Private Alphonsus “Alphonse” Hickey was born on April 29, 1920, in Whitney Pier, Sydney, Nova Scotia. One of eight children, he grew up in a working-class Catholic family. After the death of his mother in 1937, he and his siblings were raised by their grandmother. Leaving school in Grade 9, he worked at the Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation’s blast furnace to help support the family.

Despite suffering burns in a workplace accident that initially disqualified him, Hickey enlisted in the Canadian Army on August 18, 1942. He trained in Nova Scotia and joined B Company of the Cape Breton Highlanders, part of the 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division. Deployed overseas in 1943, he fought in the brutal Italian Campaign. In April 1944, he was wounded in action but returned to the front weeks later.

On August 30, 1944, during the Battle of the Gothic Line, his unit attacked a fortified German position at Point 120 near Montecchio, Italy. Facing devastating fire, the company was forced to retreat. Private Hickey volunteered to stay behind with a Bren gun, covering his comrades’ withdrawal. He was killed in the action. When the hill was taken the next day, his body was found surrounded by dead German soldiers, evidence of his final stand.

He was posthumously Mentioned in Despatches for gallantry and is buried at Montecchio War Cemetery. Private Hickey’s sacrifice is remembered as a powerful example of selfless courage and the quiet heroism of Canadian soldiers in WWII.

Our campaign seeks to have Private Hickey's Military Medal upgraded to the Victoria Cross, recognizing that his actions represent the highest standard of bravery in combat.