William Coldingham Masters Nicholson

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Sir William C. M. Nicholson.

Admiral SIR William Coldingham Masters Nicholson, K.C.B., Royal Navy (28 October, 1863 – 9 January, 1932) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Early Life & Career

Nicholson was the son of a Reverend John Young Nicholson, Rector of Aller, a village near Langport, Somerset.[1]

He passed out of Britannia in December 1878. Following service in Agincourt, Dido, Northampton and Sultan, Nicholson was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 21 August, 1885.[2]

Nicholson passed as a Torpedo Lieutenant, Second Class, on 22 June, 1888. He would serve in a variety of appointments that are difficult to discern in his Service Record, including time as torpedo officer in Swiftsure in mid 1891 – possibly for the Annual Manoeuvres. He then returned to an appointment as torpedo officer in Boadicea, which had only two ancient Whitehead torpedo carriages, until he was invalided back to England with climatic debility and dyspepsia in April 1894.[3]

After recovering from his illness, Nicholson spent a year on the staff at the torpedo training school H.M.S. Defiance. In mid-January 1896 he was appointed to Revenge as first officer and for torpedo duties. Nicholson remained with Revenge until he was promoted to the rank of Commander on 1 January, 1898.[4]

On 1 December 1904 Nicholson was appointed as Secretary to the Imperial Defence Committee.

Captain

Nicholson was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1905.[5]

He kept up as Secretart to the I.D.C. until he was appointed in command of the new armoured cruiser Berwick in January 1908.[6]

On 23 November 1908 he was appointed to command the armoured cruiser Achilles. He commanded the ship until being appointed Captain of H.M.S. Vernon on 1 November 1911,[7] where he would remain for three years. [8]

Great War

Nicholson as Rear-Admiral, 1916.

He was appointed captain of dreadnought battleship Emperor of India on 15 September, 1914.[9]

Nicholson was appointed captain of Canada on 30 June, 1915. He would command her at the Battle of Jutland, operating as part of the Fourth Battle Squadron. As he reported in his after-action report, the ship fired forty-two main battery rounds during the action, and over 100 6-in shells, to uncertain effect.

On 10 June 1916, Nicholson was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral, vice Nelson-Ward.[10] On 15 September he was appointed an Additional Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.) dated 31 May.[11]

He was appointed Rear-Admiral in the First Battle Squadron, hoisting his flag in the Emperor of India on 7 December. His staff was composed of Henry Rogers, Secretary, Roden H. V. Buxton, Flag Lieutenant, and Maurice H. Elliot, Clerk to Secretary.[12]

He was thanked for developing a system for firing through a smoke screen in 1918. As the war ended, he was being granted periods of leave: first two weeks in early October, and then in December.[13]

Post-War

Nicholson was appointed an Additional Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, in the Military Division of the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) on 24 March, 1919.[14]

Nicholson was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 24 November, 1920, vice Nicholson.[15]

Nicholson was promoted to the rank of Admiral on 1 July, 1925, vice Duff.[16] He was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 14 October.[17]

Bibliography

  • "Admiral Sir William Nicholson" (Obituaries). The Times. Monday, 11 January, 1932. Issue 46027, col A, p. 14.

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Henry A. Phillipps 		Captain of H.M.S. Antelope
10 Sep, 1902[18][19] – 30 Nov, 1904[20] 		Succeeded by
Frederic W. Dean
Preceded by
Lewis Clinton-Baker 		Captain of H.M.S. Berwick
15 Jan, 1908[21] – 2 Sep, 1908[22] 		Succeeded by
Hugh T. Hibbert
Preceded by
Henry F. Oliver 		Captain of H.M.S. Achilles
23 Nov, 1908[23][24] – 18 Apr, 1911[25] 		Succeeded by
The Hon. Stanhope Hawke
Preceded by
Robert S. P. Hornby 		Captain of H.M.S. Vernon
1 Nov, 1911[26] – 15 Sep, 1914[27] 		Succeeded by
Frederick L. Field
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of H.M.S. Emperor of India
15 Sep, 1914[28] – 9 Jul, 1915[29] 		Succeeded by
Charles W. R. Royds
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of H.M.S. Canada
30 Jun, 1915[30][31] – 1 Dec, 1916[32] 		Succeeded by
James C. Ley
Preceded by
Alexander L. Duff 		Rear-Admiral in the First Battle Squadron
1 Dec, 1916[33] – 20 Mar, 1919[34] 		Succeeded by
The Hon. Victor A. Stanley
Preceded by
Charles Bartolomé 		Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy
1 Jul, 1919[35] – 15 Apr, 1920[36] 		Succeeded by
Sir Frederick L. Field
Preceded by
Sir Arthur C. Leveson 		Vice-Admiral Commanding, Second Battle Squadron
1 Oct, 1920[37] – 3 May, 1921[38] 		Succeeded by
William C. M. Nicholson, V.A.C. First Battle Squadron
Preceded by
Sir Sydney R. Fremantle 		Vice-Admiral Commanding, First Battle Squadron
3 May, 1921[39] – 14 Oct, 1922 		Succeeded by
Sir Edwyn S. Alexander-Sinclair

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 20191224 Contact email from Janet Seaton, Chair of the Langport & District History Society, citing Nicholson's baptismal record.
  2. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 25514. p. 4516. 25 September, 1885.
  3. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 214.
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 26924. p. 7854. 31 December, 1897.
  5. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27812. p. 4557. 30 June, 1905.
  6. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 214.
  7. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 214.
  8. ↑ Blond. Technology and Tradition. p. 167.
  9. ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1914). p. 311.
  10. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29629. p. 6066. 20 June, 1916.
  11. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29751. p. 9070. 15 September, 1916.
  12. ↑ The Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 393l.
  13. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 214.
  14. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31248. p. 3859. 24 March, 1919.
  15. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 32154. p. 12054. 7 December, 1920.
  16. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 33068. p. 4866. 21 July, 1925.
  17. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 33093. p. 6693. 16 October, 1925.
  18. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 214.
  19. ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1904). p. 273.
  20. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 214.
  21. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 214.
  22. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 214.
  23. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 214.
  24. ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1911). p. 272.
  25. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 214.
  26. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 214.
  27. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 214.
  28. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 214.
  29. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 214.
  30. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 214.
  31. ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1916). p. 392rr.
  32. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 214.
  33. ↑ Squadrons and Senior Naval Officers in Existence on 11th November, 1918. p. 2.
  34. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 214.
  35. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 214.
  36. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/88. f. 77.
  37. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 194.
  38. ↑ Nicholson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/88. f. 77.
  39. ↑ "Naval and Military" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 23 March, 1921. Issue 42676, col D, p. 12.

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