| Edward Nicholson - Lancers of the Line |
1889 - 1915
1. Early
Days
2. West
Yorkshire Regiment
3. Lancers
of the Line
4. British Expeditionary Forces
5. 1914-1915 Home and Abroad
6. Missing Presumed Dead
7. In Memorial
Lancers of the Line
On Wednesday 7th April 1909, Edward entered the Army Recruiting Office in the City of York and once again enlisted in the armed forces. As before, his enlistment period was shown as 7 years in the Army and 5 years in the reserves.
This time however, he either requested, or was posted to, a cavalry unit, namely the 21st Empress of India Lancers. The 21st had a proud history, having taken part in the reconquest of the Sudan, most notably having fought in the battle of Khartoum in September of 1898.
Front cover of Edward's |
 Inside page click to enlarge |
 Soldier's Name and Description click to enlarge |
 The Soldier's Next-of-Kin Now Living click to enlarge |
It
would appear that Edward was based in Canterbury, Kent, but also spent time in
Lydd, Kent, possibly on training exercises. In September of 1909 he sent a postcard to his mother Elizabeth from Lydd,
showing himself and others of his company on Church Parade.
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 Note from Edward to Elizabeth postmarked 11 Sept, 1909 click to enlarge |
One month later, after being in the Army for 195 days, Edward got his first overseas posting. On 19th October 1909 he was sent to a British Army Establishment in Potchefstroom in the Transvaal, South Africa.
It
is unclear whether he transferred to the 9th Queens Royal Lancers prior to
embarking for South Africa, or if he joined the 9th as part of his overseas
service.
Whatever the circumstance, he left the 21st for the 9th and joined another unit with a long and glorious history. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your point of view, the exciting period of the 9th's tour of duty in the Transvaal was over, and Edward spent his time there doing more routine and mundane service.
Major E.W. Sheppard, in his book "9th Queen's Royal Lancers 1715-1930", describes the last 3 years of service by the 9th Lancers in South Africa.
Page
228/9
"The end of September, 1907, saw them back at Potchefstroom,
where they remained for another three years, diversified only by inspections at
wide intervals and the termination of Lieutenant-Colonel Willoughby's period of
command. Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Douglas Compton took over from him on March
15th, 1908. The first inspecting officer after his succession was General Lord
Methuen, commanding the forces in South Africa. Nine years before, the Ninth had
formed part of the 1st Division of the South African Field Force, with which he
had set out from the Orange River to relieve Kimberley.
The Ninth
had yet two years to spend in South Africa, and these passed in the usual
routine of inspections, training and manoeuvres, with no incidents worthy of
mention. Places familiar to the officers and men who had served in the Boer War
were from time to time visited in the course of duty - Johannesburg, Rooibank,
Middelburg, Zeerust, Rustenburg all old haunts of hallowed memory, now as
peaceful as if they had never been scenes of war's alarms. Every summer
manoeuvres were held, and in mid-July or mid-August the regiment left its
barracks at Potchefstroom and trekked for days over the veldt to the tented
field, where the great concentration of participating troops was assembling for
this culmination of the year's training. Then followed a week or ten days of
intensive activity, and thereafter a leisurely return to quarters and the
prospect of relaxation, sport, and leave, till the time should come for training
to recommence its annual cycle.
In October, 1910 having attended its last manoeuvres in South Africa in the Zeerust-Rustenburg area, at the beginning of August, the regiment was inspected for the last time by its old General, Lord Methuen, who recalled in his farewell speech the good service it had rendered while under his command eleven years before. Then came the handing-over of horses, saddlery and equipment to the 12th Lancers and the entrainment for the port of embarkation, Durban, where the transport Soudan awaited their arrival. Twelve officers, 563 other ranks, 33 wives and 44 children sailed on November 12th and reached Southampton on December 8th."
According to his "Soldier's Small Book" Edward received his 3rd class musketry award in 1910 while he was in South Africa.
