W3249, Circus 44, Diversion sweep, General Escort Wing-Biggin Hill Wing to Cassel-Poperinghe, land at Manston, 1400-1535hr. 11-7-41 - 92 sqn, Manston, Spitfire Vb, W3249, To Biggin Hill, 1550-1615hr.

- 152 sqn, Portreath, Spitfire IIa, P8657, Convoy patrol, 1610-1745hrs. - 152 sqn, Portreath, Posted to 92 sqn.

- 92 sqn, A Flt, Biggin Hill, Spitfire Vb.

12-7-41 - 92 sqn, Biggin Hill, Spitfire Vb, R7346, Circus 47, Diversion sweep, to St Omer-Ambleteuse, escort Blenheim IV, land at Manston, 1225-1420hr.
12-7-41 - 92 sqn, Manston, Spitfire Vb, R7346, To Biggin Hill, 1430-1450hr. 14-7-41 - 92 sqn, Biggin Hill, Spitfire Vb, W3330, Circus 48, Target Support Wing- Biggin Hill Wing to Hazebrouck railyards, escort Blenheim IV, land at Hawkinge, 0930-1110hr.

14-7-41 - 92 sqn, Hawkinge, Spitfire Vb, W3330, To Biggin Hill, 1105-1130hr.
14-7-41 - 92 sqn, Biggin Hill, Spitfire Vb, W3330, ASR patrol, escort Lysander, 1245- 1255hr.
17-7-41 - 92 sqn, Biggin Hill, Spitfire Vb, W3326, Rodeo, St Omer-Le Touquet, land at Manston, 2000-2130hr.
17-7-41 - 92 sqn, Manston, Spitfire Vb, W3326, To Biggin Hill, 2150-2210hr.
18-7-41 - 92 sqn, Biggin Hill, Spitfire Vb, W3326, ASR patrol, escort Lysander, 1250- 1430hr.
19-7-41 - 92 sqn, Biggin Hill, Spitfire Vb, R6919/L, Circus 51, Target Support Wing-Biggin Hill Wing to Lille power station, escort Stirling I, land at Manston, 1310-1420hr
19-7-41 - 92 sqn, Manston, Spitfire Vb, R6919/L, To Biggin Hill, 1500-1525hr.
20-7-41 - 92 sqn, Biggin Hill, Spitfire Vb, W3314, QJ-H, Circus 52, Escort Cover Wing, Biggin Hill Wing to Hazebrouck railyards, escort 3-Stirling I. Abandoned owing to 10/10 cloud over France, changed to sweep. 1140-1310hr,
23-7-41 - 92 sqn, Biggin Hill Spitfire Vb, R7161, Circus 59, Biggin Hill Wing to Eperlecques-Camp Foret d’, escort Blenheim I, 1235-1355hr.
23-7-41 - 92 sqn, Biggin Hill, Spitfire Vb, W3314/H, Circus 60, Target Support Wing- Biggin Hill Wing. escort 6-Blenheim IV to Mazingarbe. 1-Me109F DES NW/France. 1935-2100hr
24-7-41 - 92 sqn, Biggin Hill, Spitfire Vb, W3314/H, 11 Grp, Rodeo Sweep, Boulogne- Calais-Ostend, land at Shoreham, 1125-1320hrs.
24-7-41 - 92 sqn, Shoreham, Spitfire Vb, W3314/H, To Biggin Hill. 1330-1340hrs. 7-8-41 - 92 sqn, Biggin Hill, Spitfire Vb, R7161, Circus 62, 1st Echelon Target Support-Biggin Hill Wing, 1651-1910hrs, Escort Blenheim IV to Lille Power Station. Owing to cloud the bombers did not make the R/V. (2 sqn crossed the French coast and made for St Omer where a large number of Me109F were met. During combat R7161 was hit and Sgt Hickman was injured, he made for the Channel and crash-landed near Deal.
20-9-41 - 92 sqn, Biggin Hill, Spitfire Vb, W3179, QJ-U, Circus 100B, Close Escort Wing-Biggin Hill Wing. Escort 6- Hampden I to Abbeville Rail Yards. Take off 1449hrs, Me109F were met near target and W3179 sustained damage and Sgt GP Hickman was forced to bale out over Abbeville. He was taken POW.
2?-9-41 - Dulag Luft Interrogation Centre, Oberursel, NW/Frankfurt.
??-11-41 –Stalag,VIIIB, Lamsdorf 344 POW Camp, Poland.
?-7-42 - Work Camp E352, Gleiwitz, Poland. Hickman probably volunteered for work duties to escape.
11-8-42 - Work CampE352, Gleiwitz, Poland. At 11pm Hickman and Sgt CE McDonald, RCAF, Sgt KB Chisholm and a Palestine-Jew called ‘Nick’, who could speak Polish made a break for freedom.
They broke through their hut ceiling and go to the boiler room and broke into the ceiling. They had a key for the perimeter gate, but when they got there it was unlocked with the guard away patrolling. They had collected food from Red Cross parcels and had Horlicks tablets, biscuits, Oxo, Marmite and Bovril to sustain them.

13-8-42 - They had walked for 2 nights South, then turned East. ‘Nick’ had arranged safekeeping at Katowice, then to a farm at Myslowice where they stayed for 5 weeks. They then moved on to another farm for 4 weeks before moving on again.
17-10-42 -They arrived at Krackow.

24-10-42 -To Warsaw guided by a’British Soldier’ and 2 Polish women. Here they split up with Sgt Keith B Chisholm joining the Polish Resistance and eventually going to Belgium and France to Paris where he was when liberated.
At some unknown date Hickman and ‘Nick’ were captured by the Germans.

Hickman and ‘Nick’ were executed by the Gestapo between 20-12-43 and 20-1-44 and have no known grave.

?-5-45 - Promoted to W/O.
13-8--46 - Mentioned in Dispatches. MID.

W/O Geoffrey Patrick Hickman MID age 23 is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 134.
Husband of Julia Hickman, Son of Terrance and Winifred Hickman of Richmond, Surry.