Pte. John David 'Jack' Nicholas
Jack was a 25 year old Policeman at Steelhouse Lane Police Station in Birmingham before enlisting.
June 1940 attested into the Corps of Military Police, service number 7688187, and temporarily promoted Lance Corporal.
April 1941 transferred to the Infantry Training Centre (Welch Regiment).
15 April 1941 posted to the Auxiliary Units.
April 1942 attached from the HQ Auxiliary Units to No.3 Commando relinquishing his temporary rank on joining. Took part in the Dieppe raid.
January 1943 posted from No.3 Commando to 5 I.D. joining 18th Bn.
May 1943 attached to the 1st Bn. Royal Irish Fusiliers.
6 October 1943 wounded in action at Termoli, Italy (leg amputated).
January 1944 evacuated to the UK and ultimately discharged from service due to being medically unfit.
His brother George died in the war.
In Memory of D/JX 211387 Coder George Richard Nicholas
Royal Navy, H.M. Trawler Stella Capella
who died on 19 March 1942 aged 22.
Remembered with honour Plymouth Naval Memorial.
Sources
Service Record provided.
Casualty Lists / National Archives file WO417/67.
Dr Michael Condon OBE (nephew).
Gemma Reed (great niece).
CWGC.
Read more in Forum message [view....].
His nephew Michael adds "Following his discharge from the Forces, Jack married my aunt and enrolled in a special ex-forces Teacher Training Programme in Birmingham and became a schoolteacher. They lived with my family for this period before moving into their own home when Jack qualified. Eventually they moved to Jack's family home in St Dogmaels after his mother died in 1946.
Jack taught in Cilgerran Primary School, a village a few miles from St Dogmaels. He was, apparently, a very popular and respected teacher with the children. Strangely, he was the only teacher in the school, including the headmaster, who was addressed as 'Sir', a fact I learned from one of his pupils involved in the school history project. He died of a heart attack at the Cilgerran school in 1972, while carrying out a minor repair to his car during the lunch break.
John David ‘Jack’ Nicholas.
b. 09.07.1915 St Dogmaels, Cardigan, S. Wales.
d. 1972 Cilgerran Primary School, a few miles from St Dogmaels.
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Date: 24/04/2021
Size: 4 items
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