2614910 Harry NICHOLLS, VC, 3 Grenadier Guards

Discussion in 'The Brigade of Guards' started by Drew5233, Aug 17, 2009.

  1. Phaethon

    Phaethon Historian

    Is it just coincidence that this months Guards Magazine happens to have a four page article on Harry Nicholls VC with sources suspiciously similar to this thread? Or is it just the Anniversary? ;)

    "At that point, with No 3 Company's attack faltering, and Guardsmen beginning to go to ground, Lance corpral Harry Nicholls, already wounded by shrapnel, dashed forward with his bren gun, calling to his No2 "Come on Nash Follow me"

    'So I did' Guardsmen Percy Nash wrote later, he had the bren, firing from the hip, and I had my rifle. I fed Harry ammunition, and we attacked by means of short rushes forward. Harry was hit several times and hurt bad, but he wouldn't stop. He just kept on shouting "Come on Nash, they can't get me."

    He continued along the spur, which gradually declines in height, through the poplars, using his bren to good effect against various German groups forming up. before sinking two rubber adssault boats each carrying ten men trying to cross the Escaut. Hauptmann Ambrosius later described the panic that Lance Corporal Nicholls caused among his troops, many of who fell back to the river- some jumped in- leaving around 40 men without heavy weapons or much ammunition on the west bank.
     
  2. Phaethon

    Phaethon Historian

    Incidentally, I know there have been other enquries about this engagement. I'll admit 1939/1940 isn't my area but on a recent trip to TNA I finally finished copying the 2nd Bn war diaries from this period... and I've attached the pages from this day below.

    I know I'm not the only person to have these as I've seen them on files in the "how to store war diaries" thread.:D

    It mentions the award on the second file.
     

    Attached Files:

  3. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  4. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  5. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  6. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  7. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  8. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  9. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  10. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  11. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  12. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  13. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  14. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    From The Pittsburgh Press, August 15, 1940:

    Gets her Daddy’s Victoria Cross

    Seated in the lap of her mother, eight-month-old Carol Nicholls wears the Victoria Cross awarded posthumously to her father, a British Grenadier Guard, for “most conspicuous gallantry” in the evacuation at Dunkerque. King George granted a private audience other widowed mother when he presented the decoration.

    NICHOLLS VC 1.png

    [hr]


    From Ottawa Citizen, September 7, 1940

    Wife Writes To Husband Telling of V.C. Award

    BALTONSBOROUGH, Somerset, England, September 9.-

    Mrs. Harry Nicholls, wife of one of the first men to win the Victoria Cross in this war, has received a telegram from the commanding officer of the GRENADIER GUARDS saying “very pleased to inform you your husband is safe and is reported a prisoner of war.”

    NICHOLLS, who won the award for bravery during the retreat on Dunkerque, had been believed killed.

    His wife immediately wrote him a long letter informing him of the award. She told a reporter: “I don’t suppose Harry knows about the V.C. I want to be the first to tell him.”

    Before joining the army Nicholls lived in Calgary, Alta.

    NICHOLLS VC 2.png

    [hr]


    From The Glasgow Herald, September 9, 1940

    ARMY’S FIRST V.C. OF WAR A PRISONER

    “WIDOW” RECEIVED MEDAL FROM THE KING


    Mrs Nicholls, wife of Lance-Corporal Harry NICHOLLS, of the GRENADIER GAURDS, who on August 6 was received privately by the King to receive the Victoria Cross won by her husband, who was believed to have been killed, received a telegram on Saturday from the Commanding Officer stating:- “Very pleased to inform you your husband is safe and reported a prisoner of war.”

    The telegram added - “Official notification and his address follows by post.”

    Lance-Corporal Nicholls’ award was one of the first two for the Army in the present war. The other recipient was Lieutenant (now Captain) Harold Marcus ERVINE-ANDREWS, East Lancs Regiment, and both were awarded for “most conspicuous gallantry” during the retirement on Dunkirk.

    [hr]

    NICHOLLS VC 3.png

    From The Sydney Morning Herald, September 9, 1940

    V.C. WINNER SAFE.
    Now Reported Prisoner.


    (British Official Wireless)

    LONDON, September 8. -

    The wife of Lance-Corporal Harry NICHOLLS. of the GRENADIER GUARDS, who was awarded the Victoria Cross after he had been reported killed in action in Belgium last May, as now learned that her husband is a prisoner of war.

    Mrs. Nicholls, wearing deep mourning and with her eight-month-old baby daughter in her arms, recently received from the King at Buckingham Palace the Victorial Cross awarded to her husband for gallantry displayed during the evacuation of Dunkirk. His was one of the first two Army V.C.s of the war.

    As reported at the time the decoration was announced, Lance-Corporal Nicholls was leading a section which came under heavy machine-gun fire. Nicholls dashed forward firing from the hip with a Bren gun, and silenced three German machine-guns. He then went on to higher ground and engaged a number of German infantry. Although he was wounded at least four times, his gallantry enabled his company to reach their objective.

    NICHOLLS VC 4.png
     
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  15. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    See linked thread http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/16712-lance-corporal-harry-nicholls-vc-3rd-battalion-grenadier-guards/

    [hr]

    https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34909/supplement/4659
    War Office,
    30th July, 1940.

