We Sons of World War Two Vets Episode 5. Richard and Thomas
Apr 16, 2025
Richard Hicks, an engineer and inventor who taught at Wormwood Scrubs, shares fascinating stories about his father, Thomas Henwood Hicks, a Wellington bomber pilot with 458 Squadron. Richard recounts Thomas’s incredible luck in combat, leading his crew to believe he was in league with the devil. The conversation dives into the high-stakes world of wartime flying, the psychological impact on pilots, and the emotional scars carried by veterans. Richard also reflects on his father's journey and the legacy left behind, blending humor with poignant memories.
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Childhood Flight Sparked A Pilot Career
- Thomas Hicks took his first flight at age six and kept pursuing aviation through architecture studies and the Air Training Corps.
- That early fascination set him on the path to RAF pilot training despite initial vision problems.
A Lucky Eye Test Cleared Him To Fly
- Thomas failed an initial RAF eyesight test, retook it after a break and was cleared when the optician inadvertently tested him from a different room.
- That fortunate retest led to his acceptance as a pilot trainee.
First Solo Crash With Miraculous Survival
- During training in Canada his aircraft lost power and he crashed, tearing both wings off while somehow surviving with millimetres to spare.
- He later found a strip of his trousers on a propeller, underscoring how narrowly he escaped death.
