Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902, South Africa.
• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

Although many perished in times of national conflict and in the service of their country, many more survived including those interned as Prisoners of War. Stories of those who did survive are included as part of this site, especially those with high gallantry awards, those included against an external rolls of honour and those who had a distinguished career in wartime and military leaderhip.

Detail :

Served in the South African Wars at Adjutant of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles, 9th Contingent, South Island Regiment.

In the New Zealand Militia, Adjutant of the Battalion of Otago Defence Cadets, and formerly senior Lieutenant of the No. 2 Company New Zealand Engineer Volunteers, was born at Lawrence, and educated at the Boys' High School, Dunedin. He first entered commercial life in the employment of Messrs Hogg, Howison, Nicol and Co., and was for six years with Messrs Scoullar Bros. before entering the firm of Messrs Rattray and Son in 1902. Captain Nicholson joined the High School Cadets, in 1885, and left with the rank of sergeant, and in 1898 he became lieutenant of the Engineer Volunteers. He was appointed Senior Lieutenant of the South Island Battalion of the Fourth Contingent, and when Captain Harvey died at Ottoshoop, in 1900, he became Captain of B Squadron. He was with the Fouth Contingent right through, and returned to New Zealand with it. He left again as Captain and Adjutant of the South Island Regiment, Ninth New Zealand Contingent, and on the illness of Major Jackson in South Africa was appointed to the command of the regiment, and brought it back to New Zealand. Captain Nicholson is a member of the Dunedin Amateur Boating and Dunedin Swimming Clubs, and was treasurer of the Otago Football Association for many years.

15230 CAPTAIN JAMES MILLAR NICHOLSON, D Company, 15th Reinforcements, Otago Infantry Battalio, New Zealand Expeditionary Force


He died in 1956 and is buried at Karori Cemetery, Wellington.

He is commemorated for his service on the Auckland Museum Online Cenotaph.

Masonic :

Clerk from Dunedin at time of initiation in 1901. he is noted to have resigned 31st August, 1909.

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