Wicks Douglas Frederick Lance Sergeant 1890573
Personnel Entry
Name Wicks Douglas Frederick
Army number 1890573.
Rank Lance Sergeant.
Decorations Awarded the Military Medal - gazetted 1/3/1945. For Citation see below.
Date of birth Born 4/1/1919.
Age (At time of death) 50.
Unit Enlisted in the Royal Engineers. Underwent Basic Training. Posted to 294th Field Company, Royal Engineers. Served Normandy.
Company/Battery
Platoon or other sub-unit Not yet known for certain.
Task or role Possibly Platoon Sergeant.
Joined Brigade Not yet known.
Promotions It appears that Lance Sergeant Wicks had been promoted from Corporal - when he was serving in the HQ Platoon.
Wounded Not so far as is known.
Prisoner of War Not so far as is known.
Died/Killed in action Died 12 April 1969, aged 50. Burial carried out at St Mary's Church, Reigate, Surrey. Probate granted 10/7/1969 from the London office. Funeral Ceremony performed by J W Carr.
Home address 93, Windermere Road, Coulsdon, Surrey. Married Daphne B. Amos in October 1951 in the Surrey South Eastern district. Address at the time of his death - "Pinethwaite", Doods Park Road, Reigate, Surrey.
Source table
The Citation for the award of Lance Sergeant Wicks' Military Medal can be found in The National Archives under File Reference WO 373/52/160 and reads as follows:-
"L/Sjt Wicks, with one section RE, were under command 1/4 Bn KOYLI during their advance to KLUNDERT.
The Bn attacked up a raised road during the night of 4th Nov 1944.
Wicks moved with the leading company and found a culvert blown. He called up his sec and made a detour, under cover of the infantry attack on an enemy position, about 200 yards up the road. He later filled a second culvert and finally removed demolition charges from two bridges in KLUNDERT itself.
The whole of this work was done immediately behind leading infantry under shell and mortar fire and there is no doubt that by his determination, L/Sjt Wicks opened the maintenance route, enabling the Bn to get up its carriers and support weapons and secure its objective"
The recommendation was put forward by Major Tyzack, Company Commander, and was endorsed through the chain of command until finally approved by Field Marshal Montgomery.
Some information on this Page has been extracted from the Commemorative Booklet, prepared by Major Langley, covering the period from D-Day to VE Day in addition to that extracted from the War Diaries. There are issues around the possible duplication of names which remain to be clarified.
