NICHOLL, John William
| Service Numbers: | 3587, 3587A |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 6 August 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 53rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Yarraman, New South Wales, Australia , 1 April 1880 |
| Home Town: | St Peters (NSW), Inner West Council, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Quirindi Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Tramway Fettler |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 19 July 1916, aged 36 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" V.C. Corner (Panel No 8), Australian Cemetery Memorial, Fromelles, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Tamworth ANZAC Park Memorial Gates, V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 6 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3587 | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Dec 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3587, 17th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Dec 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3587, 17th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Sydney | |
| 19 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3587A, 53rd Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix), --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3587A awm_unit: 53rd Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-07-19 |
Help us honour John William Nicholl's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
The son of William and Sarah Nicholl; husband of Rachel Nicholl, of 33, Albert St., Redfern, New South Wales. ‘Jack’ Nicholls was 36 years of age when he was killed at Fromelles.
John was reported missing at Fromelles 19 July 1916 and wasn’t confirmed as killed in action on the above date until September 1917. His wife kept in constant touch with Base Records for many years, and she finally received the last of his medals during 1924.
His brother 954 Tpr. Arthur Richard Nicholl 1st Australian Light Horse Regiment, served at Gallipoli and died of wounds in Egypt 22 January 1917, aged 30.
Another brother, 1562 Private Percy Nicholl 6th Light Horse Regiment also served in the Middle East and was returned to Australia medically unfit during July 1917.
Biography contributed by John Oakes
John William NICHOLL was born at Yarraman, NSW, on 1st April 1880 and he went to school at nearby Quirindi. On 9th October 1909 he joined the NSW Government Railways as a labourer (temporary) in the Tramways Maintenance Branch based at Sydney. His position was made permanent on 23rd March 1912. On 16th August 1915 he was released from duty to join the Expeditionary Forces.
John enlisted in the AIF on 16th August 1915 as a Private (Service Number 3587). He was initially allocated to the Special Tramway Reinforcements but on 6th September 1915 was re-assigned to the 8th Reinforcements to the 17th Infantry Battalion. He nominated his wife, Rachel, as his next of kin. At the time he enlisted the couple were living at St Peters in Sydney but after he enlisted, she changed address quite often. Her address was at Enmore, Newtown, and Redfern in Sydney, and at Attunga, NSW, at various times over the next eight years.
He embarked for Egypt aboard HMAT A60 ‘Aeneas’ at Sydney on 20th December 1915.On 5th April 1916 he was transferred to the 53rd Infantry Battalion which was then based at Ismailia (Egypt). On 9th April 1916 his Service Number was changed to 3587A.
On 19th June 1916, John embarked at Alexandria for France, disembarking at Marseilles on 28th June 1916.
On 19th July 1916 he was reported as missing in action at Fromelles. A Court of Enquiry held over a year later, on 2nd September 1917, determined that he had been killed in action on the date he was reported missing.
A deposition in John’s Red Cross Enquiry file prepared from information provided by Corporal A K McDonald (3581) of the same unit states:
‘I am pretty sure that John Nicholl … was reported by the Military as killed. I heard that a shell hit several other men at the same time and he was blown to pieces. … We went over at 6 p.m. on July 19th at Fromelles. We took a German trench and held it through the night, but we returned to our own lines at day-break.’
John is commemorated at VC Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial, Fromelles, Lille, Nord Pas de Calais, France. His place of association is St Peters, Sydney, NSW.
After his death his widow, then living at Newtown, was awarded a pension of £2 per fortnight with effect from 30th October 1916.
John’s brother, Trooper Arthur Richard Nicholl (954) also died in WW I. He was in the 1st Australian Light Horse and he died of his wounds in Egypt on 22nd January 1917.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
Note: the NAA has his SN as 3587.
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