One of Ours · Character

Sergeant Hicks

A seasoned non-commissioned officer who trades stories with Claude on brutal marches and knows what the real mud at Ypres was like.

supporting

Also known as Hicks

First appearance: I

See Sergeant Hicks in I Book page

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Hicks is the battalion's practical memory—he has trained at Arras, heard the Tommies' tales, and can compare this wet, dragging march to Passchendaele two years back. He and Claude wonder together what the real front must have been, sharing the weight of packs and the small camaraderie of men who have stopped expecting comfort. He matters because he gives Claude a soldier's education in endurance, the unglamorous knowledge that will carry him through what's coming.

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See Sergeant Hicks in I

Character Web

20 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

War comrades and French hosts
Extended cast of minor characters
Hometown community and family
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak of Claude’s disillus…

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In the story

Sergeant Hicks appears across 13 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Book IV: The Voyage of the Anchises
A non-commissioned officer overseeing the troops, representing military authority.
I
Sergeant Hicks leads a group of lost soldiers looking for cheese and later boasts about Claude's French skills.
IV
Sergeant Hicks teases Claude about finding the Cathedral and the statue of Richard the Lionhearted.
VI
Organizes boxing match and discusses Gerhardt's character with Dell Able.
VII
Comments on the signs of war and smiles with the men.
VIII
Finds a shell-hole for bathing and mocks Oscar Petersen's religious beliefs.
IX
Escorts Claude; shares Claude's shock at the story of the Pal Battalion.
Chapter: X
Travels with Claude to the front, discusses future plans with Dell Able, and encounters a Highlander.
XI
Helps Claude get a giant shoe for his swollen ankle and prods the German carriers to a lope.
XV
Marches alongside Claude, sharing stories about the mud at Ypres and Passchendaele.
XVI
Points out the sniper's location, shoots the dying German officer, and mourns Dell Able.
XVII
Grieves for his fallen chum; sits beside the body and remains withdrawn from the festivities.
XIX
Returns home on the transport, cynical about honors and planning a memorial garage with Dell Able.

Chapter companion notes

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See Sergeant Hicks in I