Whilst the infantry bore the brunt of the casualties on the first day of the Somme, the Gunners were firing in support and suffered counter battery fire. The Ovillers Cemetery contains one Gunner who was killed on the 1st July - Second Lieutenant William Christie Hickman, RFA.
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| 2nd. Lieut. William Christie Hickman KIA 1st July 1916 |
2nd. Lieut. Hickman was serving with 'B' Battery175 (South Staffordshire) Brigade Royal Field Artillery, part of the 34th Divisional Artillery. Born in 1889/90, he was educated at Marlborough College, then proceeded to Caius College Cambridge, where hr gained a MA. After Cambridge he went to Canada, returning home on the outbreak of war.
After joining the Army he was commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery 17th May 1916.
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| 2nd Lieut. William Christie Hickman Royal Field Artillery |
The Brigade, as part of the 34th Divisional Artillery were deployed just outside Albert, north of the road to Bapaume.
On 2th June 1916 the start of what would be 6 days of bombardment commenced. The 175th Brigade's prime task was wire cutting in the area of the 102nd (Tyneside Scottish) Brigade.
Views of the Bombardment of German Wire and Defences La Boisselle
Source: Imperial War Museum
On the 1st July the Brigade were firing a creeping barrage in support of the 4 Tyneside Scottish Battalions, the War Diary recording hearing their Pipers leading the men into Battle. The German artillery retaliated and shelled the gun lines. In the ensuring chaos, 2nd. Lieut. Hickman was posted missing, but a statement from a wounded soldier in hospital confirmed he had been killed on the 1st July was killed by the first German shell to hit the gun position. William Christie's wife was informed of his death in a telegram she received on 15th July 1916.
Second Lieutenant William Christie Hickman is buried in Ovillers Military Cemetery.
CWGC INFORMATION
Exactly 100 years after he was killed on 1st July 1916, I was in the Ovillers Cemetery and able to pay respects to a fallen Artillery Officer. |
| 2nd. Lieut. William Christie Hickman KIA 1st July 1916 IJ 100 years later 1st July 2016 |
