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William Henry Snyder Nickerson

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William Henry Snyder Nickerson
Nickerson depicted on a cigarette card
Born(1875-03-27)27 March 1875
Dorchester, New Brunswick, Canada
Died10 May 1954(1954-05-10) (aged 79)
Buried
Cour, Argyll and Bute, Scotland
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service / branch British Army
Years of service1898 - 1933
RankMajor general
UnitRoyal Army Medical Corps
Battles / wars
Awards

Major-General William Henry Snyder Nickerson, VC CB CMG (27 March 1875, Dorchester, New Brunswick – 1954), was a Canadian born recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Early life

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Born in Canada, his family returned to England when he was a child. He was educated at Portsmouth Grammar School,[1] Manchester Grammar School and Owen's College, the forerunner of the University of Manchester, graduating in medicine in 1896. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) of the British Army in 1898[2] and served in the Second Boer War from 1899.

Victoria Cross

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Nickerson was a 25 years old lieutenant in the RAMC, attached to the Mounted Infantry during the Second Boer War when his actions at Wakkerstroom led to the award of the Victoria Cross. His citation reads:

At Wakkerstroom, on the evening of the 20th April, 1900, during the advance of the Infantry to support the Mounted Troops, Lieutenant Nickerson went, in the most gallant manner, under a heavy rifle and shell fire, to attend a wounded man, dressed his wounds, and remained with him till he had him conveyed to a place of safety.[3]

Later military service

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Nickerson was promoted to captain in 1901,[4] returning to the United Kingdom at the end of the war in June 1902 on board the SS Soudan, arriving in Southampton in September that year.[5] He was then posted to Egypt.[6]

He served in the First World War on the Western front and then Salonika in Greece. By then a major, he was promoted lieutenant-colonel in 1915[7] and Brevet Colonel in June 1918,[8] becoming a companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in May 1916,[9] companion of the Order of the Bath in June 1919, [10] and receiving the Greek Medal for Military Merit 3rd class.[11]

In 1920 he was a part of the Allied Sanitary Commission in Constantinople.[12] In 1925 he was promoted to major-general[13] and was appointed Honorary Surgeon to the King,[14] becoming Director of Medical Services, India, in September 1929.[15] He retired in September 1933,[16] before serving as Colonel Commandant of the RAMC from December 1933[17] to April 1945.[18]

Nickerson's grave is in the private burial ground at his home in Cour, Kintyre, Scotland.[19]

His medals are privately held.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Anglo Boer War – Nickerson, William Henry Snyder".
  2. ^ "No. 26994". The London Gazette. 9 August 1898. p. 4770.
  3. ^ "No. 27283". The London Gazette. 12 February 1901. p. 1059.
  4. ^ "No. 27306". The London Gazette. 19 April 1901. p. 2706.
  5. ^ "The Army in South Africa – Troops returning home". The Times. No. 36857. London. 27 August 1902. p. 6.
  6. ^ Hart´s Army list, 1903
  7. ^ "No. 29086". The London Gazette. 2 March 1915. p. 2102.
  8. ^ "No. 30719". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 May 1918. p. 6504.
  9. ^ "No. 12894". The Edinburgh Gazette. 17 January 1916. p. 84.
  10. ^ "No. 31684". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 June 1919. p. 15445.
  11. ^ "No. 13530". The Edinburgh Gazette. 28 November 1919. p. 3703.
  12. ^ "No. 32184". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 January 1921. p. 161.
  13. ^ "No. 33033". The London Gazette. 27 March 1925. p. 2114.
  14. ^ "No. 33047". The London Gazette. 15 May 1925. p. 3297.
  15. ^ "No. 33540". The London Gazette. 4 October 1929. p. 6316.
  16. ^ "No. 33974". The London Gazette. 1 September 1933. p. 5730.
  17. ^ "No. 34007". The London Gazette. 22 December 1933. p. 8317.
  18. ^ "No. 37056". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 April 1945. p. 2282.
  19. ^ a b "Grave Location for Holders of the Victoria Cross in: Scotland - Mid West". victoriacross.org.uk. Retrieved 24 August 2024.

Bibliography

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