This photograph of Edward was taken during his service in Potchefstroom. The photograph is not dated, but would be circa 1910-1911.
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This photo was edited from the group shot on the left. The close-up clearly shows the scar on the left side of Edward's face, and his cap-badge can be identified as that of the 9th Queens Royal Lancers. |
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This photograph is of the 2nd Troop, C. Squadron, 9th Q.R. Lancers, taken in 1910 in Potchefstroom. Although I haven't been able to identify Edward in the photograph, this is at least an accurate record of his style of uniform and surroundings during his time in the Transvaal. |
As mentioned in the above article, Edward and his fellow soldiers left Durban on the S.S. Soudan, shown in this photograph, which was used for a period as a hospital ship. |
The next few months after Edward's return from South Africa were quite eventful for him. He returned to Canterbury with the rest of his company.
Early
in 1911 he achieved his 1st Class Musketry award.
On 18th March he was promoted to Lance-Corporal.
On 10th April he was awarded his first Good Conduct Badge.
He gained his 3rd Class Certificate of Education on 21st June and was granted an extra sixpence in Proficiency Pay, just one day before the Coronation of King George V.
Edward participated in the ceremonies associated with the Coronation, along with other members of the 9th Lancers. Once again I quote from Major E.W. Sheppard's book ..
"In the mid-summer of 1911 the
whole of the Ninth was detailed to take part in the ceremonies of King George
V's Coronation in
Edward received a souvenir bible in commemoration of his attendance at the Coronation
of King George V. The notation written inside the flyleaf provides added
confirmation o
f
Edward's service detail. We have a firm date, 21st June 1911, we know by his own
handwritten entry that Edward had been promoted to Lance-Corporal as stated on
his official record, and he gives his posting as the 9th Lancers in Canterbury.
This gives excellent provenance and proves his involvement in this historic
event.
Unfortunately there is no way of knowing if he was one of the 33 non-commissioned officers who marched in the Royal Procession or one of the 200 other ranks who lined the streets.
Following the Coronation, the 9th were involved in civil unrest at home.
"Two
months later the Ninth were due to take part in manoeuvres at home for the first
time for seventeen years. These manoeuvres were held in
Two of the officers mentioned in this article, Major D.G.M. Campbell and Major-General E.H.H. Allenby were to re-appear in Edward's later service in 1914-1915.
During the period of Edward's service covered by the entries in his "Soldier's Small Book" there are additions and entries which required the signature of a commanding officer. On all of these entries, the signature belongs to Major D.J.E. Beale-Browne.
Major Beale-Browne's name appears from 1909 until the final handwritten entry on 21st June 1911. After that date, no further details are entered in Edward's book. Beale-Browne re-appears in accounts of the 9th during WWI.
In
1911, Edward's sister Rose left England for Canada. Rose had given birth to a
son, Charles, in 1907, and when she went to Canada, she left Charles in the care
of her parents Joseph and Elizabeth.
The following year, Joseph, Elizabeth and Charles also set sail for Canada,
heading for Estevan in Saskatchewan.
Although he had enlisted for 7 years in the regular force and 5 years in reserves, it would appear that Edward actually deserted from the Army and also left England for Canada in 1912 to be with the rest of his family.
This rather cryptic reference survives in Edward's records, and reads as follows ..
Harrogate
Hall Farm
Bilton
Harrogate
March 11th 1912
Edward Nicholson was in my employ for three years. I always found him honest & trustworthy & a good worker.
A.G. Ingram
It is difficult to calculate exactly WHICH three years this may refer to. Obviously it could not be the 3 years prior to the date shown on the note itself, that would be 1909-1912, and Edward was in the army during that time. Nor could it be before he enlisted in 1909, because he had previously served from late 1907 to 1908. Unless it means that Edward had worked on the farm in total for 3 years, over an extended period.
The other alternative would be that this was a fabricated reference to disguise the fact that Edward had been in the army and absconded to Canada.
Whatever the reason, this reference seems to have been written to assist him in his new life in the Colonies.
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