Customer Reviews
The biography of the RNVR's most decorated officer from WW2. - By: Ned Middleton, 15 Dec 2007 
Mention any of history's greatest conflicts & certain names spring readily to mind either because they were great commanders or great heroes. Generallly speaking, Robert Hichens is not one of those names - though it should be!
The Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) is the RN equivalent of the Territorial Army & provides a platform for those who are not fully employed by HM Forces to undertake their military training & weekends & other convenient times. During WW2, of course, these reservists were callled up for full time duty. Robert Hichens was just one such person.
Commencing his wartime career in minesweepers, he earned his first DSC by twice going ashore at Dunkirk to help organise the evacuation. In October 1940 he transferred to Coastal Forces & was given command of a fast motor gunboat. Such were his skills of seamanship & leadership that he was quickly given command of a flotilla of these craft & was soon operating against the larger & more heavily armed German equivalent. In April 1943, however, Robert Hichens was killed in Action. By this time he had earned two DSOs, another two DSCs & was also Mentioned in Despatches. He had also been recommended for the Victoria Cross.
Despite there being another two years of warfare to endure, Robert Hichens remains the most decorated member of the RNVR from WW2 & this is his story. It is a story about the man from his roots to his final action. It is a complete story recounted by his son Antony. It is a story which should be read by alll those with an interest in the wide-ranging subject of World War Two - if only to bring the name of this highly decorated officer more readily to mind.
NM
At long last - By: Big Dud, 14 Dec 2007 
At long last someone has picked up this great hero of world war two & given a delightful biography of this famous MGB leader; & who better than his own son.The story is told with little sentimentality & puts Hitchens clearly in focus in his chosen area of operations. Particularly well written is Hitchens' time at University.
I read the autobiography many years ago & I could not understand why this war hero was not better known to the general public. Seemingly every other book about gunboats points to Hitchens as the greatest.
A great read, well done to the author, you must be very proud.
