Talk:George Hicks (RAF officer)

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Middle name

Upon looking for sources for George Hicks I've noticed there to be both a George Rensbury Hicks https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1181231 and a George Rhensburg Hicks https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8272088. Both appear to have won the DFC:

Rensbury - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31378/supplement/7031 (1919)
Rhensburg - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32050/page/9223/data.pdf (1920), https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/121302651?mode=transcription (Feb. 1922, from the Monthly Air Force List), https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34321/page/5794/data.pdf (1936), https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34359/page/269/data.pdf (1937) & https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34607/page/1773/data.pdf (1939).

They also appear to have the same date of birth (although the DoB is only shown for Rhensburg), which begs the question are they the same person? The National Archives seems to suggest that is the case, saying there is a strong match between the two.

I believe the answer to this question lies in the Monthly Air Force List where there is a constant presence of only one G. R. Hicks:

February 1919, before Hicks was referred to as Rensbury in the Gazette: https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/95756970?mode=transcription
July 1919, with a DFC (having been awarded in June as Rensbury in the Gazette): https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/95825026?mode=transcription
January 1920, G. R. Hicks DFC still appears showing his continual service since 1 April 1918: https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/123963441?mode=transcription
October 1920, with the middle name Rhensburg (also after he'd appeared as Rhensburg in the Gazette): https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/121858071?mode=transcription

The constant throughout all these lists is that it states his service with the RAF began on its formation on 1 April 1918, while initially only listing his initials the lists in 1920 go on to state his middle name as Rhensburg. I have found only two references to George Hicks having the middle name Rensbury and that is on the June 1919 Gazette supplement and the Artists' Rifles roll of honour (https://archive.org/details/regimentalrollof00highiala/page/172/mode/2up (1922)), before he joined the Royal Flying Corps.

My explanation for them being the same person is that the middle name was recorded incorrectly when Hicks signed up during WW1. The following is just conjecture, but I'd further argue this is because if his date of birth is correct then he would have been underage, born in 1900 and listed as serving the Artists' Rifles in 1917, therefore wouldn't have felt the need to correct the mistake. He then later used his correct surname when he was of age and after the hostilities.

I don't think it is 100% possible to prove that Rensbury and Rhensburg are the same person, but I believe the sources seem to certainly suggest they are. F4JPhantomII (talk) 01:25, 4 March 2021 (UTC)[reply]