HICKMAN, William

William Hickman died of wounds just a week after the armistice. He was born in Brierley Hill and later lived at Wordsley, He volunteered for the South Staffords and served probably in one of the Territorial battalions. He was transferred to the 100th Company of the Machine Gun Corps which was attached to the 33rd and later the 25th Division. In 1918 they were engaged in the later stages of the Advance to Victory at Le Cateau and the crossing of the River Selle. Then followed the last significant military operation on the Western Front: the crossing of the Sambre Canal. Machine guns were increasingly used for attacks and were used in large numbers in a barrage to cover infantry advances. The crossing of the Canal was successful but it is likely that Private William Hickman was among those wounded in this action. He was taken to a Casualty Clearing Station where he died on the 19th November and is buried in Busigny Communal Extension Cemetery (VIII C 25) and commemorated on the Wordsley Memorial.