NICHOLSON, Donald
| Service Number: | 986 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 September 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 7th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | St Arnaud, Victoria, Australia, 23 August 1892 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Tank Sinker |
| Died: | Malaena , Renmark, South Australia, 15 September 1965, aged 73 years |
| Cemetery: |
Renmark Cemetery, S.A. Section P, Plot 156 |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 18 Sep 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, 986, 7th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 986, 7th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Hororata embarkation_ship_number: A20 public_note: '' | |
| 19 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 986, 7th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Hororata, Melbourne | |
| 17 Nov 1916: | Discharged AIF WW1, 986, 7th Infantry Battalion | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Private, 986 |
Help us honour Donald Nicholson's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Paul Lemar
Donald was born in St Arnaud, Victoria on the 23rd of August 1892. He had a large number of brothers, sisters, half-brothers and half-sisters.
Donald NICHOLSON married Linda Metzena KOOP in 1924. There was one son to the marriage.
Donald died at Renmark on the 15th of September 1965, at the age of 74.
Military
Donald enlisted in the AIF at Broadmeadows, Victoria on 18.09.1914 and was given service number 986. He gave his next of kin as his mother Mrs. NICHOLSON of Pearcedale, Victoria. He was attached to the 7th Battalion.
He embarked with the battalion on 19.10.1914 travelling to Egypt where they disembarked on 02.12.1914. After training in Egypt, Donald NICHOLSON, with the 7th Battalion were in the initial landings at Gallipoli on 25.04.1915. On 05.05.1915, the battalion was sent to Cape Hellas where Pte NICHOLSON, during the battle of Krithia, was badly wounded with a gunshot wound to his left arm. As a result, he was evacuated to Malta then to England for treatment.
As a result, he was invalided back to Australia arriving in Melbourne on 21 December, 1915 where he underwent further medical treatment. He was discharged as medically unfit for service on 17.11.1916. He was granted a military pension of 2 pounds per fortnight from 18.11.1916.
On 17.10.1917, he again enlisted in the AIF as D.M. NICHOLSON and was given a new service number of V70758. He recorded his next of kin as his mother Mrs. Annie PERRY of Pearcedale, Victoria. He was posted to the 31st reinforcements of the 8th Light Horse Regiment. On re-joining the AIF his original pension was cancelled.
Unfortunately, he is recorded as having deserted on 27.02.1918.
He was awarded the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
In World War 2, he saw 2 months service in the militia (10th Provost Company) as Lance Corporal D.M. NICHOLSON service number V82860 having enlisted on 06.02.1940.
He stated he was divorced and gave his next of kin as his son Ronald NICHOLSON of Ceres, Victoria.
He was discharged from the militia on 09.04.1940 ‘on account of misconduct’. He did however qualify for the 1939-45 Australian Service Medal but there is no record as to whether this medal was ever claimed. Not known if any family member/s claimed the Gallipoli 50th anniversary medal issued in 1965. These medals are still available if unclaimed.
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