Portrait of 400433 Warrant Officer (WO) William Liness Charles Hickling, 156 Squadron RAF of ...

Accession Number P07996.001
Collection type Photograph
Object type Colour - Toned black & white print
Maker Unknown
Date made c 1943
Conflict Second World War, 1939-1945
Copyright

Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain

Public Domain Mark This item is in the Public Domain

Description

Portrait of 400433 Warrant Officer (WO) William Liness Charles Hickling, 156 Squadron RAF of North Fitzroy, Vic. WO Hickling was a member of the crew of Lancaster JA 674 which took off from Warboys Airfield on the night of 20 December 1945 to carry out a bombing raid on Frankfurt. The crew were reported missing when the aircraft failed to return. It was later discovered that the entire crew were killed when the aircraft was shot down by enemy aircraft over Laubach, 34 miles north east of Frankfurt. Aged 21 at the time of his death, WO Hickling was buried at Hannover War Cemetery. On 30 November 1945 at Government House in Melbourne, W. Charles Hickling received, on behalf of his deceased son, a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) awarded to WO Hickling for "Courage & coolness as gunner in face of heavy fire".