William Nicholson, 1st Baron Nicholson
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Field Marshal Sir William Gustavus Nicholson, 1st Baron Nicholson GCB (2 March 1845—13 September 1918), was an officer of the British Army who, in a half-century of service, rose through the ranks in India and the Boer War to the rank of Field Marshal. After retirement, he was called for final duty in World War I.
William Nicholson was born at the family estate of Roundhay Park, Leeds, the youngest son of William Nicholson Phillips of Leeds, who had in 1827 assumed the surname and arms of Nicholson. In 1863 he graduated from Leeds Grammar School and entered the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, where he was awarded the Pollock Medal the following year. On 21 March 1865 he gained a commission as a Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers, training at Chatham, Kent. From 1868-1871 he was employed on coastal fortification work in Barbados, West Indies. Following this he was posted to India, with the Public Works Department at Hyderabad, the Punjab Irrigation Branch, and at Rawalpindi and Peshawar on barrack work and the construction of Army waterworks. In 1871 he married Victoria Dillon.
On 16 March 1878 Nicholson was promoted to the rank of Captain, and posted to Afghanistan, seeing service in the Second Anglo-Afghan War. He served in the first campaign as Field Engineer, Kandahar Field Force from 10 October 1879 to 5 March 1879, and as Royal Engineers Commander for the Thal-Chotiali Field Force from 6 March to 30 April 1879. During the second campaign of the war he served first as Field Engineer, 1st Division, Kabul Field Force from 23 September 1879 until 7 August 1880, being present at the action near Surkai Kotal on 14 October 1879, the defence of the Shutargardan in October 1879, and the defence of the Lataband in December 1879. He then served as Field Engineer, Kabul-Kandahar Field Force, taking part in the advance to the relief of Kandahar, and being present at the battle of Kandahar. During the Afghanistan campaigns he was four times mentioned in despatches, was awarded a campaign medal with three clasps, and promoted to the brevet rank of Major.
In 1880 he was appointed Secretary of the Defence Committee at Simla, and promoted to Major the following year. His time as secretary was interrupted by service in Egypt in 1882, where he served with the Indian contingent in the Egyptian Campaign. His force made a successful flanking movement at the battle of Tel-el-Kebir and opened up the way to Cairo by cutting the enemy’s railway system near Zagazig, where Nicholson, then with the cavalry, captured four trains under steam, which were later used to transport British Infantry. His efforts earned him another campaign medal with clasp, the Order of Osmanieh, and the Khedive’s star.
In 1885-86 he served as Assistant Adjutant General, Royal Engineers in Bengal. Service in the Third Burmese War, which stamped out the guerrilla activities that followed the overthrow of King Thibaw Min, earned Nicholson further honours and the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
On 1 July 1890 Nicholson was appointed Military Secretary to Lord Roberts, Commander-in-Chief in India. The following year he was knighted, being created a Companion of the Bath, and promoted to Colonel. He was employed with the Military Works Department, India as a Chief Engineer until 1895, when he was appointed Deputy Adjutant General for the Punjab, with rank of Brigadier General, under Lieutenant General Sir William Lockhart.
Nicholson saw service on the North West Frontier of India, at Tirah in 1897-98. He was mentioned in despatches, awarded a campaign medal with two clasps, and elevated to Knight Commander of the Bath. He was Adjutant General in India from 1898-99.
He was again appointed as Military Secretary to Lord Roberts, now Commander-in-Chief in South Africa during the Second Boer War. While serving as a local Major General, Nicholson was mentioned in Lord Roberts’ despatch dated 31 March 1900. In this despatch Lord Roberts wrote, "...Colonel Sir W. Nicholson (local Major-Gen.), R.E., undertook, at my request, organisation of a transport department in the limited time available; he performed this duty with conspicuous ability."
He was present at Paardeberg and at the actions at Poplar Grove, Driefontein, Vet and Zand Rivers, and in operations near Johannesburg, Pretoria and Diamond Hill, and in the operations in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, during the latter half of 1900. During part of the time he was employed on Intelligence work, in addition to other duties. On 4 November 1901 he was promoted to Lieutenant General and made Director General of Mobilization and Military Intelligence.
From 1904-05 Nicholson was Chief Military Attaché to the Japanese Army in Manchuria, later appointed Quartermaster General of the Army and Member of the Army Council. He was promoted to General on 23 October 1907. In 1908 he was appointed as Chief of the General Staff and first Chief of the Imperial General Staff, and created Knight Grand Cross of the Bath.
In 1911 he received promotion to Field Marshal, before retiring in 1912. He was raised to the Peerage as Baron Nicholson of Roundhay, Yorkshire. As World War I erupted, he returned to duty at the age of sixty nine. From Autumn 1914 he served on the Committee of Imperial Defence, investigating the conduct of operations in Gallipoli and Mesopotamia. His other duties included those of Chairman of the Territorial Forces Association for London. In 1916 he was appointed Colonel Commandant, Royal Engineers.
Less than two months before Armistice Day, William Nicholson died in his home at 15 Pont Street, London. He was seventy three years old and left no heirs.
[edit] Decorations and Campaign Medals
- Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (G.C.B.), 1908.
- Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (K.C.B.), 1898.
- Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.), 1891.
- Afghanistan 1878-1880 Medal with clasps [CHARASIA][KABUL][KANDAHAR].
- Egypt 1882 Medal with clasp [TEL-EL-KEBIR].
- India General Service Medal 1854 with clasp [BURMA 1883-6].
- India General Service Medal 1895 with clasps [PUNJAB FRONTIER 1897-98][TIRAH 1897-98]
- Queen’s South Africa Medal with 5 clasps
- Turkish Order of Osmanieh, 4th Class
- Khedive’s Star
- Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun
- Japanese War Medal
[edit] References
- Connolly, T.W.J., Roll of Officers of the Corps of Royal Engineers from 1660 to 1898, The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, 1898
- Hart, H.G., The New Annual Army List, 1885, John Murray, London, 1885
- Hart, H.G., The New Annual Army List, 1893, John Murray, London, 1893
- Hart, H.G., The New Annual Army List, 1909, John Murray, London, 1909
- Shadbolt, S.H., The Afghan Campaigns of 1878-1880, J.B. Hayward & Son, London
- Army and Navy Gazette, South African War Honours & Awards, 1899-1902, Arms and Armour Press, London, 1979
- Maurice, J.F., Military History of the Campaign of 1882 in Egypt, J.B. Hayward & Son, London, 1973
- Creswicke, L., South Africa and the Transvaal War, Volume VI, T.C. & E.C. Jack, Edinburgh, 1901
- Vibart, H.M., Addiscombe: Its Heroes and Men of Note, Archibald Constable and Co., Westminster, 1894
- The Sapper (Regimental Journal of the Corps of Royal Engineers) Vol. II, No. 6, November 1964
- Who Was Who, 1916-1928 A. & C. Black, London, 1947
| Military Offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Neville Lyttleton |
Chief of the General Staff 1908 |
Succeeded by Position abolished |
| Preceded by New position |
Chief of the Imperial General Staff 1908–1912 |
Succeeded by John French, 1st Earl of Ypres |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by New Creation |
Baron Nicholson 1912–1918 |
Succeeded by Extinct |
[edit] External links
- Royal Engineers Museum - Royal Engineers Field Marshal Biographies (Nicholson)
