Lieutenant Charles Nicholson - Yorkshire Regiment

[Noor]

Hi,

 

I am seeking any information about Lieutenant Charles NICHOLSON. Only piece that I was able to find was his Medal Index Card, confirming his service with the Yorkshire Regiment and N2Div as camp command (???)

 

Entitled a pair of medals and landed in France 17-Jun-1916.

Applied medals 1920 and address given:

 

119 Hawthorne (???) Street

Sherwood Rise

Nottingham

 

Can someone help me please?

 

 

 

[The Inspector]

Hi Noor,

Searched but nothing else...yet.   Address is GAWTHORNE St...

Regards Barry

[MaxD]

The last entry is No 2 District Camp Commandant which may refer to an part of the area occupied immediately after the armistice

 

This looks like his file which, as an officer, is held by the National Archives:

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1097603

 

Max

[HarryBrook]

Charles Nicholson was gazetted temp. 2nd Lt. into the Yorkshire Regt. on 27 September 1915 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29315/supplement/9744

He was transferred to a Service Battn. on 3 August 1916  https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29693/supplement/7664 heading on page 7662

Promoted to temp. Lt. 1 July 1917 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30419/supplement/12883

Then things get a little unclear.

This notification was indexed as a transfer but there are no details in the notification other than from a Service Battn. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30582/supplement/3405 

Transferred to a Training Reserve Battn. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30816/supplement/8962

Transferred from a Training Reserve Battn. under heading - War Office 12 Nov. 1918 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31004/supplement/13295

Relinquished his commission on completion of service 13 April 1920 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31918/supplement/5918

[FROGSMILE]

I think that numbered Districts were administrative sub-divisions of the regional ‘commands’ that ran the military infrastructure within the regions of Britain and Ireland.  They covered such things as prisoner of war camps, ‘command depots’ (medical rehab centres), and garrisons etc.  His record suggests to me someone who was perhaps quietly removed from front line employment to the home establishment’s training and administrative posts.  The reasons for such moves were not always made clear and ranged from indistinct medical conditions, concerns about ‘not being the right sort’, as perceived by some snobbish commanders, and even doubts about efficiency as a junior officer in the field.  That is not to say that there was any lack of courage necessarily, the reasons can be quite obscure and little more than a clash of personalities.  I am not saying that that is definitely what’s happened here, as it would be an injustice to the officer concerned, but in such a large army as that which existed during WW1 there were certainly cases along these lines.

Edited 25 May , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[Noor]

Thank you so much for the provided information! I learned something new again!

[FROGSMILE]

On 03/06/2020 at 12:18, Noor said:

Thank you so much for the provided information! I learned something new again!

 

Glad to help.  Each of the regional home commands was commanded by either, a General, a Lieutenant General, or a Major General, depending on the extent of the area and responsibility, and comprised a full staff covering pay, administration, including discipline, medical, logistics, and training.  
 

Each command generally had its regional responsibilities sub-divided into two, Districts, that incorporated the geographic Counties within its bounds.  A District was administered by a full Colonel supported by a Staff Captain and contained within it all the regimental HQ depots for: artillery (if any), cavalry (if any), infantry (always) and military hospitals (if any) within its boundary.  
In addition, each District had two or three officers responsible for 'Recruiting Duties', almost all of whom were former Quartermasters, commissioned from the ranks and serving on Retired Pay (i.e. pension) with increments.  They were responsible for all recruiting offices (generally located at the depots, but with a few in the larger cities), and the occasional travelling recruiting parties.  
 

The home commands, listed in alphabetic order, were as follows:

 

1.  Aldershot Command - HQ Aldershot.

No Districts but incorporating all the garrisons in and around the town, that together comprised Britains largest military base.

 

2.  Eastern Command - HQ Horse Guards, Whitehall.

a. No 9 District.

b. No 10 District.

 

3.  Ireland - HQ Dublin, Parkgate. (this prestigious command included additional responsibility for internal security, had no Territorial Force units with their concomitant dispersed armouries, but instead had additional units of Special Reserve and Extra Reserve (formerly Militia) that could, if necessary, be called out in support of the civil constabularies, albeit specifically never in their local area).  It was often commanded by a General Officer of Irish origin.

a.  No 11 District.

b.  No 12 District.

 

4.  London District - HQ Horse Guards, Whitehall (separate building to Eastern Command).

No Districts, but incorporating special responsibility for the defence of the capital, protection of the Sovereign and his government, and public duties in support of pomp and circumstance.  It was invariably commanded by a General Officer from one of the Guards Regiments.

 

5.  Northern Command - HQ York.

a.  No 5 District.

b.  No 6 District.

 

6.  Scottish Command - HQ Edinburgh (also a prestigious command, like London this too had special responsibility for defence of the city and public duties in support of the Sovereign and his government).  It was usually commanded by a General Officer of Scottish origin.

a.  No 1 District.

b.  No 2 District.

 

7.  Southern Command - HQ Salisbury (actually Tedworth House near Bulford).

a.  No 7 District.

b.  No 8 District.

 

8.  Western Command - HQ Chester (with responsibility for Wales and the bordering English counties).

No 3 District.

No 4 District.

 

That structure provided a framework on which almost any function could be hung and during the course of the war commands and districts took under their wings medical facilities of all kinds, Arms training schools, and POW camps.

 

Edited 1 July , 2020 by FROGSMILE