Born in Northampton, Hichens’s family moved to St. Mawes when his father, Dr. Peverell Smythe Hichens, was posted to France in 1914. He was educated at Marlborough and Magdalen College, Oxford. 

A very talented sportsman he had, by the start of the Second World War, competed once in the Henley Regatta, three times in the Fastnet race and participated in the 24 Hour Le Mans race three times.  

During the Second World War, he rose in rank to become a Lieutenant Commander, commanding gunboat flotillas. 

After his father’s death in 1930 the Hichens family returned to Cornwall, purchasing  Bodrennick House in Flushing and Hichens began training to be a solicitor also joining, in 1936, the Royal Naval Volunteer Supplementary Reserve which was comprised of skilled yachtsmen considered to be suitable for a commission.

In the early years of the Second World War, Hichens served on minesweepers and, posted to HMS Niger he participated in the evacuation of the army from the Dunkirk jetty. 

He remained in Dunkirk when the Niger departed with its full complement of Dunkirk survivors.  Although given permission to remain in Dunkirk he was informed that he would have to find his own way back to England.  For this work he was awarded his first DSC and, in 1941, he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and given command of the 6^th Motor Gunboat Flotilla. Patrolling off the Hook of Holland, his flotilla damaged five E-boats returning to port and captured one of them, boarding it to retrieve information and equipment before it sank.  For this Hichens was awarded a bar to his DSC. 

On the night of 21st April 1942, his flotilla engaged six E-boats off Ostend, forcing them to disperse and he was subsequently awarded his first Distinguished Service Order.  Appointed to command the newly formed 8^th Motor Gunboat Flotilla, his boats engaged two trawlers escorting an oil tanker which they destroyed with a depth charge attack earning him a bar to his DSO.  In September 1942, Hichens ordered an engagement with four trawlers protecting another convoy for which he received the second bar to his DSC.