Description
1914-15 Star, British War & Victory Medal, with MID Oakleaf, Captain John Oliver Nicolls, 58th Vaughan’s Rifles, Killed in Action on First Day of Battle of Loos, posthumous Mentioned in Despatches.
Star officially impressed: “Lieut J.O. Nicolls. 58-Rifles”
Pair officially impressed: “Capt J.O. Nicolls.”
Captain John Olier Nicolls, was an Officer of the 58th Vaughan’s Rifles (Frontier Force) part of the Indian Army serving in France.
He was killed in action during the fighting on 1st Day of the Battle of Loos, 25th September 1915, aged 26.
His body was not recovered leading him to be commemorated on Panel 23 to 25 of the Neuve-Chapelle Memorial.
Capt Nicolls was one of the 58th Rifle’s 6 British Officers along with 3 Indian Officers killed on the day.
Throughout the war the 58th Rifles lost 35 British Officers and 11 Indian killed in action.
The battle was a slaughter for the regiment, losing most of their Officers, including their brave Commanding Officer Lieut-Colonel C.E.D. Davidson-Houston DSO, who had recently been decorated with the DSO.
His obituary in the Kentish Independent, 8th Oct 1915 reads:
“Lieutenant John Oliver Nicolls, who was killed in action, aged 26 years, was the only son of the late Joseph Albert Clinton Nicholls, Superintendent Engineers Public Works Department, India, and Mrs Nicolls, 31 Blackheath Park.”
John Oliver Nicolls was born in India on 6th May 1889, and baptised at All Saints, Cawnpore on 12th June.
The son of at the time Executive Engineer of the Engineer Dept Joseph Richard Clinton Nicolls and Carline Milly Nicolls.
He received his initial education at Gore Court in Sittingbourne, followed by Bradfield College, a boarding school in Berkshire.
Following that he prepared for a career in the Army at Sandhurst, as a King’s India Cadet.
Receiving his commission as 2nd Lieutenant from the Royal Military College to the Indian Army dated 9th September 1908.
Being promoted to Lieutenant with the 58th Rifles dated 9th December 1910.
John never lived to see his promotion to Captain, it being awarded to him posthumously.
It was announced in the London Gazette 28th July 1916: Lieutenants to be Temporary Captains: “John Oliver Nicolls, 58th Vaughan’s Rifles (Frontier Force) Since killed in action.”
The London Gazette of 6th April 1917, notes him as “Lieutenant (Temporary Captains) to be Captains from 1st September 1915, but without pay or allowances before 1st September 1916” making him a posthumous Captain.
Nicolls is mentioned a few times in the regimental history: “A Record of the 58th Rifles F.F. In The Great War”
He is first mentioned at the beginning of the war on the very first page, where they write that “Captain A.A. Smith was detailed to command the Depot assisted by Lieutenant J.O. Nicolls. The depot was to be formed at Chaman for the time being, with the prospect of being subsequently moved to Multan.”
He is next mentioned on an entry joining the regiment with reinforcements:
“On the 17th August 1915, a draft consisting of Lieutenant J.O. Nicolls, 2nd Lt J.W.E. Jamieson IARO, 3 Indian Officers and 213 other ranks joined the Battalion. Of these 2 Indian Officers and 88 other ranks were of the 54th Sikhs F.F. the remainder being form our own Depot in India. This draft was of good physique, well trained, and for above the average of recent reinforcements from various sources.”
They then write of his services at the Battle of Loos where he was killed.
A full account of the Battle from the regimental history will be placed below, his entries follow:
“At 6.15am No II Company (P.M.) under Lieutenant NICOLLS on the left – and No IV Company (P.M.s of the 123rd Rifles) under Captain Mackenzie, and 2nd Lieut C.M. Durnford on the right, crossed the parapet and advanced some 400 yards. No II Company here went ahead, and No IV Company, whose commander, Captain Mackenzie was now Missing, stayed on the line marked A-A on the Map IV, where they commenced to dig in.
Whilst advancing alone to reconnoitre a trench to his front, LIEUTENANT NICOLLS was killed by a bomb: this was at the bend of the Winchester Road, marked ‘C’ on the sketch.”
