Henry James Nicholas, VC, MM
© Jennifer Quérée 2007
Henry James Nicholas was born on 11 June 1891 in Lincoln, a small country township near Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand. His parents were Richard Henry Nicholas and Hannah (née Day). Richard Nicholas was born in Cornwall, and he worked at Lincoln as a train engine driver. Other children were Frederick Charles (1887-1951), Ernest (1895-1939, and Mabel May (later Sutton).
The Nicholas family moved into Christchurch before Henry started school and lived in the suburb of Linwood. Henry attended East Christchurch School and later the Christchurch Normal School. On leaving school he was apprenticed as a carpenter to Mr Martin, a builder in St Albans. It was probably at this point that he met Ethel Martin (presumably Mr Martin's daughter), with whom he corresponded during the War, and to whom he appears to have been unofficially engaged. Nicholas was also a member of the No. 1 Company, Field Engineers (Territorials). He was a good sportsman and specialised in boxing, training under Dick Mayze.

After serving his carpentry apprenticeship, he moved to Australia where he worked for about four years, before returning to New Zealand in 1915. He worked for a few months around the Canterbury provincial district before volunteering for active service on 8 Feb 1916, when he was 24 years old. His attestation followed the next day. (His elder brother Frederick had left with the Main Body and was wounded at Gallipoli, and was sent back to New Zealand. His brother Ernest left NZ with the Twelfth Reinforcements.) In his pay book Nicholas gave his religious affiliation as "Spiritualist." After about 15 weeks of elementary military training, Nicholas left NZ as a member of the 13th Reinforcements, which departed Wellington on HM Transport 54, the "Willochra", on 27 May, arriving at Devonport, England on 26 July, 1916.

Private Henry Nicholas arrived with the 13th Reinforcements at Sling Camp, near Bulford, Salisbury Plain, England, on 28 July 1916, to join the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion of the Canterbury Regiment. He would immediately have started a period of hard training, which started at 6.30am and lasted until 9.00pm each day. The camp had good rifle ranges, a live bombing ground and a gas chamber for training in the event of gas attacks. The New Zealand Division The NZ Division had not yet incurred any casualties on the Somme. At that time as it was still in the Northern Zone near Armentieres. It joined Somme Phase lll on 15 September. At that point the training period was reduced to an intensive course lasting between eight to twenty-eight days, and then the men were sent straight to France.

Nicholas was sent to France on on 29 August. He marched immediately into the NZ Infantry and General Base Depot at Etaples for further training, before going forward to 1st Canterbury on 22 September, to join the 12th (Nelson) Company of the Canterbury Regiment. Almost immediately he was attached to 1st Machine-Gun Company (24 September) until 27 October 1916. At that date the Company left the Somme and was back up in the Sailly-sur-la-Lys sector, and, at the end of February 1917, in the sector before Messines and at Ploegsteert Wood, where the Canterbury Battalions were engaged in trench warfare over the winter of 1916-17.

On 7th June 1917 the Canterbury Battalions took part in the successful attack on the very strong defensive position on Messines Ridge.
They continued fighting in the Messines sector until the beginning of September 1917 when they were moved back from the battle zone for 3 weeks special training in preparation for became known as the Third Battle of Ypres. However, from 7 to 20 September 1917 Nicholas was detached to a Rest Camp, and from 30 Sep to 25 October attached to a Reinforcement Camp. He rejoined 1st Canterbury on the latter date by which time they were well clear of the battlefield at Lottinghem, near Boulogne.

Not all of the time was spent in the trenches. An incomplete diary for 1917, sent to him from New Zealand by either a relative or a lady friend called Mildred, records the events in a sporting competition in mid September, probably during the time when his Battalion was in special training (as above). These included running and sprinting races, long jump and high jump, a boat race, tug of war (“1 team per coy [company]”), a relay race, “Bomb throwing 3 throws each”, and a pillow fight on a greasy pole.
This diary also contains a number of names and addresses of other men in the New Zealand and Australian forces (including his younger brother Ernest who was in the New Zealand Rifle Brigade), family and friends in New Zealand, as well as people whom he had presumably met or visited in England and Scotland while on leave; these included families and single ladies.
In late November the 1st and 2nd Canterbury Battalions joined the 3rd Canterbury Battalion in the line in the Polygon Wood sector of the Ypres salient. “The winter was a time of great hardship, trenches were mere ditches, the whole area for miles back was a churned mass of water-filled shell holes and the communications were mostly open to enemy fire. On 3 December the 1st Battalion attacked the Polderhoek Chateau spur.” (Together Onward - E G Latter, 2RNZIR King Edward Barracks, Christchurch, 1970 (1st edition), pg.39)
It was during this action that Private Nicholas won the Canterbury Regiment’s first Victoria Cross. The original commendation, written in a field notebook by his commanding officer, Lieutenant H. Johnston of the 12th Nelson Company, reads:
“24213 Pt. Henry James Nicholas
When his section was being held up by heavy Machine Gun and Rifle fire from an enemy strongpoint on 3/12/17, he unassisted rushed the position, threw a bomb which inflicted several casualties, shot the officer from the parapet, then entered the position and rushed the remaining occupants with the bayonet. His action was one of unexemplified bravery, which resulted in the capture of the Machine Gun, 4 wounded prisoners, and the killing of 1 officer & 10 huns. His fearless example and devotion to duty, commands him to special recognition.”
The official citation for the Victoria Cross, gazetted in the London Times, 8 January 1918, reads:
“War Office, 11th January, 1918.
His Majesty the King has been pleased to approve of the award of the Victoria Cross to the under mentioned Officers, Non-commissioned Officers, and Men, for the most conspicuous bravery: -
No. 24213 Pte. Henry James Nicholas, New Zealand Infantry
For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty, in attack. Private Nicholas, who was one of a Lewis-gun section, had orders to form a defensive flank to the right of the advance, which was subsequently checked by heavy machine-gun and rifle fire from an enemy strong point. Whereupon, followed by the remainder of his section at an interval of about 25 yards, Private Nicholas rushed forward alone, shot the officer in command of the strongpoint, and overcame the remainder of the garrison of sixteen by means of bombs and bayonet, capturing four wounded prisoners and a machine gun. He captured the strongpoint practically single-handed and thereby saved many casualties. Subsequently, when the advance had reached its limit, Private Nicholas collected ammunition under heavy machine-gun and rifle fire. His exceptional valour and coolness throughout the operations afforded an inspiring example to all.”

