Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

France & Flanders covers all the dates and corresponding locations which are outside the official battle nomenclature dates on the Western Front. Therefore the actions in which these men died could be considered 'normal' trench duty - the daily attrition losses which were an everyday fact of duty on the Western Front.

Detail :

707, William Harold Nicholls, 4th Brigade, 15th Battalion, 3rd Company, Australian Infantry Regiment, Australian Imperial Force. Killed in Action - 26th January, 1917.

Enlisted and attested with no previous service, aged 27 on the 21st September, 1914. (By his own hand signed William Harold Nicholls). On 1st October, 1914 he was promoted to Lance Corporal and shortly after received a "slight" wound to the head. In fact, wounded twice once on the 9th October and again in May 1915, serving as part of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in Gallipoli. Also in that month he was promoted to Company Quarter Master Sergeant, quite a leap, and by September became Company Sergeant Major. He was commissioned temporarily in August, 1915 after 2nd Lieutenant G Vidgen went missing, and it was confirmed substantive on the same date by 22nd December 1915.

By August 1916 he was Pozieres, France in initial attack on Mouquet Farm 8th August 1916 and wounded with a Gun Shot Wound to the left Shoulder. Following this, William spent time in England recuperating where he met his wife, but by October 1916 he was back in France with the 15th Battalion. Promoted to Captain in December 1917.

A written will existed dated 17th Jan. 1917 citing "In the event of my death I give the whole of my property & effects to my wife, Mrs. W.H. Nicholls 3 Central Terrace Llanbradach, Cardiff, South Wales." His wife received all his effects in Cardiff by 18th May, 1917.

He was initially buried in Switch Trench Cemetery and after the war his grave was exhumed and reburied at the Guards Cemetery Les Boeufs; the exhumation report showing his unit formation and the date 26/1/17, the date of his death.

See more in his service records: Discovering Anzacs.

In his memory, his widow donated a lectern to All Saints Church in Llanbradach. Its dedication read: "In loving memory of my dear husband, Captain William Harold Nicholls of the 15th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force. Killed in action in France, January 26th 1917. Aged 29 years." The church was demolished in 1994. He is further recorded on the Llanbradach War Memorial.

Masonic :

Recorded in the 1921 Book as a Captain William Harold NICHOLS of Modestia Lodge No. 3587 and on segment 58D of the Scroll under William H. NICHOLS of Modestia Lodge N. 3587. This lodge became part of the Grand Lodge of Queensland, 30th April, 1920.

In the contribution record of the Lodge, he is listed as Harold William Nicholls, not only reversing forenames, but a discrepant variation of the last name. He is the only "NICHOLxx" to be listed under this lodge, as a 25 year old Grocer, resident at Market Lane, Ipswich, Queensland. War service is recorded for him in the 1914-15 columns, whereafter a year of dues paid and then nothing to indicate his fate. There is no note of resignation, death or killed note at all.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley