Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901 (Capt. W. A. Nicholson, 69/B., R.F.A.) good very fine £400-£500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals formed by the Reverend Canon Nigel Nicholson, OStJ, DL.

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Walter Adams Nicholson was born on 28 September 1869, and was educated at Shrewsbury School and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant R.A. on 27 July 1888; Lieutenant, 27 July 1891; Captain, 17 February 1899; Major, 13 July 1904. He was appointed Adjutant to the 3rd Kent Volunteer Artillery under Colonel Hozier on 9 March 1896. He served in the South African War in 1901 and took part in the operations in the Transvaal, Orange River Colony and Cape Colony, March to October 1901. He subsequently served in Egypt and India, and retired from the Army on 28 September 1909, but rejoined on the outbreak of war in August 1914. He served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from February 1915, was wounded and gassed during the Second Battle of Ypres at the end of April, being invalided home. Upon his recovery he was appointed Temp. Lieutenant-Colonel and given command of a Brigade R.F.A., which he took to the front in August 1915. He took part in the battle of the Somme in July 1916, after which he returned to the Ypres salient, taking part in the battle of Messines Ridge, and was killed in action near Ypres on 4 September 1917, by a bomb dropped from an enemy aeroplane.