Lance Corporal

HARRY NICHOLLS, VC.

BORN: April 1918, The Meadows, Nottingham.

SERVED: 3^rd Battalion Grenadier Guards.

DATE OF GAZETTE: 30^th July, 1940.

V.C. CITATION: On the 21st May, 1940, near the River Escaut, in the village of Esquelmes north of Tournai,  6 km in Belgium, Lance-Corporal Nicholls was commanding a section in the right-forward Platoon of his Company, when the Company was ordered to counter-attack. At the very start of the advance he was wounded in the arm by shrapnel, but continued to lead his Section forward; as the Company came over a small ridge, the enemy opened up with heavy machine-gun fire at close range.

Lance-Corporal Nicholls, realising the danger to the Company, immediately seized a Bren gun and dashed forward towards the machine guns, firing from the hip. He succeeded in silencing first one machine-gun
and then two other machine guns, in spite of being again severely wounded.

Lance-Corporal Nicholls then went on up to a higher piece of ground and engaged the German infantry massed behind, causing many casualties, and continuing to fire until he had no more ammunition left.
He was wounded at least four times in all, but absolutely refused to give in. There is no doubt that his gallant action was instrumental in enabling his Company to reach its objective, and in causing the enemy to fall back across the River Scheldt.

Lance-Corporal Nicholls had been reported as being killed in action, but was actually captured when he ran out of ammunition. He survived the war.

He was awarded the V.C. posthumously, as he was believed missing and presumed dead. He was later notified of his award by the Camp Commandant of Stalag XXA Prisoner of War Camp.

He later collected his V.C. in person from King George VI in June, 1945.

DIED: 11^thSeptember, 1975, in Leeds.

BURIED: Wilford Hill Cemetery, Nottingham

The family of Harry have just renewed the family headstone, and have included a VC engraved in the top right corner, and a portrait of him in the left hand corner.

 His medals, including the Victoria Cross, are held by the Grenadier Guards who also presented a special plaque to Bosworth Road School, Nottingham, where he was educated. He died on 11^th September, 1975.

Medal entitlement

Victoria Cross

1939 - 1945 Star

Defence Medal 1939 - 1945

War Medal 1939 - 1945

Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 1953

Left the Nicholls family old headstone, right the new headstone erected late 2010, below the top right hand corner shownig the VC

This painting was commissioned by RHQ Grenadier Guards.