Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
George Nichol was born February 12th 1893 in Quaking Houses, County Durham, one of 9 children of whom only 5 survived, 3 boys and 2 girls, born to George Nichol Snr., 1854 Crook, County Durham and his wife Elizabeth (possibly Beecroft) whom he married in 1884. George Snr. and his sons were all employed at the colliery and after the death of his wife, whilst living at 9 Pine Street, South Moor in 1911, they had a servant by the name of Ann Isabella Ferguson May.
George Nichol enlisted December 17th 1914 and was assigned as Able Seaman Z/2334 Collingwood Battalion Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, 3rd Platoon until being transferred to Anson Battalion, March 4th 1915, where he served for three months until transferring to H.M.S. Antrim. Antrim was part of the Grand Fleet and although never saw combat was involved in patrols near the Shetland and Faeroe Islands and the Norwegian coast. He was invalided to England August 28th, cause unknown, and once recovered drafted to France attached to Nelson Battalion as part of the British Expeditionary Force, September 25th 1916. He joined the base depot at Etaples but one month later was again invalided back to England suffering from Impetigo. By February 1917 he was fit and returned to France where he joined Nelson Battalion March 21st 1917 on the Western Front. He joined the 7th Entrenching Battalion February 1918 and was posted on to Hawke Battalion in the March. George was wounded August 17th 1918 and taken by the Royal Navy 149th Field Ambulance for treatment and did not re-join Hawke Battalion until September 1st 1918. He saw action the following day at the beginning of the Battle of Drocourt-Queant a phase of the 2nd Battle of Arras.
September 27th 1918, the first day of the Battle of the Canal du Nord, Able Seaman Z/2334 George Nichol R.N.V.D was killed or died as a direct result of enemy action. His sacrifice is recorded, panel 1 and 2 of the Vis-en-Artois Memorial which commemorates those who fell in the period August 8th 1918 until Armistice in the Advance to Victory and have no known grave. George was 25 years old and single.
His father received all monies due to him and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, he was living at 17, King Street, South Moor, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
George Nichol is remembered at Craghead on C120.01 and C120.04 and at South Moor S129.02
