William Nicholson

[Hett65]

William Nicholson (born Newburn) lived Throckley, Northumberland when he enlisted with the Northumberland Fusiliers on 5.8.1915 and is believed to have served with the 4th Battalion. On the 23rd November 1916 he was discharged as no longer physically fit for war service due to wounds received in action. I have been unable to trace his regimental number or information on his injuries or where he received them, can anyone please assist me with this one.

Thanks

John

[sotonmate]

John

There were a few William Nicholsons in the NF on the first page of the Ancestry UK list of Medal Index Cards ! From a process of elimination of those shown with a single Christian name there are two,which reduces down to one if your date of enlistment is accurate. The snag is that he went on from the NF to the KOYLI before discharge with a SWB. So here the detail:

Private William NICHOLSON

447 Northumberland Fusiliers / 48305 KOYLI.

No war theatre service before 1916.

Entitled to British War and Victory Medals,listed on original Medal Roll WO329/1463 page 2483. Silver War Badge is listed in WO329/3152 list 4942/2.

You will get the Battalion he was serving in on first entry into war theatre,and possibly the KOYLI one he served when he received the SWB discharge. It is possible that when he was wounded with the NF that he was returned to the KOYLI Depot as he may have been unfit for front line duty.

The other soldier of the same name:

3336 Northumberland Fusiliers.

Entered France war theatre on 16.1.1915.

SWB listed in WO329/3150 list 4146/1

If your date of enlistment is right this isn't him.

The other soldiers of the same name had no SWB issue.

Sotonmate

[mmm45]

http://www.4thbnnf.com/index.html

Have you tried this excellent site?

Ady

[Tyneside Chinaman]

Hi

TheseWilliam Nicholsons are the closest I could get,

447 was discharged on 14/12/18

22493 enlisted 1/6/15 and was discharged on 16/8/17 from the NF Depot.

3336 served with 2nd, 8th and 2nd Bns enlisted 7/2/12 entered France 16/1/15 discharged 21/2/19

No obvious 4th BN numbers there.

regards

John

[Hett65]

Sotonmate, Ady and John

Thanks for the help on Nicholson, 447 was a possibility but was discharged on 14.12.1918 and mine was discharged 23.11.1916.

Checked the site Ady gave and there is a W Nicholson named but they do not have any information on him. It looks like he will be one of the many whose number is unfortunately never traced, once again thanks for helping out.

John

[Graham Stewart]

Always that bit harder without a number. You can discount 477 Pte William Nicholson, he was actually 20/477 Pte William Nicholson, 20th Bn,N.F.

Those service battalion volunteers entering the NF in Augsut 1915 were numbered from 23263(4/8/1915) to 23344(12/8/1915), but to-date I haven't found a William Nicholson that would slot in.

To have enlisted into the 4th Bn in August 1915 he would be numbered in the 32** series, but no higher than 3259.

[Hett65]

Graham

Thanks for checking him out with the numbering and eliminating 477 Nicholson, it appears that he will have to remain as an unkown number.

John

[Verrico2009]

An idle thought - what if someone like this:

Name: William Nicholson

Estimated birth year: abt 1886

Age at Enlistment: 22

Birth Parish: Bedlington

Birth County: Northumberland

Document Year: 1908

Regimental Number: ??39

Regiment Name: The Tynemouth RGA

were to re-enlist in 1915? Is he under the 7 years or however long it was?

[Hett65]

Verrico2009

This may well be him as he had previously served for two years with the Territorials but I do not know which regiment he served with, I will follow this up, thanks for your help.

John