Laurence Hicks was born in 1912 in London to a father who was a clarinet player in the British Army.[1][2] At the age of 14 years he was a band boy for the Cameronian Scottish Rifles.[2] The following year he attended Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall learning the clarinet and cello.[2] He subsequently joined the Cameronian Scottish Rifles as a clarinetist and toured Egypt for two years and then India.[2] He returned to study at Kneller Hall undertaking a bandmaster course and graduated in 1938.
In January 1951, his band recorded Black Watch Military Band (Royal Highland Regiment) Conducted by Bandmaster Laurence H. Hicks, which included a composition by Hicks, "Jubilee March".[1] The following month they toured Australia and New Zealand.[4] In April 1952 he was appointed the inaugural Director of Music for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and re-established the Central Band.[2][5][6] He recruited new members and designed the band's uniform.[2] By March 1956 the Central Band were practising every national anthem for the forthcoming Summer Olympics in Melbourne.[2] On 1 January 1963, Hicks was awarded The Order of the British Empire – Officer (Military), "in recognition of his loyal and valuable service",[7] with the citation "For service as Director of Music with the RAAF"
