Died: Hit by falling debris at 299 Gipsy Road, Welling
Address / Local links: 299 Gipsy Road, Welling
Family / Relatives: Son of Jessie and of the late Charles Hicks. Husband of Violet Hilda Rose Hicks
Other Information: A Docker
“By 23rd June 1944 the allies were pushing back the enemy in Normandy, and General Montgomery (“Monty”) arrived to set up his new HQ west of Bayeux…The German high command, struggling to defend its positions in Normandy, still believes in its revolutionary weapons, including the V-1 rockets. Numerous rockets are sent day and night on mostly civilian objectives in England”…
The Hicks family were the victims of these dreaded ‘Doodlebug’ rockets…
Charles was the son of Charles Matthew Hicks (a street musician) who died in early 1939, and Jessie Feltham
Born in 1903, the family lived in Rotherhithe New Road, Bermondsey, where Charles worked at onde time as a cardboard box cutter, and later as a docker. In January 1935 he married Violet Henley at St. Olave’s in Bermondsey.
By the war years, he was living in Welling with his family, and was a member of the Home Guard.
Here we have the details recorded on the civilian casualties list for Bexley;
5ft 6ins, well built, brown hair.
Body unclaimed for burial
Identity only presumed, afterwards definitely identified
Buried 29th June 1944 Bexleyheath Cemetery – Trench no. 1
Identified by brother in law, SJ Henly
A docker
ID card ACA/201-702
Wallet and personal oddments, 3s/11d cash
Navy blue suit, blue shirt, grey shirt, grey pullover
We assume that all the victims of this tragedy were buried in ‘trench no.1’ in Bexleyheath Cemetery, where the WW2 civilian monument now stands?
(Less than a year after this tragedy, residents of Gipsy Road were able to celebrate VE Day – pictured)
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If anyone is able to add any extra information, provide more family details, or suggest any corrections, please let us know – also, if anyone has any more photos of this individual listed on our memorials, please get in touch. Thank you.
Commemorated
This story has been researched by volunteers. We have taken every effort to ensure its accuracy. If you are related to Charles Marmaduke Hicks, or if you have any further information, please do get in touch.