https://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/3/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.]]> en-us Gallery 2 RSS Module, version 1.1.8 Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:13:48 +0100 120 https://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/d/95302-3/Jack_Nicholas.jpg https://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/3/Jack_Nicholas/ https://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/3/Jack_Nicholas/NicholasJack+Mar8+1972.jpg.html https://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/3/Jack_Nicholas/NicholasJack+Mar8+1972.jpg.html
Photo courtesy of Dr Michael Condon OBE who adds "This is an entry in the Cilgerran School Logbook for March 10, 1972, recording arrangements for pupils' attendance at Uncle Jack's funeral the following day."
In album Pte. John David 'Jack' Nicholas, No.3 Commando]]> Pete Rogers (Admin) photo Tue, 27 Apr 2021 15:27:05 +0100 https://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/3/Jack_Nicholas/Jack+Nicholas.jpg.html https://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/3/Jack_Nicholas/Jack+Nicholas.jpg.html
Served in No.3 Commando April 1942 - January 1943. Additional details from service record shown in album.
In album Pte. John David 'Jack' Nicholas, No.3 Commando]]> Pete Rogers (Admin) photo Sat, 24 Apr 2021 19:41:09 +0100 https://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/3/Jack_Nicholas/Jack+Nicholas+in+his+Police+days.jpg.html https://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/3/Jack_Nicholas/Jack+Nicholas+in+his+Police+days.jpg.html
Served in No.3 Commando April 1942 - January 1943. Additional details from service record shown in album.
In album Pte. John David 'Jack' Nicholas, No.3 Commando]]> Pete Rogers (Admin) photo Tue, 27 Apr 2021 11:17:44 +0100 https://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/3/Jack_Nicholas/Nicholas+brothers.JPG.html https://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/3/Jack_Nicholas/Nicholas+brothers.JPG.html
7688187 John David 'Jack' Nicholas was attached to No.3 Commando from April 1942 until January 1943. He was wounded in Italy serving with the Royal Irish Fusiliers and lost a leg. Photo courtesy of his great niece Gemma Reed.

His younger 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.

Dr. Michael Condon OBE (nephew) adds “Jack is centre and George, his younger brother, is on the left as you look at it. The youngest brother, William Ewart, known as Ewart, was not called up because of ill health. I'm pretty sure the person on the right of the photograph is Wallace Richards, Jack's maternal cousin.”
In album Pte. John David 'Jack' Nicholas, No.3 Commando]]> Pete Rogers (Admin) photo Sat, 14 Sep 2024 19:23:37 +0100