They later write that due to heavy casualties to the officers present “the above account of this disastrous action is necessarily incomplete and unconnected owing to the loss of all British and Indian Officers who were in a position to give a connected account of what orders were given and what actually took place. The whole of the battalion headquarters were killed or missing and with them all orders and papers received and issued from the time the action started.”
They write in an analysis:
“1.) There was no organised method of Mopping Up the captures trenches as the front line advanced such as became a ‘sine qua non’ in all attack orders later on.
The line appear to have advanced as far as possible without clearing the trenches of enemy, of whom a large number must have remained concealed at odd times, especially during the enemy counter-attack and caused us considerable loss.
LIEUTENANT NICOLLS was certainly killed by enemy in a trench which the first line has passed over: and Capt Mackenzie also, who with an orderly, had gone down a side trench to reconnoitre: and neither were ever seen again.”
Account of the Battle of Loos from the regimental history:
“On the 22nd September confidential orders were received for operations which were to commence on the 25th at dawn. These operations, known afterwards at the Battle of Loos—cost the Indian Corps in general, and the Bareilly Brigade in particular exceedingly heavy losses.
On the evening of the 24th September the Battalion which was in Brigade Reserve relieved the 9th Gurkhas in Ind 5 “B” sub-section—its strength being, British officers 9, Indian officers 12, other ranks 581. At about 5.50 a.m. on the 25th September—the front line of the Bareilly Brigade, consisting (from left to right) of the Black Watch, the 1/4th Black Watch (Territorials) and the 69th Punjabis, advanced to the attack. The orders for the 58th Rifles were to occupy the front line held by the Black Watch immediately that Battalion went over the parapet. This was done: the line being occupied by about 6 a.m. The initial attack was most successful: in fact, so far did our first line advance that it was very shortly out of sight.
At 6.15 a.m. No. II Company (P.M.) under Lieutenant Nicolls on the left—and No. IV Company (P.Ms. of the 123rd Rifles) under Captain Mackenzie, and 2nd-Lieutenant C. M. Durnford on the right, crossed the parapet and advanced some 400 yards. No. II Company here went ahead, and No. IV Company, whose commander, Captain Mackenzie was now “missing”, stayed on the line marked “A—A” on map IV, where they commenced to dig in. Whilst advancing alone to reconnoitre a trench to his front Lieutenant Nicolls was killed by a bomb: this was at the bend of the Winchester road, marked “C” on the sketch.
No. I Company (Pathans) under Captain Wardell and 2nd-Lieutenant Deane-Spread and No. III Company (Sikhs and Dogras) under Captains Harcourt and Flagg, together with Battalion headquarters, now came up and pushed through Nos. II and IV Companies: and working up the communication trench east of point “C”, reached the German second line, which they occupied on the line “B—B” and began to consolidate. Here it became apparent that the attack of the Garhwal Brigade, on the right of the Bareilly Brigade, had failed to make sufficient ground for the Bareilly Brigade to advance further without unduly exposing its right flank. At about 10.30 a.m. parties of the 12th Rifle Brigade, whose rôle, it was understood, was to form a defensive flank on the left of the Bareilly Brigade, began to come upon the “right” of No. IV Company and an order was heard “12th Rifle Brigade close on your right”. This Battalion appears to have closed on its right, exposing our left flank—and very shortly afterwards the enemy heavily attacked this flank, and our line began to fall back. No. II Company, under Subadar Tikka Khan, made great efforts to hold up the enemy but expended all their bombs and all the enemy bombs (about 35) which they could find. The enemy’s attack was well organised and vigorously pushed and by noon there was nothing left but to get back to the original line in as good order as possible. On muster being taken it was found that 8 British and and 6 Indian officers and 246 other ranks were killed, wounded or missing. The remainder of the Battalion under 2nd-Lieutenant C. M. Durnford (the sole surviving British officer of those who had gone into action) was relieved in trenches at 6 a.m. on the 26th September and marched back to billets at Pont-du-Hem.”