Nicholas was on leave from 10-27 December, having been promoted to the rank of Corporal on 3 December, following his actions at Polderhoek. On his promotion his pay increased from two shillings per week to two shillings and ninepence. In 1961, a comrade of Nicholas, Joe Baigent, stated that Nicholas was gassed shortly after the Polderhoek action and spent some time in hospital at Walton-on-Thames, England, and this may account for his leave absence. (According to John Gray, "there is no reference in his records to being gassed. Gassing is a wound not a sickness. The wounds panel in Nicholas' History Sheet is empty. On the other hand there are several entries in the Sickness panel."

He was back in France from 28 December 1916 until 28 June 1917 when again he went on leave in England. He was promoted to Lance Sergeant on 21 May with a pay increase to three shillings and threepence per day. His rank was raised to Sergeant on 28 May and his pay increased to three shillings and sixpence per day. Note: these are net rates after the 3/- per day allotment to his mother.

He was admitted to 2NZGH at Walton-on-Thames, Surrey from 8 July to 7 August 1918 for tonsillitis. On 11 July he was formally invested with the Victoria Cross by King George V, in London. He was visited at the Walton-on-Thames Hospital by the New Zealand Premier, Sir Joseph Ward, and photographed with him and other official visitors - these photos were later published in one of the New Zealand newspapers, courtesy of a comrade from Christchurch Sgt. Newman (who appears in one of the photos.) On 12th July he attended an “Entertainment to Wounded and Other Soldiers”, given by the United Wards Club of the city of London, at the “Kursino”, Hampton Court. On 8 August 1918 he deposited his Victoria Cross for safekeeping with the New Zealand Record Office in Southampton Row, London. He also paid a visit to Spink & Son, in Piccadilly, to order a miniature medal, probably for the VC. He also may have visited a photographer, Swaine, in New Bond Street at this time. It is probable that this was for his official photograph, wearing the Victoria Cross. He was also in the NZ Convalescent Depot at Codford, from 22 to 29 August 1918.

Sometime in 1918, after being presented with the VC, he was runner-up in the Divisional Middleweight Boxing Championships.

Nicholas was recommended for the Military Medal for action on 29 September 1918, during the successful action of the NZ Division in
breaching the Hindenburg Line. The Official Citation reads:
"Operations on Welsh and Bon Avis Ridges - 28th September to 1st October 1918.
For fearless leadership and contempt of danger during the operations - particularly on 29th September when after a successful advance, his company's flank was in the air and position critical. By skilful handling and heroic example, he inspired his men and so enabled his half-platoon to break an enemy attack of superior numbers. The success of the operations was in a considerable measure, due to his great example and contempt of danger."

The award of the medal was announced on 14 October at Beauvois, where the whole of 2nd Infantry Brigade, including 1st Canterbury was concentrated in reserve. It was there from 10 to 22 October inclusive.

Henry Nicholas’s life came to an end three weeks before the First World War ended. His company had been involved in the fight for the bridgeheads at the River Ecaillon near the village of Beaudignies on 23 October 1918, and had been under heavy machine gun fire from the high ground east of Le Quesnoy. However, Nicholas was hit by a stray bullet while returning to camp - he was the only one killed. Nicholas was buried on 29 October 1918 by the Bishop of Nelson at Vertigneul Churchyard, Romeries.

He is commemorated in Christchurch, New Zealand, in a headstone on the Bromley cemetery plot that is shared with his mother, Hannah, who died in 1932, his older brother Frederick Charles (1887-1951) and his younger brother Ernest (1895-1939).
In March 2007, Henry James Nicholas VC, MM, was publicly recognised for the first time in New Zealand in a sculpture of him as young man in uniform, gazing up at the Bridge of Remembrance which in turns commemorates so many of his comrades and fellow countrymen who lost their lives in the two World Wars.