HARRY L. HICKS, LCDR, USN

Harry Hicks '27

Date of birth: August 6, 1904

Date of death: March 26, 1942

Age: 37

Lucky Bag

From the 1927 Lucky Bag:

Harry Lynnwood Hicks

Rome, Georgia

"Lynn"

ALTHOUGH an architect by choice, Harry became a midshipman by chance. For the better part of two years he struggled between these two desires while undergoing innumerable trips to the hospital. The Navy won out at last, however; and Harry, lured on by intriguing glimpses of Europe, presented by Youngster cruise, determined to put his heart into a naval career.

Being neither one of the well-known snakes nor one of the varsity boys, Harry could almost always be found of an afternoon swinging clubs, seeking hearts, longing for diamonds, and such, in a good warm game of bridge. His game was not complete, though, unless accompanied by the strains of the Vic. To protect himself from the wrath of the other players, he unwillingly would consent to play the latest, "Who Caught the Runaway Train." When alone, however, he would choose to listen to the higher art of Caruso.

On most occasions his temper was of the best. Yet not always was he so placid, for an unkind word about "dear old Dixie" would refire the guns at Fort Sumter. Like a true Southerner, he would up and fight the war all over again. Aside from these infrequent outbreaks, he was a quiet man, with a certain reserve which, once penetrated, revealed a staunch, dependable friend.

Lucky Bag Staff: Expert Rifleman (4).

Harry Lynnwood Hicks

Rome, Georgia

"Lynn"

ALTHOUGH an architect by choice, Harry became a midshipman by chance. For the better part of two years he struggled between these two desires while undergoing innumerable trips to the hospital. The Navy won out at last, however; and Harry, lured on by intriguing glimpses of Europe, presented by Youngster cruise, determined to put his heart into a naval career.

Being neither one of the well-known snakes nor one of the varsity boys, Harry could almost always be found of an afternoon swinging clubs, seeking hearts, longing for diamonds, and such, in a good warm game of bridge. His game was not complete, though, unless accompanied by the strains of the Vic. To protect himself from the wrath of the other players, he unwillingly would consent to play the latest, "Who Caught the Runaway Train." When alone, however, he would choose to listen to the higher art of Caruso.

On most occasions his temper was of the best. Yet not always was he so placid, for an unkind word about "dear old Dixie" would refire the guns at Fort Sumter. Like a true Southerner, he would up and fight the war all over again. Aside from these infrequent outbreaks, he was a quiet man, with a certain reserve which, once penetrated, revealed a staunch, dependable friend.

Lucky Bag Staff: Expert Rifleman (4).

Loss

Harry was lost when USS Atik (AK 101) was sunk by a German submarine 300 miles east of Norfolk, Virginia on March 26, 1942. None of her crew survived the sinking and a large explosion as the ship sank. He was the ship's commanding officer.

The Naval History and Heritage Command has details of the Q-ship program, and of Atik's brief history.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Harry was born in Aiken, South Carolina. In 1910, the family lived in Hawkinsville, Georgia.
Harry’s father Brooks, a produce broker, died in 1915. In 1920 at age 15, Harry worked afternoons in a hotel in Rome, Georgia. Harry’s mother died in August, 1927.
In May, 1934, Harry sailed from Hamburg to New York City. In October, 1936, he was on the manifest but did not sail from Bermuda to New York City. His sister Hazel Pykett was also on the manifest but did not sail.
His sisters were Hazel (Mrs. D. J. Pykett) and Annie, and his brothers were J. Ryan and Theodore.

Other Information

Harry's sister was listed as next of kin.

Navy Directories & Officer Registers

The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.

The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.

The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.

Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.