Lieutenant William Hicks (1788–1874) was a British Royal Navy officer who at the age of 16, was an aide-de-camp to Captain Israel Pellew of HMS Conqueror at the Battle of Trafalgar.

[citation needed] As midshipman at the Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805), he served under Captain Israel Pellew on HMS Conqueror.

Describing the surrender of the French flagship Bucentaure he wrote... "We engaged her single-handed for an hour, and she struck to us; after her colours were hauled down two guns from her starboard side began to play on us.

Sir Israel Pellew, thinking that they were disposed to renew the fight, ordered the guns which could bear on her foremast to knock it away, and her masts were cut away successfully in a few minutes.

His younger brother, Richard Hicks also fought in the French Wars of 1793–1815, serving in the army in Wellington's Peninsular campaigns.