David Thomas Hicks – Royal Army Medical Corps, 159 Field Ambulance

Private David Thomas Hicks – Royal Army Medical Corps, 159 Field Ambulance

A Swansea soldier whose death followed a tragic Good Friday accident in Cheshire

Early Life and Family Background

David Thomas Hicks was born in 1902 in Swansea, the son of William Hicks and Elizabeth Ann Parry, who had married in the town in 1900.

1911 Census

The 1911 Census records the Hicks family living at 16 Roseberry Terrace, Plasmarl, where William, aged forty‑two, was employed as a labourer and Elizabeth, aged thirty‑four, managed the household. Their children formed a large and busy family: David B., aged twenty‑two, worked hauling in a colliery; Henry, aged eighteen, was employed in tinworks; William Evan also worked in tinworks; and the younger children—John, Thomas, George, John, and Stanley—were all still at home. The census paints a picture of a working‑class Swansea household shaped by industrial labour and the demands of raising many children.

1921 Census

By the 1921 Census, the family had moved to Towe Road, Llansamlet, where William, now fifty‑two, was recorded as a labourer out of work, having previously been employed by the Samlet Colliery Company. Elizabeth Ann, aged forty‑four, continued to manage the home. Their remaining children included David Thomas, aged nineteen, who had been employed as a platelayer with the Midland Railway Company but was out of work at the time of the census; John, aged fourteen, also unemployed; and the younger children—Stanley, Mary Elizabeth, Gladys, Sarah Ann, and baby Edith—all attending school. In 1928, David married Rosina Lovering in Swansea, establishing his own household as the interwar years unfolded.

Military Service – Royal Army Medical Corps

As an adult, David served as a Private with the Royal Army Medical Corps, 159 Field Ambulance, a unit responsible for frontline medical support, casualty evacuation, and emergency treatment under wartime conditions. The RAMC drew men from across Britain, often those with practical skills or experience suited to demanding medical and logistical work. You can explore more about the unit’s role through Royal_Army_Medical_Corps.

The Good Friday Tragedy – Audlem, Cheshire

Newport & Market Drayton Advertiser

David’s death became the subject of extensive reporting in both the Newport & Market Drayton Advertiser and the Cheshire Observer, following a tragic accident near Audlem on Good Friday. A military lorry had been authorised to carry the Field Ambulance band to a dance and to collect several A.T.S. members attending the same event. After the dance, however, the return journey descended into disorder. A large number of soldiers—none of whom were permitted passengers—clambered aboard the vehicle. The N.C.O. in charge attempted to remove them, but most refused to leave. Among those who boarded without permission was Private Hicks.

The lorry, designed for a modest load, was dangerously overcrowded. On a dark, wet night, the driver swerved to avoid a pedestrian, struck a bank, and overturned. Private Hicks suffered fatal injuries, and several A.T.S. girls were hurt. The subsequent courts martial examined the conduct of three men: the driver was found not guilty; the sergeant was severely reprimanded for failing to reduce the passenger load; and the corporal in charge was reduced to the ranks and sentenced to twenty‑eight days’ detention. The War Office concluded that the tragedy resulted from a breakdown of discipline rather than mechanical fault.

Cheshire Observer

The Cheshire Observer inquest echoed these findings. The Deputy Coroner for West Cheshire, Mr. G. W. Wain, returned a verdict of death by misadventure, criticising the laxity that allowed soldiers to travel in such unsafe conditions. He warned that regulations exist for a reason—and that ignoring them can carry a terrible price. What began as an evening of music and companionship ended in disaster, leaving a deep impact on the regiment, the War Office, and the Swansea community David left behind.

David Thomas Hicks
Morriston Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Burial

Private David Thomas Hicks was the first burial of 1942 at Morriston Cemetery, where his grave stands among the many servicemen whose lives were lost during the Second World War.