Biography:
John Bryn Hichens was born 16 October 1872, the son of John Knill Jope Hichens (Commoner 1851-1856) of Beech Grove, Sunninghill and Mary, daughter of James Byrn.
He came to Winchester College from Kynnersley's preparatory school at Ascot, as an Exhibitioner in January 1886 and was in E House, Morshead's. John was Senior Commoner Prefect in 1890, President of Boat Club and played in Commoner VI and XV. While at Winchester he lost the sight of one eye through a blow from a football.
He left Winchester in the summer of 1891 for Magdalen College, Oxford, with an Exhibition and in 1893 was placed in the First Class in Classical Moderations. He took his degree in 1895 with a Second Class in Literae Humaniores and in 1900 joined his father's firm, Messrs. Hichens and Harrison, stockbrokers, of Austin Friars, London.
On the outbreak of war he applied to join the Army but was turned down three times, presumably on account of his impaired vision, but eventually obtained a commission in the 16th Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps (a battalion recruited entirely from the Church Lads Brigade, in which he had always taken a keen interest) and went to France in November 1915. At some point shortly after their arrival he was injured in a gas attack but made a good recovery and rejoined his battalion.
On 15 July 1916 16KRRC participated in the Battle of the Somme, around High Wood, an action which according to The Annals of the King's Royal Rifle Corps 'should never have been made'. The battalion's war diary gives details of the action and of Hichens' death: 'Shortly after 7 a.m. that morning Lieutenant Hichens was hit in the leg while leading his platoon and while bandaging his foot was again hit in the head and died immediately'.
He was 43 when he died and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.