Air Mechanic
Archibald Hickman
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About Archibald

  • Name
    Archibald
  • Initials
    A
  • Surname
    Hickman
  • Date of Birth
    13 May 1893
  • Birth town
    Lochgelly, Fife, Scotland
  • Resided town
    Bowhill, Fife
  • Commemorated
  • Nationality
    Scottish
  • Place of death
    Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, USA
  • Date of death
    January 1980
  • Married
    yes
  • Occupation
    Miner

Service Information

  • Royal Navy - Royal Navy Air Squadron

  • Service Number
    F14282
  • Rank
    Air Mechanic

Biography

Archibald Hickman was born in Lochgelly, Fife in 1893 to parents John and Maggie; he had an older brother and three older sisters.  By 1901, the family were living in Auchterderran and Archibald went on to become a miner at Bowhill Colliery before the war.  He enlisted on 12 May 1916, training to become an air mechanic (timberman) at RNAS Pulham. This was an airship base whose massive hangar was relocated in 1928 to Cardington, Bedford.  He wrote a Burn’s quotation in the visitors’ book in September 1916, whilst travelling to or from Royal Naval Air Station Pulham, Norfolk.

He qualified as an air mechanic 1st Class in November 1917, but less than two months later he became a driver and was posted to Boulogne on 26 March 1918.  A week later he transferred from the Royal Navy to the newly formed Royal Air Force.

At the end of the war he was discharged in January 1919 with his address given as 30 White Hull Street, Newcraighall, Musselburgh.  For reasons yet to be identified, he emigrated to America in 1922.  Sailing 3rd Class and listed as a miner aboard the ‘Saturnia’, he left Scotland on 24 March from Glasgow to Portland.  He married and had a family before he died in Long Beach, Los Angeles, California in 1980 aged 86.

Please get in touch if you can tell us more about Archibald and his family.

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