    His Majesty The KING has been pleased to approve of the award of the Victoria Cross to the undermentioned:—

    No. 2614910 Lance-corporal Harry NICHOLLS, Grenadier Guards.
    On the 21st May, 1940, Lance-corporal Nicholls was commanding a section in the right-forward platoon of his company when the company was ordered to counter-attack. At the very start of the advance he was wounded in the arm by shrapnel, but continued to lead his section forward; as the company came over a small ridge, the enemy opened heavy machine-gun fire at close range.

    Lance-corporal Nicholls, realising the danger to the company, immediately seized a Bren gun and dashed forward towards the machine-guns, firing from the hip. He succeeded in silencing first one machine-gun and then two other machine-guns, in spite of being again severely wounded.

    Lance-corporal Nicholls then went on up to a higher piece of ground and engaged the German infantry massed behind, causing many casualties, and continuing to fire until he had no more ammunition left.
    He was wounded at least four times in all, but absolutely refused to give in. There is no doubt that his gallant action was instru- mental in enabling his company to reach its objective, and in causing the enemy to fall back across the River Scheldt.

    Lance-corporal Nicholls has since been reported to have been killed in action.

    [hr]

    ​From The Pittsburgh Press, August 15, 1940:

    Gets here Daddy’s Victoria Cross

    Seated in the lap of her mother, eight-month-old Carol Nicholls wears the Victoria Cross awarded posthumously to her father, a British Grenadier Guard, for “most conspicuous gallantry” in the evacuation at Dunkerque. King George granted a private audience other widowed mother when he presented the decoration.

    NICHOLLS VC 1.png

    [hr]


    From Ottawa Citizen, September 7, 1940

    Wife Writes To Husband Telling of V.C. Award

    BALTONSBOROUGH, Somerset, England, September 9.-

    Mrs. Harry Nicholls, wife of one of the first men to win the Victoria Cross in this war, has received a telegram from the commanding officer of the GRENADIER GUARDS saying “very pleased to inform you your husband is safe and is reported a prisoner of war.”

    NICHOLLS, who won the award for bravery during the retreat on Dunkerque, had been believed killed.

    His wife immediately wrote him a long letter informing him of the award. She told a reporter: “I don’t suppose Harry knows about the V.C. I want to be the first to tell him.”

    Before joining the army Nicholls lived in Calgary, Alta.

    NICHOLLS VC 2.png

    [hr]


    From The Glasgow Herald, September 9, 1940

    ARMY’S FIRST V.C. OF WAR A PRISONER

    “WIDOW” RECEIVED MEDAL FROM THE KING


    Mrs Nicholls, wife of Lance-Corporal Harry NICHOLLS, of the GRENADIER GAURDS, who on August 6 was received privately by the King to receive the Victoria Cross won by her husband, who was believed to have been killed, received a telegram on Saturday from the Commanding Officer stating:- “Very pleased to inform you your husband is safe and reported a prisoner of war.”

    The telegram added - “Official notification and his address follows by post.”

    Lance-Corporal Nicholls’ award was one of the first two for the Army in the present war. The other recipient was Lieutenant (now Captain) Harold Marcus ERVINE-ANDREWS, East Lancs Regiment, and both were awarded for “most conspicuous gallantry” during the retirement on Dunkirk.

    [hr]

    NICHOLLS VC 3.png

    From The Sydney Morning Herald, September 9, 1940

    V.C. WINNER SAFE.
    Now Reported Prisoner.


    (British Official Wireless)

    LONDON, September 8. -

    The wife of Lance-Corporal Harry NICHOLLS. of the GRENADIER GUARDS, who was awarded the Victoria Cross after he had been reported killed in action in Belgium last May, as now learned that her husband is a prisoner of war.

    Mrs. Nicholls, wearing deep mourning and with her eight-month-old baby daughter in her arms, recently received from the King at Buckingham Palace the Victorial Cross awarded to her husband for gallantry displayed during the evacuation of Dunkirk. His was one of the first two Army V.C.s of the war.

    As reported at the time the decoration was announced, Lance-Corporal Nicholls was leading a section which came under heavy machine-gun fire. Nicholls dashed forward firing from the hip with a Bren gun, and silenced three German machine-guns. He then went on to higher ground and engaged a number of German infantry. Although he was wounded at least four times, his gallantry enabled his company to reach their objective.

    NICHOLLS VC 4.png
     
  16. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    From Liverpool Echo 07 September 1940, via FMP
    Liverpool Echo 07 September 1940, 1.png Liverpool Echo 07 September 1940, 2.png Liverpool Echo 07 September 1940, 3.png Liverpool Echo 07 September 1940, 4.png Liverpool Echo 07 September 1940, 5.png
     
  17. Brian Brock

    Brian Brock New Member

    Does anyone know what POW camps Harry Nicholls was imprisoned in?
     
  18. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Looking at Dilip Sarkar's book , Guards VC page 188 it says he ended up in Stalag XXB , there is a photo of him there dated April 9th 1943.The prisoners were moved from there in January 1945.

    edit: I've just re-read the thread , Stalag XXB was mentioned back in post #36
     
    Last edited: Mar 16, 2018
  19. Littlegriggzy

    Littlegriggzy New Member

    Hello, sorry for the bump but I recently found out my partners great grandad is Harry Nicholls. Thought you'd appreciate these pictures of his VC. Sadly not in our possesion but amazing to see!
     

    Attached Files:

    BFBSM and CL1 like this.
  20. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

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