NICHOLS, William Bertie
| Service Number: | 3160 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 2 October 1916, Inverell, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 34th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Dinton Vale, New South Wales, 4 January 1890 |
| Home Town: | Inverell, Inverell, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Store keeper |
| Died: | Drowned, Ashford, New South Wales, 18 August 1949, aged 59 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Bonshaw and District Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 2 Oct 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3160, 54th Infantry Battalion, Inverell, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Nov 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3160, 54th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Suevic embarkation_ship_number: A29 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Nov 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3160, 54th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suevic, Sydney | |
| 28 Apr 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 62nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 1 Sep 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 35th Infantry Battalion | |
| 12 Oct 1917: | Wounded 1st Passchendaele, GSW Head (serious) | |
| 26 Jun 1918: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 34th Infantry Battalion | |
| 4 Sep 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 3160, 34th Infantry Battalion |
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"LIFE IN CAMP.DINTON VALEITE'S ACCOUNT. INVERELL'S GOOD NAME.
Private W. B Nichols writes from Perham Downs, under date 5/5/17, as follows to Mr. E. C. Cashmore, of Dinton Vale: —
"I am O.K. at present, but was pretty crook a month or so back. I am still on the Plains, getting plenty of drill. The cold weather played up with me when I arrived in England, but the conditions are much better now. Farming is in full swing. Potatoes are the principal crop here. A great many women are employed on the farms; it looks dead funny to see them harrowing, but the poor beggars must do something for a living. I was transferred from the 8th reinforcements of the 54th into the 62nd Battalion, in the Sixth Division, which has been formed lately, so I am in the original 62nd. I don't know what our colors will be. The 62nd is mostly comprised of men who have seen action and reinforcement of various battalions. All my Inverell mates are somewhere in France. I would have liked to have got away with them. S. Forsyth was well when I saw him last; he is a splendid shot now, and would make things lively on the old Dinton Vale range in a prize shoot. I have had pretty stiff luck in a way since I left. I had about five weeks at Capetown with mumps, and when I arrived in England I was picked to go to a Lewis machine gun school. I passed the examination alright, but I don't go on the job, which would draw too many of old Fritz's big shells, or perhaps a blacksmith's shop or munition factory. When I came back from the school I was ill with bronchitis, and was sent to hospital for a month, and lost a lot of drill, which has got a lot to do with my being separated from the Irrverell boys. However, one can't do what he wishes in the army. I am playing the game as far as possible, and have not been crimed as yet, bul I often give a lot of back answers. I had dozens of chances to try for an N.C.O., but stripes are no good to me; one would never get a minute to himself. I am fully trained now, and was on draft for France a couples of times, but was pulled out. Long before this letter reaches you I will be having a splash at Fritz. By all accounts he has been getting the hoops tightened on him lately.
I have had a good look round since I have been in England, and no doubt there are some sights to be seen, but running about costs money. Everything is a terrible price here. I am sick of camp life. We are living in tents at present, which are not quite as comfortable as the old hut. The cold winds and dust have been bad these last few days. I have seen dozens of Inverell boys over here; wherever I go I meet them. They all have a good name. We don't get a chance to have much drink here, but I have turned the game up myself. We had a good day's sport at Hurdcott on Anzac Day. The grounds were well done up with flags, and the programme was a long one. I had the luck to win the sack tournament, and was second in another event. B Company was second in the tug-o'-war: I was among them, and the smallest in the team. You won't have much trouble with numbers of the Pinion Vale Rifle Club, showing them positions to shoot and so on, if we have the luck to have a shot on the old range again. I suppose you remember the night you were giving the rifle drill in the old card room. It's like putting my hat on now, and am fairly sick of it. I was at the big review at Lark Hill; the march past was good, and a great sight. The Light Horse looked splendid, but there are only a few here. I met H. Wyndham, but did not have time to have a talk with him. Sometimes when I got into some of the towns about here my arms fairly ache saluting officers; they are very strict about saluting. The Tommies haven't much time for us, and we are the same with them. I must say the Tommy takes more interest in his drill than we do. Most of the Australians think anything will do, but they are there when they are wanted. They have had great praise in this struggle. Remember me to all old friends." - from the Inverell Times 10 Jul 1917 (nla.gov.au)
"TAMWORTH, Friday.- The body of a man, with a stone attached to the neck with a piece of wire, was taken from the Fraser Creek, a tributary of the Macintyre, near Ashford to-day. The body was that of William Bertie Nichols, 59, of Ashford. He had been reported missing yesterday and police commenced a search almost immediately. Nichols served in the last war." - from the Newcastle Morning Herald 20 Aug 1949 (nla.gov.au)