Charles Frederick Hickling, CMG (1951), was born on the 15 August 1902 and educated at Taunton School and St. Catherine's College, Cambridge. In 1925 he started work in the Department of Oceanography at the University of Liverpool and then, in 1927, joined the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (1927-1945). During this time he was also Buckland Professor (1934) and Port Fisheries Captain, Milford Haven (1939-1945). Hickling went on to become a Fisheries Adviser to the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1945-1961) and Fisheries Adviser to the Department of Technical Co-operation (1961-1962). From 1957-1959 Hickling was also Acting Director of the Tropical Fish Culture Research Institute, Malacca.

After his retirement in 1962, Hickling worked in Malaya with a Nuffield Foundation research grant (1963-1965) and with a NERC (Natural Environment Research Council) research grant (1967-1969). He produced numerous publications and monographs on fisheries, fisheries biology and zoology. In 1956, the Jamaican freshwater species 'Cichlaurus hicklingi' was dedicated to him by H.W. Fowler. Hickling died on the 14 June 1977. Compiled with reference to Who Was Who(volume VII).