Harry Nicholls
He was educated at Bosworth School, Meadows, Nottingham and then worked at Burroughs Adding Machines, Arkwright Street, Nottingham.
Nicholls left the army in 1946 but dizzines caused by an old head wound made work difficult and he left 4 jobs, including being a boxing instructor at Butlins, Filey (where John Joseph Caffrey VC also worked) within a few months. He was employed for a time as a bank commissionaire in Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) before returning to the UK in 1952.
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
He was the son of John and Florence May Nicholls and the brother of Florence May, Joseph Henry, Sophia Elizabeth, Ivy, John Henry, Ethel May and Harold Nicholls. In 1939, they lived at 8, Hope Street, Castleton Street, King's Meadow Road, Meadows, Nottingham. In 1937, Harry Nicholls and Cosntance May Carroll (1919-1997) were married at Nottingham. They were to have two sons, one of whom only lived a few hours, and a daughter.
Harry Nicholls died 11/9/1975 and was buried with full military honours at Wilford Hill (Grave Reference: L 34).
Nicholls was awarded a VC for bravery at the beginning of the Dunkirk retreat. 'On 21 May 1940 near the River Escaut, in the village of Esquelmes north of Tournai for 6 km in Belgium, Lance-Corporal Nicholls, although suffering from shrapnel wounds in his arm, continued to lead his section in a counterattack against overwhelming opposition. He advanced over a ridge and when the position became critical, he rushed forward, putting three enemy machine-guns out of action. He then attacked massed enemy infantry beyond a second ridge until his ammunition ran out and he was taken prisoner.' (Wikipedia)
Nicholls was posted killed in action and his wife Costance received his VC from the king 6/8/1940. Upon his safe return in 1945, the honour was re-presented to him 22/6/1945 - believed to be the only instance of Britain's highest military honour being officially conferred twice. (The Germans had also presented him with a VC ribbon during his captivity.)
In September 1940, his family was informed thet Nicholls had survived as a P.O.W. in Stalag 20A and 20B in Poland. As the Germans fled west in 1945, he was moved on January 22nd, arriving at Brunswick in May before liberation by the US Army.
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Headstone of Harry Nicholls
Photo: David Nunn
Harry and Constance Nicholls with their daughter Pamela outside Nottingham's Council House before a reception to welcome Nicholls home from captivity.
Nottingham Evening Post 22/6/1945